SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: O

"O"
(2001) (Mekhi Phifer, Josh Hartnett) (R)

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

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

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Extreme	None	Mild	Heavy	Extreme

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: Jealous of the attention a teammate receives from his father and others, a high school student sets out to ruin the teen's life through an elaborate plan of lies and deception.

PLOT:

Odin James (MEKHI PHIFER) is the star basketball player of Palmetto Grove Academy, and the only black student there. Accordingly, his coach, Duke Goulding (MARTIN SHEEN), has asked Hugo (JOSH HARTNETT), his son and Odin's teammate, to watch out for him. This doesn't sit well with Hugo as the young man is envious of most everything Odin has - talent, popularity and the love of Desi Brable (JULIA STILES), the daughter of Palmetto Grove's Dean, Bob Brable (JOHN HEARD), who's unaware of their interracial relationship.

Accordingly and since he's been appointed as Odin's confidant by his father, Hugo easily devises and then sets into motion a devious plan designed to undermine his teammate. Acting like he's his best friend, Hugo plants doubts in Odin's mind about Desi's faithfulness to him, suggesting that she might secretly be seeing Michael Casio (ANDREW KEEGAN), another teammate and Odin's designated wingman.

As the plan begins to unfold and he involves both his constantly picked on roommate, Roger (ELDEN HENSON) who's sweet on Desi, and his own unwitting girlfriend Emily (RAIN PHOENIX), who's Desi's roommate, into his devious scheme, Hugo continues in his effort to knock Odin from his pedestal by driving him to the point of dangerous madness and despair.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: The young cast might draw teens, while the possible controversy about the film and its violence in high school material might draw some others.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For violence, a scene of strong sexuality, language and drug use.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: MEKHI PHIFER plays the star basketball player and only black student at a private high school. Talented and with a bright future, he allows Hugo's plan to derail his life. He uses strong profanity, snorts cocaine, and develops a bad attitude toward Desi and most everyone else, all of which lead him down a path of violence and self-destruction.
JULIA STILES plays his white girlfriend who can't understand why he's become suspicious of her faithfulness to him. She does have sex with him before that, however, and uses some profanity.
JOSH HARTNETT plays Odin's teammate and son of their coach who's envious of Odin and everyone fawning over him. He uses strong profanity and steroids, devises a devious scheme destined to destroy Odin's life, and even takes violent matters into his own hands.
MARTIN SHEEN plays his father and coach who appears more concerned with Odin than he does Hugo. He uses some profanity.
ANDREW KEEGAN plays another teammate who uses strong profanity, picks on and fights with Roger, and drinks some.
RAIN PHOENIX plays Desi's roommate and best friend, as well as Hugo's girlfriend, who unwittingly finds herself an accomplice in Hugo's plan.
ELDEN HENSON plays Hugo's constantly picked on roommate who also finds himself drawn into Hugo's devious and lethal scheme.
JOHN HEARD plays Desi's father who doesn't approve of her interracial relationship with Odin and uses some strong profanity.; JULIA STILES plays his white girlfriend who can't understand why he's become suspicious of her faithfulness to him. She does have sex with him before that, however, and uses some profanity.
JOSH HARTNETT plays Odin's teammate and son of their coach who's envious of Odin and everyone fawning over him. He uses strong profanity and steroids, devises a devious scheme destined to destroy Odin's life, and even takes violent matters into his own hands.
MARTIN SHEEN plays his father and coach who appears more concerned with Odin than he does Hugo. He uses some profanity.
ANDREW KEEGAN plays another teammate who uses strong profanity, picks on and fights with Roger, and drinks some.
RAIN PHOENIX plays Desi's roommate and best friend, as well as Hugo's girlfriend, who unwittingly finds herself an accomplice in Hugo's plan.
ELDEN HENSON plays Hugo's constantly picked on roommate who also finds himself drawn into Hugo's devious and lethal scheme.
JOHN HEARD plays Desi's father who doesn't approve of her interracial relationship with Odin and uses some strong profanity.; JOSH HARTNETT plays Odin's teammate and son of their coach who's envious of Odin and everyone fawning over him. He uses strong profanity and steroids, devises a devious scheme destined to destroy Odin's life, and even takes violent matters into his own hands.
MARTIN SHEEN plays his father and coach who appears more concerned with Odin than he does Hugo. He uses some profanity.
ANDREW KEEGAN plays another teammate who uses strong profanity, picks on and fights with Roger, and drinks some.
RAIN PHOENIX plays Desi's roommate and best friend, as well as Hugo's girlfriend, who unwittingly finds herself an accomplice in Hugo's plan.
ELDEN HENSON plays Hugo's constantly picked on roommate who also finds himself drawn into Hugo's devious and lethal scheme.
JOHN HEARD plays Desi's father who doesn't approve of her interracial relationship with Odin and uses some strong profanity.; MARTIN SHEEN plays his father and coach who appears more concerned with Odin than he does Hugo. He uses some profanity.
ANDREW KEEGAN plays another teammate who uses strong profanity, picks on and fights with Roger, and drinks some.
RAIN PHOENIX plays Desi's roommate and best friend, as well as Hugo's girlfriend, who unwittingly finds herself an accomplice in Hugo's plan.
ELDEN HENSON plays Hugo's constantly picked on roommate who also finds himself drawn into Hugo's devious and lethal scheme.
JOHN HEARD plays Desi's father who doesn't approve of her interracial relationship with Odin and uses some strong profanity.; ANDREW KEEGAN plays another teammate who uses strong profanity, picks on and fights with Roger, and drinks some.
RAIN PHOENIX plays Desi's roommate and best friend, as well as Hugo's girlfriend, who unwittingly finds herself an accomplice in Hugo's plan.
ELDEN HENSON plays Hugo's constantly picked on roommate who also finds himself drawn into Hugo's devious and lethal scheme.
JOHN HEARD plays Desi's father who doesn't approve of her interracial relationship with Odin and uses some strong profanity.; RAIN PHOENIX plays Desi's roommate and best friend, as well as Hugo's girlfriend, who unwittingly finds herself an accomplice in Hugo's plan.
ELDEN HENSON plays Hugo's constantly picked on roommate who also finds himself drawn into Hugo's devious and lethal scheme.
JOHN HEARD plays Desi's father who doesn't approve of her interracial relationship with Odin and uses some strong profanity.; ELDEN HENSON plays Hugo's constantly picked on roommate who also finds himself drawn into Hugo's devious and lethal scheme.
JOHN HEARD plays Desi's father who doesn't approve of her interracial relationship with Odin and uses some strong profanity.; JOHN HEARD plays Desi's father who doesn't approve of her interracial relationship with Odin and uses some strong profanity.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

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).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a quick look at the content found in this R-rated drama. Profanity is listed as extreme due to the use of at least 71 "f" words, with various other expletives and colorful phrases also being used. Some sexually related dialogue is present (some of it explicit), while we see a teenage interracial couple in bed several times. One of those involves them finally having sex (with movement, sounds and non-explicit/pornographic views of their bodies together and what eventually turns into the equivalent of date rape).

Other violence includes several lethal and moderately bloody shootings (including a suicide), a person strangling another to death, and some other fighting and non-lethal injuries, all involving teens. Such scenes may be disturbing and/or suspenseful to some viewers, and the various characters involved in that obviously have extreme cases of bad attitudes - particularly one student who sets out to ruin the life of another via an elaborate plan of lies and deception.

Some drinking, drug use (cocaine) and taking of steroids occurs, while some tense family moments are also present. If you're still concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest you more closely examine our content listings for more specific examples of what's present and occurs during the film.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Hugo visits a drug dealer who injects him with what are presumably steroids (via a syringe into the abdomen).
Mike drinks liquor straight from the bottle where we see other students also drinking liquor.
We see someone pocket some miniature bottles of liquor.
The above drug dealer visits Odin and sells him what appears to be cocaine (that Odin then snorts).
Hugo gives some cocaine to Odin who then snorts it.
We see an imagined scenario of Hugo and Michael drinking.
Michael and Hugo drink some liquor.

BLOOD/GORE: We see blood on Roger's shirt after Mike hits him with something. Later, Roger shows some more blood that's soaked through his shirt.
We see an imagined scenario of someone strangling someone else and then someone shooting a fourth person (with some blood on the victim's chest).
A person's leg is bloody after being shot there.
We see blood on a young woman's shirt after she's shot dead, as well as on a man's shirt from where he shot himself (and we see that again with more blood down the shirt).
We see blood on another dead man.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Hugo has extreme cases of both types of attitudes for desiring to hurt and then kill others due to his insecurities and jealousness, which includes making Odin doubt Desi's faithfulness/love to him. He also kills someone.
Those who conspire with Hugo, namely Roger and Emily, also have both.
Odin has both for not believing Desi and then going too far in his reaction to his jealousy.
Hugo visits a drug dealer who injects him with what are presumably steroids (via a syringe into the abdomen) to enhance his athletic performance.
A sexual encounter between Odin and Desi turns into something akin to date rape as he won't stop when she asks/pleads for him to (due to him getting rough and causing her pain).
Michael and another guy make fun of Roger, calling him "faggot" and repeatedly flicking his ears while seated behind him.
Hugo tells Odin that Mike and Desi call Odin "the nigger."

FRIGHTENING SCENES: Scenes listed under "Violence" may also be unsettling, suspenseful or frightening to some viewers.
For those skittish about needles, there's a brief scene where a drug dealer inserts the needle of a syringe into Hugo's abdomen (no blood and not a graphic insertion).
The ending of the film, where Hugo's violent plan slowly unfolds and then becomes deadly, may be unsettling and/or suspenseful to viewers.
A man strangles a woman to death (she struggles for quite a while as he tells her to go to sleep and is upset about what he's doing).

GUNS/WEAPONS: Handguns: Used to threaten, wound or kill people. See "Violence" for details.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "(This is) f*cked up," "Who gives a f*ck about reputation," "F*cker," "You spoiled f*ck," "Get the f*ck out of here," "F*cking faggot," "F*ck off," "What the f*ck?" "They don't know who they're f*cking with," "No f*cking way," "Shut the f*ck up," "Piece of sh*t," "Scary sh*t," "Sh*theads," "I don't give a sh*t," "That's really sh*tty," "Bullsh*t," "Punk ass," "Shut up," "Nigger" (how Odin refers to himself, what Hugo says Michael and Desi call Odin, and heard in a song), "Pissed off," "Fricking," "Nuts" (crazy), "What the hell is wrong with you?" "Balls" (testicles), "Kick your ass," "Faggot," "Loser," "Bitch" (for men and women), "I'd give my left nut to be in your shoes" and "Bastard."
Some kids could get the idea to set up others for a fall by spreading lies and gossip about them, while it's possible others could react and/or go one step further and try to harm those who've wronged them.
Michael and another guy make fun of Roger, calling him "faggot" and repeatedly flicking his ears while seated behind him.
Hugo hocks his watch at a pawnshop for a handgun.
A man commits suicide by shooting himself in the chest.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): A moderate amount of ominous and dramatic music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): Various rap songs had lyrics that couldn't be understood, but we did hear at least 7 "f" words, 1 "s" word and the term "nigger."

PROFANITY: At least 71 "f" words (4 used with mother, 4 used sexually), 22 "s" words, 1 slang term using male genitals ("d*ck"), 14 asses (2 used with "hole"), 4 damns, 4 hells, 1 crap, 1 S.O.B., 3 uses of "G-damn" and 2 uses each of "For Christ's sakes" and "Oh my God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY: After Hugo tells him that Odin and Desi are going to break up, Roger states that people who are going to break up normally don't grind on the dance floor and that Odin and Desi are definitely doing that (we only see them dancing close).
After kissing a few times, Odin removes his shirt while on Desi's bed with her, prompting Emily (who's also in the room) to cover her head with her sheets and Desi to comment about Emily being in the room with them. As Desi removes her shirt (we see her bare back), Odin states that they aren't going to do anything and that he just wants to feel her bare skin against his. We then see the two of them lying on her bed, face to face and talking, with her caressing his back. After she mentions him getting a "little cocky" (not about any sexual matters), he playfully replies that she shouldn't use those two terms together in describing him since she knows better. They then kiss some more, but we don't see what else, if anything, happens after the scene ends there.
Hugo talks to Odin about white girls, commenting on them stating they don't want sex, when in reality, they want it more than guys, and it sounds like he refers to them as "horny."
We see Hugo passionately kissing Emily while the two lie on a bottom bunk bed (including nuzzling/kissing her neck). After he tells her that she didn't steal Desi's scarf, but instead just borrowed it, he states that he'd like to "borrow" her (sexually intended or not).
Desi tells Odin that she wants him to do what he wants with her, that she wants him to have her however he wants, and that she wants to give herself to him however he wants. We see that both are shirtless (her bare back is to us) and then hear her pleasured sounds as we see them in a head and shoulders shot. We then see that he's between her legs (but don't see anything explicit as her leg is up alongside his body). She's then on top of him with more kissing and sexual sounds (with a head and shoulders shot of her moving in that position) and he's then back on top of her (with a similar shot of him moving). He then sees himself having sex with her in a mirror and then imagines seeing Michael on top of her having sex. We then see more thrusting (in head and shoulder and torso shots), which starts to hurt her and she asks him to stop, but he continues until he climaxes (as she screams in pain).
Later, Emily and Desi talk about the above, with Desi stating he didn't rape her and that Odin usually just lies naked next to her.
Odin asks Desi if she gives away her love to somebody behind his back. He then asks if she was a virgin like she said she was, and then wonders why was she was acting so "freaky" when they were "doing it." She then tells him that he's the only person she's ever been with.
Odin tells Hugo, "Mike is f*cking Desi.
A comment is made about Mike saying that Desi doesn't want to have sex but just wants to lie naked next to him, but then a comment is made that they've been "f*cking" for over a month.
Hugo gets Michael talking about some girl (so that Odin thinks he's talking about Desi) and we then hear him saying that this girl "would do me until the day she dies." He then says that they did it in the library and that she told him that she'd "do" him in the future, even if he were married to someone else.
Odin and Desi kiss, with her lying down on her bed (but nothing else sexual happens). He later mentions to someone else that Desi was "f*cking" Michael.

SMOKING: None.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Hugo and his dad don't have the closest relationship, with Hugo being jealous of the way his dad treats Odin and thinks of him as his own son.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Shakespeare's original work, "Othello."
What causes violence among teens and Hugo's comment that one of these days everyone's going to pay attention to him.
Inter-racial relationships and others' reactions to them.
Jealousy and what it can lead to.
A sexual encounter between Odin and Desi turns into something akin to date rape as he won't stop when she asks/pleads for him to (due to him getting rough and causing her pain).

VIOLENCE: During a coaching tirade, Coach Goulding throws a blackboard eraser that nearly hits Hugo.
Odin punches Roger in the gut and then smacks him on the head (after learning he was the one who spread false rumors about him).
Odin is knocked to the floor during a game and hits his head hard, but is okay after a quick trip to the hospital.
Mike and Roger get into a pushing match, with Mike punching Roger until they're separated. Mike then rushes him again, knocking him to the ground and cutting him with something (we see blood on Roger's shirt).
Coach Goulding violently sweeps items off his desk in anger.
There's some pushing among players during a basketball game.
A sexual encounter between Odin and Desi turns into something akin to date rape as he won't stop when she asks/pleads for him to (due to him getting rough and causing her pain).
Odin suddenly grabs Michael by the head and throws him to the court during practice. He then tries to hit him until he's pulled away and then pushes someone else.
Odin drives Hugo back against some equipment.
Odin breaks a basketball backboard during a slam-dunk contest. He then grabs a young ball boy and throws him to the court, and then throws a basketball through the shattered backboard.
We see an imagined scenario of someone strangling someone else and then someone shooting a fourth person (with some blood on the victim's chest).
A guy aims a handgun at another guy, but can't shoot him, allowing the intended victim to grab and struggle with him. A third person then rushes up and hits the intended victim on the head with a tire iron. The initial shooter then fires a shot at the victim on the ground, but only hits him in the leg (causing the third person to be upset since the whole thing was supposed to be set up to look like a suicide). The third person then shoots the initial shooter, presumably killing him.
A man strangles a woman to death (she struggles for quite a while as he tells her to go to sleep and is upset about what he's doing).
A man shoots a woman dead.
Hugo is pushed down.
A man commits suicide by shooting himself in the chest.

Reviewed August 13, 2001 / Posted August 31, 2001

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