"HELD UP"
(2000) (Jamie Foxx, Nia Long) (PG-13)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Mild	Mild	Heavy	*Minor	Extreme
Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	None	None	None	*Moderate
Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Moderate	Minor	Minor	Moderate	Moderate

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QUICK TAKE:

Comedy: Determined to get his fiancée back after she left him for deceiving her, a man finds his life turned upside down when he and several other convenience store patrons unwillingly become part of a comical hostage situation.

PLOT:

Mike Dawson (JAMIE FOXX) and his fiancée, Rae (NIA LONG), are taking a vacation from their busy lives in Chicago with a romantic getaway to the Grand Canyon. That's short-lived, however, for when Rae discovers that he spent their home savings on a vintage car, she dumps him at the "Sip & Zip" convenience store where they stopped for a bathroom break, and catches a ride to the Las Vegas airport.

Determined to win her back, Mike immediately runs into problems when his car his stolen. Heading into the convenience store to call the police, Mike meets the store's manager/clerk, Jack (JOHN CULLEM), along with Rusty (SAM GIFALDI), a video game junkie who thinks he's Puff Daddy; Clarence, an all-knowing philosophy spouting biker; and Mary (SARAH PAULSON), a somewhat shy woman who knows her man is cheating on her.

With Deputy Beaumont (JAKE BUSEY) on the way, Mike thinks that he might have a chance to get to Vegas before Rae catches her plane, but that's before Rodrigo (EDUARDO YANEZ), and his two bumbling associates, Trina (ROSELYN SANCHEZ) and Sal (DIEGO FUENTES), enter the store, prepared to rob it. When the deputy finally arrives and gets suspicious of what's occurring in the Sip & Zip, he calls Sheriff Pembry (BARRY CORBIN) who shows up with an entourage of armed, but not altogether brilliant locals.

Not surprisingly, Trina and Sal take off, leaving Rodrigo with a small number of hostages, the most perturbed being Mike who realizes he's running out of time. As the locals show up to gawk at the event and the press arrives to cover it live, Rae sits in an airport bar, drowning her sorrows with bartender Gloria (JULIE HAGERTY), hoping that Mike will show and make up with her.

That begins to seem increasingly unlikely as even more people show up at the convenience store, including a Vegas S.W.A.T. team that awaits orders from Sheriff Pembry to move in. Realizing that he's surrounded by idiots on both sides of the situation, Mike does what he can to resolve the crisis so that he can get to Vegas and stop Rae before she boards her plane back home.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

It they're fans of someone in the cast or of goofy comedies, they just might, but this barely promoted film probably won't be on most kids' cinematic radar screens.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13

For language, violence and sensuality.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

JAMIE FOXX plays a Chicago businessman who gets into trouble with his fiancée for spending their savings on a vintage car instead of a home. Hoping to make amends with her, he instead unwillingly gets caught up in a hostage situation involving stupid people on both sides of the crisis, but tries to help out the kidnaper once he gets to know the guy a bit better. He also uses some profanity.

NIA LONG plays his fiancée who gets mad at him (and uses some brief profanity), heads off for a Vegas airport to return home, but then waits for him in a bar where she has several drinks.

EDUARDO YANEZ plays the robber/kidnaper who tries holding up a convenience store only to find himself the leader of a hostage situation. While he's only doing so to get money to transport a family member back to Mexico, he does

threaten others with his gun, occasionally shoots at them with it, and uses some profanity. SARAH PAULSON plays one of the convenience store patrons and hostage victims who also befriends her kidnaper.

BARRY CORBIN plays the local sheriff who's more interested in the nearby kids' baseball game than the hostage situation, but does what he must (in a stupid/comical fashion) to bring it to an end.

JAKE BUSEY plays his gung-ho deputy.

JOHN CULLEM plays the convenience store manager.

SAM GIFALDI plays a video game addict who thinks Mike is Puff Daddy and thus occasionally adopts a rapper's attitude toward the situation.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

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Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

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OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a quick look at the content found in this comedy that's been rated PG-13. Several characters attempt to rob a convenience store at gunpoint, with one eventually forced to take hostages once the police arrive (thus, the criminals have bad attitudes as do some other characters). While none of what occurs is meant to be viewed seriously (and the criminals get off scot-free in the end), some characters are threatened with guns, some gunfire is exchanged and two characters are mildly wounded.

Profanity consists of at least 16 "s" words, while plenty of other profanities and colorful phrases also occur. Some sexually related comments are made, a woman is seen with many condoms in her purse, and later is lustfully viewed by several men as she sensuously cools herself off by dripping and spraying water onto her clothed body. Some men are also seen in their underwear (but not in a sexual/erotic context).

Brief scatological-based humor is present, as is the sight and brief consumption of alcoholic beverages, while one woman briefly tries using some chewing tobacco (but quickly spits it out). If this summary doesn't fully address your concerns about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to examine our content listings in greater detail.

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

Some cowboys exit the convenience store carrying a case of beer while we see several shots of both beer and hard liquor inside the store at other times.

An airport bartender pours Rae a shot of liquor and then downs one herself. Later, she appears nearly passed out from more drinks.

Some locals outside the store drink beer.

BLOOD/GORE

Some scatological material includes Mike making fun of Rae who has to use the bathroom in an urgent way (we see her holding her hand over her bottom while he jokes about "seeing some peeking" and that she "dropped some").

Mike's face and shirt are bloody after a microwave explodes and imbeds a snack chip in his cheek (which we see in a bloody close-up as it's removed with tweezers).

We see just part of a dead body's leg sticking out from a crate (but it's clothed via a pants leg and shoe and isn't otherwise bloody or gory).

After a bullet grazes his neck, both Rodrigo's hand and neck have a little bit of blood on them.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Despite the behavior listed below, none of it's apparently meant to be taken seriously.

Rae learns that Mike spent the savings they had put away to purchase a home on a vintage car instead.

Mike makes fun of Rae having to use the bathroom and when she later gets mad at him for spending their money on a car, he asks her if it's "that time of the month" and then goes on to add that she was looking a little bloated.

A young man steals Mike's car after offering to help retrieve the keys that are locked inside it.

Obviously, Rodrigo and his two associates have both for holding up a convenience store to get money they need to return to Mexico.

An airport bartender says that her previous man had a thing for prison movies and young boys.

We learn that Mary's boyfriend has been cheating on her.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

It's possible some of the hostage-related situations (holding guns on others, police and others firing guns at the store, etc.) may be tense or unsettling to some viewers, but it's never played in a serious fashion and probably only the youngest of kids might find such scenes that way.

GUNS/WEAPONS

Handguns/Shotgun/Rifles/Machine guns: Used to rob a convenience store, to take and threaten hostages, to shoot at the kidnappers and the store, and carried by S.W.A.T. members.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Due to audio problems toward the beginning of our screening where the onscreen dialogue could not be heard, the following phrases should be considered a minimum: "Piece of sh*t," "Kiss my black ass," "You suck," "Friggin'"/"Freaking," "Shut up," "Idiot," "Jackass," "My ass," "Peckerwood," "Pain in the ass," "Crapper" (toilet), "Bad ass" and "I'll be damned.

Seeing Rae driving off in his car, Mike runs and dives through the open window to get inside.

Mary simultaneously gives her cheating boyfriend "the finger" and the "f you" sign (suddenly bending one arm upward while placing the other in the first's elbow crease).

Since the criminals get away scot-free with their actions (that are played for laughs), it's possible some impressionable kids might imitate their attempt at robbing a convenience store.

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

None (that we heard).

PROFANITY

Due to audio problems toward the beginning of our screening where the onscreen dialogue could not be heard, the following should be considered a minimum:

At least 16 "s" words, 5 slang terms for/using male genitals ("ding-a-ling" and "p*ckerwood"), 1 slang term for sex ("screwing"), 27 hells, 21 asses (1 used with "hole"), 12 damns, 1 crap, 4 uses of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "G-damn," "For God's sakes," "Jesus," "Oh Jesus" and "Swear to God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY

Mike talks about women wanting to act like they have a "ding-a-ling" to swing around (meaning to act like a man).

Rae shows a bit of cleavage.

A young man tells Mike that a cowboy accompanying Rae said that she had a "cute butt."

As Mike asks if Mary is the woman with the melons and the grapefruit (a fruit lady who's going to give him a ride to the airport), Mary thinks he's talking about her breasts.

As Rodrigo opens Mary's purse to look for valuables, many packaged condoms fall out, causing Rusty to state that she got the jumbo pack.

We see some overweight and skinny local men in just their underwear as Rodrigo makes them strip down to that point so that there are no surprises when he has them move a crate inside the store.

After Mike thinks he's been shot (when in reality he just has a snack chip imbedded in his cheek), he tells Mary that he's never been with a white girl before, but that it's okay since it's the last minute (of his life) and that nobody will know.

An airport bartender says that her previous man had a thing for prison movies and young boys.

After a biker talks about people who used to eat bugs and sacrifice virgins, and then adds that he's never eaten a bug, Mike states that he once had a bug-eyed virgin.

An older woman lustfully gazes at a young man walking by in his underwear.

Mike uses the phrase "humpty dumpty" in a sexual manner of sorts while talking about Rae.

As Mary sits in an inflatable kiddy pool she's filled with water, the men lustfully watch her as she sensuously drips and sprays water onto herself (she's still clothed in a dress, but much of the water action is aimed at her chest). As they do so, they talk about what Rodrigo used to pick in Mexico and mention strawberries and melons (obviously in relation to her breasts).

Mary and her boyfriend talk via bullhorns and she's not happy that it took him so long to arrive on the scene. She then asks, "Don't you know why I make you wear those rubbers even though I'm on the pill? He then replies it's because she wanted to keep the "real feeling special for our wedding." She replies, however, that it's because she knew he was "screwing" another woman and didn't want to catch anything. She then passionately kisses Rodrigo for her boyfriend to see.

Mary jokingly warns Mike, "Don't make me go for the ding-a-ling," causing him to reply, "Don't make the ding-a-ling go for you."

SMOKING

A cowboy gives Rae some chewing tobacco that she puts into her mouth, but she immediately spits it out.

Mary seems ready to light a cigarette in one scene, while a biker holds an unlit cigar.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

We learn that a character's father is dead.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

The fact that the criminal actions are portrayed in a lighthearted fashion (the kidnapping and robbery aren't suspenseful or scary) and that the criminals get away scot-free at the end with no repercussions.

VIOLENCE

Despite the behavior listed below, none of it's apparently meant to be taken seriously.

Rodrigo slightly backhands Sal while in their car.

Rodrigo and Sal hold guns on everyone in the convenience store and Trina later holds Jack's shotgun in the same manner.

Rusty runs up and tries to hit Rodrigo.

Police and other locals open fire on Sal and Trina as well as at Rodrigo.

When the store's microwave blows up, a snack chip flies through the air and imbeds itself in Mike's face (resulting in a decent amount of blood on his face and shirt). As a result of the sound, the cops/locals open fire on the store, riddling it with bullets.

Rodrigo fires a warning shot at Mike as he tries to escape.

Some S.W.A.T. guys fall through the ceiling after a skunk sprays them and their machine guns briefly go off.

A cop fires his gun and slightly wounds Rodrigo in the neck (resulting in a little bit of blood).

Sal and Trina hold guns on people in an airplane.

Reviewed May 10, 2000 / Posted May 12, 2000

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