"NEVER AGAIN"
(2002) (Jeffrey Tambor, Jill Clayburgh) (R)

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

---

QUICK TAKE:

Drama: Two middle-aged people unintentionally end up in a relationship after previously vowing never to do that again.

PLOT:

Christopher Roland (JEFFRY TAMBOR) and Grace Minor (JILL CLAYBURGH) are two, 50-something and separately divorced people living in New York who do not intend to ever get involved in a romantic relationship again. Christopher, a professional exterminator and part-time jazz musician, has started to question his sexual orientation, a point he discusses with his best friend and fellow musician Earl (BILL DUKE) and hopes to test with she-male Alex (MICHAEL McKEAN).

Grace, on the other hand, is a social worker whose daughter has just left for college and whose two friends, Elaine (CAROLINE AARON) and Natasha (SANDY DUNCAN), believe she needs to have sex since it's been years since she last did. After a blind date they arrange goes wrong, she and Christopher accidentally meet and hit it off at a gay bar where both happen to be.

The two find themselves to be kindred spirits and then make the mistake of having sex. Once they do, their relationship begins. From that point on, they must decide how to deal with that as well as the fact that they vowed never to do that again.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

Unless they're fans of someone in the cast, it doesn't seem likely that any but the oldest of teenagers might show a passing interest in this film.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R

For strong sexual content including graphic dialogue, and for language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

JEFFRY TAMBOR plays a professional exterminator and part-time jazz pianist who begins to question his sexual orientation and decides to experiment with a gay lifestyle. Instead, he ends up meeting Grace and sleeps with her. He also uses strong profanity.

JILL CLAYBURGH plays a divorced, fifty-something woman who doesn't want to get involved with anyone, but ends up doing so with Christopher with whom she sleeps and briefly experiments with some sex toys. She also uses strong profanity

MICHAEL McKEAN plays a she-male prostitute that Christopher briefly visits.

CAROLINE AARON and SANDY DUNCAN play Grace's friends who try setting her up on dates and talk candidly with her about sex.

BILL DUKE plays Christopher's best friend and fellow jazz musician who discusses Christopher's sexuality with him and uses 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:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated "dramedy." Profanity consists of at least 45 uses of the "f" word, while many other expletives and colorful phrases are also used. All sorts of explicit and graphic, sexually related dialogue - covering a number of topics - is delivered, while various sexual encounters (with movement, sounds and partial brief nudity and some under the sheets oral sex) are seen and heard.

Some of that material revolves around a middle-aged man questioning his sexual orientation and seeking out homosexual and bisexual encounters (some related material is seen), while the straight woman visits an adult novelty store (with views of their products) and later wears a strap-on dildo and S&M mask. Some photos in that store some female nudity.

Various characters drink, a few smoke, and some bad attitudes are present, as is some tense family material. Finally, a person is accidentally run over by a horse, knocked unconscious with a bit of blood, and then left in a coma for a while.

If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

---

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

Grace has martinis with her two friends.

People have drinks in a jazz club and a woman brings over some for Christopher and Earl.

Grace and a blind date have drinks at a bar.

Grace and her friends have martinis and one light beer in a gay club where Christopher orders a beer and others also drink. Grace then has another beer.

People have drinks in the jazz club.

Grace has a drink.

People drink at a party.

Some people drink in a restaurant.

BLOOD/GORE

Christopher has some blood on his head after being accidentally knocked down and unconscious by a passing horseback rider. Later, we some bruises on his face while he's in the hospital.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Christopher occasionally has a bit of a bad attitude toward strangers.

Christopher and Grace eventually have a falling out and don't get along with each other.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

A person on horseback accidentally rides into Christopher, knocking him to the ground unconscious and slightly bloodying him.

GUNS/WEAPONS

None.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "That's the most f*cked up sh*t," "Big f*cking difference," "You are f*cked up," "F*ck you," "Go f*ck yourself," "Get the f*ck away from me," "What the f*ck is she so ashamed of," "No sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "D*ckhead," "What the hell you talking about?" "Not a chance in hell," "Freak," "Balls" (testicles), "Jeez," "Shut up" and "Schmuck."

Grace's daughter has a stud in her nostril.

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

None.

PROFANITY

At least 45 "f" words (9 used sexually as are terms "laid" and "get laid"), 22 "s" words, 12 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck," "c*cks*cker" and "c*ck"), 2 slang terms using female genitals ("p*ssy" and "tw*t"), 3 slang terms for breasts ("t*ts"), 3 asses (1 used with "hole"), 3 hells, 1 crap, 1 damn, 1 S.O.B., 5 uses of "Oh my God," 4 of "G-damn," 3 each of "For Christ's sakes" and "Jesus Christ," 2 of "My God" and 1 use each of "God," "Lord" and "Mother of God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY

Christopher apparently couldn't (or didn't want to) perform sexually with a woman. He's sitting up on a bed and a woman comes up, kisses him on the back of the head and hugs him. He says that he's sorry (about not being able or wanting to perform).

We see Christopher in his briefs (mostly covered by a dress shirr) on an elevator with other people (after he forgets to put on his pants before leaving home).

Grace's friends tell her that her problem isn't her daughter going off to college, but rather that she hasn't been "laid" in 15 years. Grace then admits, "I need to get laid." The ladies then talk about movies featuring women over 35 who want to have sex and the movie repercussions of that.

We see Christopher on top of a woman in bed (in a torso shot), trying to have sex with her (we see her in her bra and she's partially under the sheets). Despite some heavy breathing, they can't make it work (she tells him not to worry, that it happens, and he replies that it's never happened before). She then asks how long it's been since he was with a woman, and after he asks what she means, she adds as opposed to him being with a man. He then says that he's not gay, and she wonders if he's bi (which she says she finds sexy).

We then see another sex scene that we initially believe is him finally having sex with that woman (with her on top and seen from behind them), with him repeatedly stating, "Hard as a rock" while we hear sexual sounds and see movement and the top of her bare butt. All of a sudden, Christopher realizes that the woman is really a man and screams before waking up from a dream.

Earl and Christopher then discuss that dream with Earl sarcastically asking him if he's "thinking of sucking d*cks" (Christopher says he's not). More graphic sexual talk then follows between the two, including Christopher saying he didn't have any problem (in his dream) "getting it up" while he was "f*cking the sh*t out of that guy," and that he's thinking of maybe starting his alternate sexual exploration with a "chick with a d*ck." Earl then asks, "You're going to f*ck a guy with fake t*ts?"

During that discussion, they look through a sex magazine featuring bisexual people and "she-males" offering their services. They then comment on the extra body measurement (beyond the bust, waist and hip) being for penis size.

Christopher goes to see a she-male named Alex and tells him/her that it's his first time. Alex asks him what he wants to do, Christopher wonders what his options are, and Alex replies pretty much anything. Christopher then wonders if Alex has a "fully functioning…" and Alex replies that it's nine inches long. Christopher then gets upset that Alex doesn't look like the photo on the cover of a she-male magazine and then leaves.

Upset about a blind date that went bad, Grace tells her friends she wants to go into the first bar they see. That turns out to be a gay bar where we see many men dancing together and otherwise socializing (with two men kissing and the bartender is shirtless).

Christopher then walks by this same bar and decides to go in (knowing it's a gay bar). Some man then comes up and hits on Christopher who isn't sure about a handkerchief signal he heard about and comments to the man that he might want to be on top and then mentions having his "c*ck sucked." This man then says that he'd like to push Christopher all of the way to San Diego (gay innuendo) and then kisses Christopher who's not sure how to react. Christopher then tells the man that he's not aroused by that and adds, "Maybe you have to blow me." The other man gets mad and then walks off.

Grace then walks up to the bar and Christopher mistakes her for a guy in drag and comments that she has beautiful breasts. She replies that at her age "if they stand up like this, they aren't mine." He then asks her, "How big is your d*ck?" (which causes her to spit out her beer in amused shock).

The two then talk, including about his dream where he was "making love" to a woman who turned into a man and he was then "making love" to him. Still think she's a he, Christopher then asks her if they (doctors) cut them off or if one just flips them under. A comment is then made about being a "no-sexual" and he wonders why she doesn't have sex (she replies because men are big babies and she doesn't want to take care of them anymore).

They continue talking and she asks him something about "Did you f*ck a 25-year-old?" Grace then says that she likes the word "f*ck" as it keeps her connected to her sexuality in lieu of the actual act.

We see Christopher standing in his briefs and T-shirt.

Grace asks Christopher if they're "never again" statements (about getting involved with someone) preclude them from having sex. He replies that they don't and then adds, "We could f*ck our brains out if we wanted to." She then replies that she hasn't had sex in seven years and he states that he hasn't "gotten it up" in 7 months. She then asks, "That's not up?" as they have sex and he replies, "That's as up as it goes." We then hear sexual sounds and she says, "Mother of God, that feels good" as we see movement but no nudity (in a torso shot). During this, she starts to choke him as part of the act.

Grace then talks about the last point with her friends who joke that animals do it and a comment is made about auto erotic asphyxiation (with one woman saying holding one's breath "makes you come harder" and can produce "the best orgasm of your life"). Grace then says that she wanted Christopher to "f*ck me really hard. Slow and hard." She then adds, "He f*cked me, I strangled him, and he came." The friends then asks if he cared whether she "came" or not and she replies that "He went down on me" and that it was the most thoughtful and sexy "head" she's ever had. More sexual talks follows, including one woman saying she put her toes in a guy's mouth and "he slowly went inside me." One woman then talks about another woman's mother being on the front lines of the sexual revolution. A comment is then made about having sex like a real person and not a porn star.

Earl makes some comment about "explicit descriptions of your sex life" to Christopher (who we see in his underwear).

Christopher and Grace make out while standing and he feels her clothed butt while she feels his clothed crotch. In turn, he starts to pull up her dress and we then see them on the floor after they apparently had sex (and there are some double entendres made about "filling an empty gas tank" and her saying that she really said she had a well that needed to be filled).

A friend gives Grace a magazine about "tw*ts" and "c*cks" and we briefly see photos of sex dolls and other related paraphernalia, including dildos.

Grace visits an adult novelty store where we see magazines showing female bare breasts and butts, and an embracing couple. She then wonders if they have a wig section and we see all sorts of S&M paraphernalia (including something called a "butt plug" that looks like a big dildo).

We see Grace wearing a strap-on dildo (with an erect penis) and looking at herself in the mirror and laughing. We then see her wearing an S&M leather hood when the doorbell rings and it's Christopher and his mother. Grace then races around and tries to remove the strap-on before letting them in and we see her in her bikini panties during this (as she tries to pull the belt up her body). She then tries to cut off the fake penis (saying, "If only they were really this hard") and then tapes it to her leg. She then closes her robe around that and lets the others inside her place, but during this the dildo pops out of her robe and Christopher quickly escorts his mother back out.

We see Christopher and Grace in bed kissing, and he then kisses down her body until he's down under the sheets, apparently performing oral sex on her (we see the shape of his head between her legs under the sheets). Grace's daughter and her boyfriend then unexpectedly pop in and Grace tries to act as if nothing is happening (the daughter says that there's "someone between your legs"). Christopher finally comes out from under the sheet, tells the two college students that he's Grace's gynecologist, and makes some sort of double entendre about blue balls and Christmas tree.

We see Christopher in his underwear again.

Natasha mentions that she's been married for many years and still has great sex.

Grace talks about great sex with Christopher, but then says that she's caught in a "Madonna whore thing."

Christopher states, "I'm gonna f*ck who I want and when I want."

Dressed in a knight's suit of armor, Grace climbs onto Christopher's hospital bed, straddles him, and then kisses him. Christopher's mother then walks in and asks, "Do you have that strap-on under that suite of armor, or what?"

SMOKING

A few miscellaneous/minor characters smoke.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

We hear that Christopher is long divorced from his wife and estranged from his son, while Grace is also divorced and raising her daughter who's now off to college.

Christopher gets a phone call that his mom had a stroke, but is okay (some hospital scenes follow).

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

Older single people and their dating and relationships.

Questioning one's sexual orientation.

She-males and others possessing attributes of both sexes.

VIOLENCE

Christopher hits Alex on the head with a rolled up magazine.

A person on horseback accidentally rides into Christopher, knocking him to the ground unconscious and slightly bloodying him.

Reviewed June 5, 2002 / Posted July 19, 2002

Other new and recent reviews include:

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.

All Rights Reserved,
©1996-2022 Screen It, Inc.