UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

"UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL"
(1996) (Robert Redford, Michelle Pfeiffer) (PG-13)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Moderate	Minor	Moderate	Minor	Minor

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

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

QUICK TAKE:: An aspiring female reporter and a seasoned producer have a business romance as she moves up through the TV world.

PLOT:: Sally Atwater (MICHELLE PFEIFFER) is a determined, but green TV reporter. Her career gets a jump start when she lands a job at a TV station in Miami working for veteran producer Warren Chester (ROBERT REDFORD). Warren sees her potential, changes her screen name to Tally, and sets her in motion to move up in the world of TV reporting. Inevitably, a romance blooms as does her career which lands her at a high profile job in Philadelphia. There she meets the egotistical but sharp Marsha McGrand (STOCKARD CHANNING) who tries to undermine everything Tally does. From then on, Warren and Tally must contend with the pleasures and strains of their relationship and the TV business as Tally continues her climb upward.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Probably not. Pfeiffer's name might draw some (she was in last year's "Dangerous Minds" as well as "Batman Returns") and the romance story might draw some teenage girls, but little kids will have no interest in this one.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For brief strong language, some sensuality and depictions of violence.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: ROBERT REDFORD plays a seasoned reporter/producer who's very good at what he does. His tendency, however, to speak his mind and stand by his ideals rubs some of his employers the wrong way. Still, he should be considered a good role model.
MICHELLE PFEIFFER plays the up and coming TV reporter. Her tenacity and honesty are good traits and thus she is also a good role model.
STOCKARD CHANNING plays the egotistical, self-centered news anchor who attempts to foil anyone who might seem to be a threat to her career. She's not a good role model.; MICHELLE PFEIFFER plays the up and coming TV reporter. Her tenacity and honesty are good traits and thus she is also a good role model.
STOCKARD CHANNING plays the egotistical, self-centered news anchor who attempts to foil anyone who might seem to be a threat to her career. She's not a good role model.; STOCKARD CHANNING plays the egotistical, self-centered news anchor who attempts to foil anyone who might seem to be a threat to her career. She's not a good role model.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

OUR TAKE: 7.5 out of 10: The movie has great performances from Redford and Pfeiffer, as well as from Stockard Channing who gives new meaning to snobbery and constrained meanness. The romance is well developed and fun to watch and most everyone should be entertained by this film. We give it a 7.5 out of 10.

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:: There isn't a great deal here that's objectionable. The ending isn't happy and there's moderate profanity (with two uses of the "f" word) and some amorous pre love making scenes, but that shouldn't take away from the good role models that Redford and Pfeiffer provide. It's an interesting look at the world of TV reporting and should be recommended to children who are mature enough to handle the material and appreciate the plot. As always, though, read through the scene listings first.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Tally asks a congressman how he feels about receiving election funds from a known drug dealer.
Warren and Tally drink beer while editing a news segment.
Tally has drinks with a station owner and Marsha. They have mixed drinks, while Tally has a banana daiquiri.
Warren drinks a beer while playing chess.
Warren and his agent, Bucky, have drinks in a hotel bar.
Warren has drinks with a guy he's interviewing with.
Warren and Tally have wine with dinner.
Station staff drink champagne at Tally's going away party, and a woman comes forward with two bottles claiming that she finally found the hard liquor.

BLOOD/ GORE: Blood is seen coming from the ear of an unconscious inmate.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Different men refer to Tally as "sweetheart," "gal," or "missy."
Several crew members of the TV news make fun of Tally after her first night as the weather person doesn't go smoothly.
A sheriff refers to a dead Hispanic man as "Juan Doe" instead of "John Doe" and Tally catches him on that.
Marsha McGrath is a thorn in Tally's side. She has a bad attitude toward new upcoming stars, and feels threatened, so she treats Tally badly and tries to trip her up while they are live on the air.
It's reported that some of the prisoners in the riot were killed because of racial vendettas.

FRIGHTENING/TENSE SCENES: Tally is trapped in a prison riot, and feeds from her camera come sporadically and she does appear in some danger, but the scene is tense in only a minor way.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Rifles: Carried by riot police and guards but never used on anyone other than it's reported that one of the dead inmates was shot by a sharpshooter.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Nothing other than that already covered in other categories.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: 2 "f" words (1 used sexually: Warren tells Tally, "You thought I came by to "f" you didn't you?") 9 "s" words, 8 ass words (including Warren telling his ex-wife "...you've still got a nice ass."), 8 hells, 3 damns, and 2 uses of "God damn" as an exclamation.

SEX/NUDITY: Warren tells his ex-wife that the NBA players she's doing a story on (about sex and drugs) will like her because she's "still got a nice ass."
There are several brief news stories which concern: A man found guilty of "banging the class president." Another states that phone sex is on the rise. Another briefly mentions a nursing home sex scandal.
The TV anchorman puts his arm around Tally and caresses her arm.
A congressman's aide asks Tally if she's a practicing lesbian after she asks the congressman a question about taking drug money.
Tally argues with her co-anchor asking, "...do only whores have babies out of wedlock?" referring to a news story about an unwed mother giving birth and also to Tally's sister who has done the same.
It's implied that Warren and Tally have sex, but all we see is what happens beforehand which is limited to passionate kissing, and some minor rolling around on the bed. There is no nudity.
Warren and Tally have another make out scene with her on top of him, and again there is no nudity.
Warren and Tally are interrupted as they get ready to have sex on an office floor (they're kissing, and he's undoing her shirt), but no nudity is seen.

SMOKING: A brief new story refers to a cigar maker from Havana.
A guy smokes a cigar during a chess match.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Warren states that he's twice divorced, and that he and his first wife had a little girl who lived only for one week.
Tally states that her mother died in a car wreck and that she had to raise her younger sister.
Tally must deal with Warren's death.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: A pitch session for stories includes one of a cross dresser making it to the finals in a beauty pageant.
Warren's death in Panama.

VIOLENCE: There are several brief news stories which talk about: Child hostages and a story of rapes occurring in Philadelphia.
Some guards push inmates around in a prison.
The prisoners take over the prison and fires are seen burning on top of some of the buildings.
Several prisoners kick a person who is lying on the floor and there is much mayhem and pushing and shoving during the riot.
Riot police storm the prison and begin beating the prisoners.
It's reported that fifteen prisoners died during the riot (including one that Tally was interviewing).
Warren dies during an ambush while reporting from Panama (the attack is seen on video, but his death isn't -- just a body is seen lying on a runway).

Reviewed June 23, 1996

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