MR. WRONG

"MR. WRONG"
(1996) (Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Pullman) (PG-13)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Moderate	Minor	Moderate	None	Moderate

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Moderate	None	Minor	None	Moderate

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Moderate	Mild	Minor	Minor	Moderate

QUICK TAKE:: Comedy: A woman's new boyfriend turns out to be her date from hell as he won't take the hint that she wants to break up with him.

PLOT:: Martha Alston (ELLEN DeGENERES) is a single talk show coordinator who is pressured by her parents and colleagues to get into a relationship. She then accidentally meets a wealthy stranger, Whitman Crawford (BILL PULLMAN) who sweeps her off her feet and seems to be the perfect man for her. Walter (JOHN LIVINGSTON), her assistant, doesn't think so as he has his own flame for her, but everyone else loves Whitman. That includes Inga (JOAN CUSACK), his former, crazed girlfriend who threatens Martha to stay away from "her man." That and Whitman's behavioral change (after she tells him to be himself) begins to shake her faith in their relationship. Soon she wants out, but Whitman's too determined and/or dim-witted and becomes obsessed with proving his love for her.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they're fans of DeGeneres (TV's "Ellen") or Pullman they will. Also, those looking for a romantic comedy will be drawn to this one.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For crude language, some sex related scenes and drug content.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: ELLEN DeGENERES plays a woman who sleeps with a stranger after having just met him, but has few bad traits (she smokes one cigarette) other than that.
BILL PULLMAN plays a crazed suitor who won't take "no" for an answer, who shoplifts for fun, and who slips LSD into Martha's water to make her unable to resist their upcoming marriage.
JOAN CUSACK plays a similarly crazed character who wishes harm on Martha for dating Whitman.; BILL PULLMAN plays a crazed suitor who won't take "no" for an answer, who shoplifts for fun, and who slips LSD into Martha's water to make her unable to resist their upcoming marriage.
JOAN CUSACK plays a similarly crazed character who wishes harm on Martha for dating Whitman.; JOAN CUSACK plays a similarly crazed character who wishes harm on Martha for dating Whitman.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

OUR TAKE: 4 out of 10: While this film has an interesting and potentially amusing premise (a decent guy who turns into the boyfriend from hell), it falls short and turns ridiculous by the ending. DeGeneres is competent in her role of the flustered girlfriend, but doesn't bring anything special to her character. Pullman is good as the hard headed suitor who just keeps coming back again and again. If you're looking for a lightweight, slightly goofy comedy, you'll probably enjoy this one. If you're looking for sophisticated humor or big belly laughs, you'll need to look elsewhere. We give this one a 4 out of 10.

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:: The biggest issues of concern are Martha sleeping with Whitman the night she meets him and his refusal to accept her rejection of him (which begins to border on stalking). There's also a scene where Whitman admits that he laced her drinking water with LSD and there's a good amount of gun use used for humor (or an attempt at humor). As we always say, make sure you read through the category listings before deciding whether this film is appropriate for your children.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Wine is consumed at a wedding reception.
Martha's at a bar and evidently she's been drinking (based on the empty glasses and used olives).
Wine is consumed at an anniversary party.
Whitman shoplifts beer from a convenience store and later is seen taking a sip of beer while driving, but then pours the rest out.
A private detective drinks a shot of liquor.
People have drinks at an opera reception.
Whitman gives Martha some water to drink (while in Mexico where he plans to marry her). She starts to feel weird and he tells her he added some LSD to her water to "relax her" and soon she begins "tripping."
Bob reports that Inga's been doing tequila shots at the end of the movie.

BLOOD/ GORE: There's a little blood on Inga's arm after she's been shot.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: In general, Whitman has both as he won't take Martha's subtle and then not so subtle hints that she wants to break up with him. Later he even slips some LSD into her water to "relax her" so that he can marry Martha without her putting up a fight.
Martha's on a blind date and the man asks her if he can french kiss her.
For fun (his idea of fun) Whitman shoplifts beer from a convenience store and makes Martha do the same (she doesn't want to). He then calls the African American clerk "homes" and "homey."
Whitman throws a beer can at an old homeless man on the street.
Inga and Bob have broken into Martha's home. Bob cuts open her sofa while Inga puts gum in her hair.
A private detective calls Martha "dame."
Walter steals a Mexican police van and he and Martha escape. The police try to chase them but he's flattened their tires.

FRIGHTENING/TENSE SCENES: None.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Knife/Rifle: After her attempt at having ants attack Martha, she says she'll have to cut out Martha's heart and pulls out a knife and raises it above her. But Whitman shows up and shoots Inga in the arm with a rifle.
Handguns: Used by two kids to keep Martha in line after Whitman has kidnaped her (they're the kids of Whitman's mother's housekeeper). The guns are water pistols but we don't know that until later.
Handgun/Rifle: Walter shows up at the Whitman and Martha's wedding and has a handgun. He runs toward them, but trips and knocks himself out. His gun flies through the air and Martha catches it and holds it on Whitman. She then fires the gun into the air to make her point and the bullet ricochets and hits her mother-in-law to be in the foot. Martha then kicks Whitman in the shin and as he continues toward her, she closes her eyes and a gunshot is heard. Later Walter tells her what really happened: Inga fired a shot from the balcony that accidentally hit Whitman instead of Martha.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "Sucks," "Bazoongas (breasts)" "Tramp," "Bitch," "Idiot," and "Shut up."
Martha sleeps with Whitman after having just met him.
For fun (his idea of fun) Whitman shoplifts beer from a convenience store and makes Martha do the same (she doesn't want to). He then calls the African American clerk "homes" and "homey."
Whitman crushes a beer can on his forehead and then throws the can at an old homeless man on the street.
To prove his love to Martha, Whitman breaks his own finger.
Inga puts gum into Martha's hair.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): There's just some minor stuff in the scenes with Inga.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: 2 "s" words, 3 slang terms for male genitals (the "d" word used in a double meaning: slang and the term for a private detective), 2 hells, 2 damn's, and 2 uses of "God," 3 uses of "Oh my God," and 14 uses of "Oh God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY: Martha's coworker mentions a former boyfriend (of Martha's) who "cried the first time they made love." Martha corrects her and says that he cried every time.
A belly dancer is seen performing and Martha's blind date puts money into her bikini bottom.
Martha's on a blind date and the man asks her if he can french kiss her.
It's implied that Martha and Whitman have sex after having just met. They're seen together by a fire and he's shirtless. Later her sister asks is she did "it" and Martha says yes.
Later there's frantic bumbling and fumbling to remove each other's clothes as the two rush back to the bedroom to have sex. Nothing's seen other than her bra as he tries to take her shirt off and later clothes are thrown from off camera. The scene is played more for laughs than for erotica.
Martha's coworker says that an old boyfriend of hers called breasts "bazoongas."
Whitman's mother says that Martha has "good birthing hips and an adequate bosom."
Whitman's mother tells Martha "I'm sure you'll give my son a big bone fest of a honeymoon."
Whitman announces in public that he's made love to Martha and then displays some pelvic thrusting to drive home his point.
Martha reads a telegram (written by Whitman and sent to an upcoming guest on the TV talk show) that partially reads: "Blow me, muscle man."

SMOKING: A Mexican cop offers Martha a cigarette in jail, but she refuses.
A private detective smokes cigars.
Martha and the Mexican cops smoke cigarettes at the end of the movie.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Martha's parents pressure her to find a boyfriend and to get married.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Sleeping with total strangers.
Knowing and accepting when a relationship is over.

VIOLENCE: Inga threatens Martha to keep away from Whitman or else.
A convenience store clerk chases Martha and Whitman from his store after they've shoplifted beer (Martha is the unwilling partner). He comes out with a bat and takes a swing at Martha but instead hits Whitman's car.
Whitman crushes a beer can on his forehead and then throws the can at an old homeless man on the street.
To prove his love to Martha, Whitman breaks his own finger.
Inga and Bob have broken into Martha's home. Bob cuts open her sofa while Inga puts gum in her hair.
Whitman, standing on stilts, falls backwards and crashes to the ground.
A detective tells Martha that Inga previously had tried to assassinate rock singer Stevie Nicks.
That detective tells Martha that it'll cost big bucks to bump off Whitman. She then corrects him and states that she just wants him to get Whitman to leave, not kill him.
Martha kicks through a painting of Whitman that he left on her front lawn. Moments later the private detective she hired slaps her to make her get control of herself.
Martha then hits the detective with some sort of padded bat and runs out into the road where she's hit by a truck (we don't see the actual collision, but do see her unconscious on the street and later in the hospital).
In a desert, Inga and Bob pour honey onto Martha who's tied to some sort of platform. They plan to pour ants on her, but it turns out the ants are dead. Inga then says she'll have to cut out Martha's heart and pulls out a knife and raises it above Martha. But Whitman shows up and shoots Inga in the arm with a rifle.
Two kids working for Whitman hold handguns (later found to be water pistols) on Martha after Whitman has kidnaped her.
Walter shows up at Whitman and Martha's wedding and has a handgun. He runs toward them, but trips and knocks himself out. His gun flies through the air and Martha catches it and holds it on Whitman. She then fires the gun into the air to make a point and the bullet ricochets and hits her mother-in-law to be in the foot. Martha then kicks Whitman in the shin and as he continues toward her, she closes her eyes and a gunshot is heard.
Later Walter tells her what really happened: Inga fired a shot from the balcony that accidentally hit Whitman instead of Martha.

Reviewed September 17, 1996

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