"ONE NIGHT AT McCOOL'S"
(2001) (Matt Dillon, Liv Tyler) (R)

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

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QUICK TAKE:

Black Comedy: Three men recount their various encounters and relationships with a femme fatale who changed their lives.

PLOT:

Randy (MATT DILLON) is an average down on his luck bartender whose life has been turned so upside down that he's hired Mr. Burmeister (MICHAEL DOUGLAS), a bingo-playing hit man to take care of the person who's driven him to this point. As Randy recounts his tale to Burmeister, we see him rescue a beautiful woman, Jewel (LIV TYLER), from Utah (ANDREW SILVERSTEIN), a thug.

Jewel puts the moves on Randy right away, quickly snaring him into her manipulative web, particularly when she learns that he has his own house, something she's always dreamed off. After a quick bout of sex, Randy learns that Jewel and Utah have set him up to be robbed. Jewel, however, has second thoughts and ends up shooting and killing Utah, but convinces Randy to take the rap.

Meanwhile, a St. Louis cop, Detective Charlie Dehling (JOHN GOODMAN), wishes to make a confession to his priest, Father Jimmy (RICHARD JENKINS), about a woman who's thrown his life off kilter. She, of course, is Jewel, who he meets while investigating Utah's murder. He's immediately enamored with her, and suddenly finds himself believing that it's his mission in life to protect and then be with her.

He's not the only one as Carl (PAUL REISER), a lawyer and Randy's cousin, confides to his shrink, Dr. Naomi Green (REBA McENTIRE), that he too is in love with Jewel despite being married with kids. As the various men recount their involvement with the femme fatale, we see the effect that Jewel has on them, as well as their perspectives regarding their relationships with her.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

Those who are fans of black comedies or anyone in the cast, just might want to see it.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R

For violence, sexuality and language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

MATT DILLON plays a man who allows Jewel to commandeer his life and home all through sex. Once he realizes what a mess she's made of his life, he hires Burmeister to kill her, but then has second thoughts. He uses profanity and drinks.

LIV TYLER plays a young woman who uses her beauty, body and feminine wiles to manipulate men into doing things for her, most of which involve criminal activity. She also uses strong profanity and has sex with Randy, Carl and Charlie (separately).

MICHAEL DOUGLAS plays the bingo-playing hit man that Randy hires to kill Jewel after she's ruined his life. He uses profanity and makes sexual references about Jewel.

PAUL REISER plays Randy's smarmy lawyer cousin who becomes enamored with Jewel and apparently has sex with her (after lusting after her) despite being married with kids. He uses strong, sexually related profanity.

REBA McENTIRE plays the psychiatrist that Carl is seeing.

JOHN GOODMAN plays a detective who similarly becomes enamored with Jewel and believes it's his destiny to protect and then be with her. He breaks the law in doing so, and sleeps with Jewel.

RICHARD JENKINS plays the priest in who Dehling confides, and seemingly becomes aroused by the detective's accounts of Jewel.

ANDREW SILVERSTEIN plays two thug twins who threaten others with death and use profanity.

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 R-rated comedy. Profanity consists of at least 11 uses of the "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Some of the film's dialogue is sexually explicit, and several sexual encounters are seen (with movement and sounds) and include implied oral sex, S&M type material, and a fantasy segment regarding lesbianism.

Meanwhile, the central female character is femme fatale who is seen in various sexy/skimpy outfits and acting sensuously (especially when washing a car) and uses her looks, body and sexuality to seduce men and get them to do what she wants (she also sleeps with three of them). Among that is getting them to commit larceny. Other bad attitudes are present from various characters, including one miscellaneous man who tries to rape the main woman (but ends up accidentally being killed).

Other violence - mostly played for laughs or with humorous touches -- includes several people being shot and killed (with bloody results), particularly in an extended and bullet-riddled shootout, and one man being squashed by a falling trash dumpster. Some of those scenes may be tense or unsettling for some viewers. Beyond that, some characters smoke, others drink (to the point of being drunk), and we hear one snorting what's presumably cocaine.

If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone in your home, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed content listings for more specific examples of what occurs in it.

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

Father Jimmy pours some liquor into a glass for Charlie and into the communion chalice for himself.

In Randy's recounting of what happened at the bar, we see various people drinking (including some college students with liquor that's poured into and then consumed from the bottom of a bathroom plunger). Carl also drinks a lot and then appears intoxicated.

We see various empty beer bottles in Randy's place. He offers Jewel something to drink, including beer, which she accepts, but he then realizes he doesn't have any.

We next see and hear Carl's recounting of what happened at McCool's and thus see many people drinking, including Carl, as well as Randy who drinks a shot and later pours liquor directly into his mouth from a bottle. Carl then admits, in the present, that he was a little drunk and we see him passed out in his car.

We see Jewel carrying two beers at a barbeque.

Carl, his wife, Randy and Jewel have wine in front of them during a meal. We later see Carl carrying a glass of wine.

We see Father Jimmy still drinking from the communion chalice.

Jewel brings Randy and Charlie a beer, but Randy chastises her for giving one to the Detective while he's on duty.

Randy drinks a beer while watching TV.

Randy has another beer, and then does so again in another scene.

A man that Jewel goes out on a date with tells her that he might even get out his stash of "blow" (cocaine) if she comes into his place. We later hear him making that snorting sound, but don't see the actual ingestion of drugs.

Charlie has a fantasy of Jewel carrying some wine.

Randy has a beer.

BLOOD/GORE

We see a little bit of blood come from a man's mouth and then see some on the bar counter from which he's just slid off after being shot. We then see a pool of blood next to his head on the floor.

Jewel sits down on the toilet to urinate (we see her from the mid-chest up), but we don't hear or see anything beyond that, her getting up and then flushing the toilet.

We see a dead man's bloody head from where a DVD player fell on and killed him (he also had some blood on his mouth from where Jewel hit him moments earlier). We also see some blood on the DVD player. We later see dried blood on that dead man's face.

Jewel has a little bit of a black eye from where another man struck her.

Two men's arms are bloody after each is shot there.

A man's shirt is bloody and we see a little blood from his mouth after he's shot.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Some viewers may not like the portrayal of a priest drinking liquor from a communion chalice and seemingly becoming aroused by Charlie's talk and descriptions of Jewel.

Jewel admits that she and Utah set up unsuspecting people to think they're rescuing her from him, when in reality they're prepping to rob that person. Utah then later holds a gun on Randy while robbing him.

We later learn that Jewel manipulates all sorts of men so that she can get what she wants that includes robbing others' homes.

Jewel convinces Randy to lie to the police about what happened when she shot Utah dead in the bar.

Carl comes on to Jewel (despite being married) and apparently later sleeps with her, is condescending toward Randy, and then makes them take the bus home from his house rather than drive them (although he blames that on him drinking wine at the time).

Randy is disrespectful to Jewel in front of Charlie.

Jewel comes up with the plan that she'll go out with Randy's old boss so that Randy can go over and rob his place while the two are out. We later see Randy doing just that, stealing some CDs and a baseball poster.

Randy breaks into another place while Jewel goes out on a date with the owner. When that owner returns with her, he gets her into his bedroom and then attempts to rape her (after returning her slap and seemingly knocking her unconscious).

After losing his job and house because of Jewel, Randy hires Burmeister to kill her, and the hit man agrees to do just that.

Charlie admits to destroying evidence and withholding information regarding a murder to protect Jewel.

Randy steels a person's jeep so that he can get back to Jewel.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Scenes listed under "Violence" may also be tense or unsettling to some viewers, but most are played for comedy or with a comedic touch.

In an "Oh no, he's gonna be caught" scene, Randy tries to hide when the owner of the home he's robbing unexpectedly returns home early.

Jewel returns to a man's house (with whom she went out on a date so that Randy could rob his place). After she ends up in his bedroom, the man pushes her down onto the bed and she tries to push him away. She then slaps him, causing him to slap her back and seemingly knock her unconscious. He then tears off her panties and starts to undo his pants when she suddenly kicks him in the crotch and then punches and kicks him again. That sends him flying across the room where he grabs ahold of the power cord for a DVD player that falls on his head, killing him.

GUNS/WEAPONS

Handguns/Shotgun/Machine gun: Used to threaten, wound or kill people. See "Violence" for details.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "F*ck you," "Get the f*ck over here," "Shut your f*cking mouth," "Sh*tfaced," "Piece of sh*t," "You're full of sh*t," "Too bad you're such a sh*t," "Chicken sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "Jerk," "Shut up," "Freakin,'" "Busy ass," "You're a sick puppy," "You lucky stiff," "Bitch," "Piece of slime," "Screw you," "Crappy," "Scum" and "Homos."

Randy, a bartender, serves some college students liquor that's poured into the bottom of a bathroom plunger before being consumed.

Jewel admits that she and Utah set up unsuspecting people to think they're rescuing her from him, when in reality they're prepping to rob that person.

Jewel uses her looks, body and feminine wiles/sexy demeanor to manipulate men into giving her things or doing things for her.

Utah has various tattoos on his arms.

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

A moderate amount of suspenseful music - some of it playful in nature - is heard in the movie.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

A song has lines about a woman having a sexy body (that plays during a sex scene) and wanting to know that woman better.

PROFANITY

At least 11 "f" words (4 used sexually as are the terms "bang/banging," "laid," "getting it" and "boink"), 19 "s" words, 3 slang terms using female genitals ("p*ssy" and "nookie"), 4 damns, 3 asses (1 used with "hole"), 3 hells, 1 crap and 4 uses of "G-damn," 3 of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "Christ" and "Oh Jesus" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY

Burmeister comments that someone has to do something other than just "chasing p*ssy" (and an older woman next to him in a bingo hall knowingly smiles).

When Randy states that he had everything he wanted in life but then adds that there's a "but," Burmeister chimes in his guess of a "steady bang."

Referring to Randy's life as a bartender, Carl says, "You must get laid, like all of the time." Randy then jokes that he has girls lined up around the block. Later, Carl tells Randy that they should go to a club with long-legged girls they can look at and maybe even touch. Randy then tells Carl that since the latter is married, that means he's "getting it" more often then he is.

Jewel shows varying amounts of cleavage throughout the film in the various outfits that she wears (many of which are often rather low-cut). She also occasionally shows varying amounts of her bare thighs in her short dresses, and in one scene, she adjusts her breasts and lowers her dress off her shoulder to better attract Randy.

Jewel tells Randy that her second favorite thing in life is water. After he asks her what her most favorite thing is, she replies, "F*cking." We then see him walking toward the bedroom with her legs wrapped around his waist and the two of them kissing. We then see various, quickly edited shots of them kissing and fooling around on the bed, including her being in her bra and riding on top of him (with sexual movement. During this, she suggestively sucks on his finger and then places his hand on her bra-covered breast that he caresses. We then see more shots of her moving on him (seen from behind her), with many sexual sounds (of her and the bed thumping) as well as that of just their feet hanging off the bed and moving to the rhythm of their sex. We don't, however, see any explicit nudity. After they're done, Randy tells Jewel that what they did was amazing and she says that she knows.

Mad that Randy doesn't have a car, Utah chides him, asking if he thought he was going to "get laid" on a bus or that he was going to give some "chick" "the f*cking monster" (penis) on a bus.

Jewel tells Randy that he's the only guy she ever slept with among those she and Utah set up to rob.

Burmeister makes a comment to Randy about Jewel being "good in the sack" and then adds that when you get to be his age, you like hearing about good sex (which he acts out by thrusting his hips into the air while positioning his hands as if holding onto an imaginary woman). He then asks if she has a nice ass.

After Randy complains that Jewel's actions are going further down the line than he anticipated at this point in their relationship, she asks if it's any further down the line than "all of the sex we've been having." He then explains that he was fired, and so to console him, she kisses his chest and then moves down to his crotch (which is just below the camera shot). We hear her working on his belt and pants, briefly see her head again, and then see it drop down below the frame (suggesting oral sex).

Carl tells Randy (about Jewel), "That's some major league p*ssy" and then asks if he's "banging" her" and adds that she must be "f*cking you senseless." He then adds something about women who "cream" in response to violence, says something more about "f*cking her," and then says that she seems like a porn star at his house.

After Jewel announces that she's going out to wash her car, Charlie goes out and sees her doing just that. Whether she's really doing the following or he's just imaging her doing so, we then see her suggestively/sensuously washing the car. She wraps one leg up around the hood and suggestively moves on the car; sprays water onto her cleavage and face; and then does the same with soapsuds and lets water run out onto her upper thighs (she's wearing a clingy dress while doing all of the above).

We then see Father Jimmy getting all hot and bothered from Charlie describing the above scene, and then Randy suggestively tell Charlie, "You should see what she does with my hose."

As Carl keeps changing his story of Jewel showing up at his place for a barbeque, we see her in various differing but revealing and/or skimpy outfits, and then her putting a beer bottle neck into her mouth and pulling off the cap with her teeth. He then imagines Jewel taking off his wife's sweater and then seductively playing with her hair. He then sees his wife lying down on some lawn furniture and motioning for Jewel and then Carl to join her.

Carl asks if anyone wants another burger at his barbeque, and Jewel suggestively says she'll have a hot dog "if you have one." She then licks and suggestively sucks on his earlobe.

While listening to Randy's story, Burmeister comments about the sex picking up again. Later, when Randy wonders aloud how Jewel talked him into something, Burmeister grabs his own cheek and then quickly moves it in and out (symbolizing oral sex) and Randy agrees.

During a montage that includes nonsexual material, we also see various quick shots of Jewel on top of Randy having sex (movement and some sexual sounds, but no explicit contact or nudity). One such scene appears to show him behind her and both lie on the bed, but it's a very quick shot.

Burmeister makes a comment about "nookie" and then later about Randy getting some "good action" on the mattress.

After Jewel tells Randy that she'll show him what makes her happy and thus heads off into the bedroom, he follows her and begins undoing his pants, but then stops when he sees her pulling out a house scrapbook.

Trying to keep a man from going into his house that Randy's currently robbing, Jewel tells the man that his car makes her "hot."

Dr. Green asks Carl if he and his wife have sexual problems. He says that they do, and that they're his wife's fault. She then asks if there was sex between him and Jewel and he says that there was.

We then see Jewel dressed in a dominatrix-style, leather teddy, striking Carl, who's below her, with what looks like a riding crop.

Dr. Green asks Carl how he felt after sleeping with his cousin's girlfriend.

We see Jewel taking Charlie's hand and placing it on the inside of her thigh.

Father Jimmy asks Charlie if there was sex, and he says that it was wonderful. The priest then says that he wants to hear every detail about the physical acts of congress between them. We then see a shot of Charlie and Jewel under the covers after sex, but don't see any nudity.

Burmeister makes a comment about Jewel in the "boink" department.

Carl breaks into Randy's house, dresses in an S&M type leather outfit (with chains, a collar, a large bulge at the crotch, and holes cut out for the buttocks although he's still wearing his underwear beneath the outfit) and waits for Jewel. When Charlie later spots him dressed that way in Randy's place, he thinks both are into a homosexual, incestuous relationship (they aren't). Carl states that he's there to "f*ck my cousin's girlfriend." Charlie then presses Carl's head down against the table, thus giving Randy the view (when he walks in) of Charlie standing behind Carl (who's dressed in that S&M outfit) who's bent over a table.

SMOKING

Barrister smokes cigars in several scenes, while various miscellaneous/background characters smoke in others. In addition, Jewel asks if Randy has a smoke for her, but he doesn't. She then says that it's okay since she's trying to cut down anyway.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

None.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

How some women use their beauty, bodies and/or feminine wiles and sexuality to manipulate and/or lure men into doing what they want them to do.

VIOLENCE

Utah holds a gun on Randy while preparing to rob him. We then hear a gunshot and see Utah's dead body slump off the counter and onto the floor where we also see a pool of blood (Jewel shot him).

Jewel returns to a man's house (with whom she went out on a date so that Randy could rob his place). After she ends up in his bedroom, the man pushes her down onto the bed and she tries to push him away. She then slaps him, causing him to slap her back and seemingly knock her unconscious. He then tears off her panties and starts to undo his pants when she suddenly kicks him in the crotch and then punches and kicks him again. That sends him flying across the room where he grabs ahold of the power cord for a DVD player that falls on his head, killing him.

A TV falls from the back of a car and smashes to pieces upon hitting the road.

Charlie aims his gun at Carl when he discovers him (in an S&M outfit) in Randy's place as both await Jewel's return. He then presses Carl's head down against a table.

A man shows up and holds a shotgun and machine gun on Charlie, Carl and Randy. A gun battle then breaks out between that man and Charlie, with many, many shots being fired. Both men end up being struck in the arms (with some blood), as the song "YMCA" plays on the soundtrack (thus lightening the mood of the scene).

Jewel holds a gun on Burmeister who then spins around and holds a gun on her (but nothing else happens).

Charlie shoots and further wounds the above man while Carl jumps out through a window, breaking the glass.

A man shoots and presumably kills a man dead with a shotgun, and then prepares to shoot another man who's hiding, but a third person shoots and presumably kills that first man.

A large trash dumpster falls on a person, presumably squashing them to death.

Reviewed April 24, 2001 / Posted April 27, 2001

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