SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: LEVITY

"LEVITY"
(2003) (Billy Bob Thornton, Holly Hunter) (R)

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

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	None	Minor	None	Extreme

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

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: A recently released convict tries to contact his murder victim's sister in hopes of bringing closure to both him and her.

PLOT:

It's been 23 years since Manual Jordan (BILLY BOB THORNTON) murdered Abner Easley (LUKE ROBERTSON) during a holdup, and he's spent his entire adult life behind bars. Suddenly, his life sentence is commuted to time served and Manual finds himself a free man. Seeking self-redemption but not sure he can attain it, Manual seeks out Abner's now adult sister, Adele (HOLY HUNTER), hoping that in some way he can help himself by helping her.

Before he gets the chance to do that, he happens to answer a chance phone call from Miles Evans (MORGAN FREEMAN), a minister of sorts who runs a soup kitchen when not preaching to young partygoers before they head off to a nearby club. Miles is looking for his parking lot attendant who's disappeared, and offers Manual the job as well as a place to stay.

While upset with young partygoer Sofia Mellinger (KIRSTEN DUNST) for apparently wasting her privileged life, Manual sets out to make contact with Adele and her troubled son (GEOFFREY WIGDOR) who's named for his late uncle. With Adele unaware of Manual's true identity, he ends up befriending her, a development that's ripe for problems should she learn who he is.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they're fans of someone in the cast they might, but this one doesn't seem particularly interesting for any but older teens.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: BILLY BOB THORNTON plays a tentative and mostly reserved convict who's recently been released from prison. Seeking some sort of self-redemption, he contact's his murder victim's adult sister, but is unable to let her know who he is (until late in the movie, after he's apparently slept with her).
MORGAN FREEMAN plays a man who may or may not be a pastor who works at a soup kitchen, preaches to various young people before they enter a club and gives a job and room to Manual. He uses strong profanity.
HOLLY HUNTER plays a single mother who's concerned about her troubled son and befriends (and even sleeps with) Manual without realizing he killed her brother many years ago. She uses some strong profanity.
KIRSTEN DUNST plays a seemingly privileged young woman who parties hard and is occasionally passed out and/or high. She uses profanity and somewhat befriends Manual as well as some guys who are doing community time for Miles.
GEOFFREY WIGDOR plays Adele's young adult son who's into trouble and wants revenge for being shot earlier. He uses strong profanity.; MORGAN FREEMAN plays a man who may or may not be a pastor who works at a soup kitchen, preaches to various young people before they enter a club and gives a job and room to Manual. He uses strong profanity.
HOLLY HUNTER plays a single mother who's concerned about her troubled son and befriends (and even sleeps with) Manual without realizing he killed her brother many years ago. She uses some strong profanity.
KIRSTEN DUNST plays a seemingly privileged young woman who parties hard and is occasionally passed out and/or high. She uses profanity and somewhat befriends Manual as well as some guys who are doing community time for Miles.
GEOFFREY WIGDOR plays Adele's young adult son who's into trouble and wants revenge for being shot earlier. He uses strong profanity.; HOLLY HUNTER plays a single mother who's concerned about her troubled son and befriends (and even sleeps with) Manual without realizing he killed her brother many years ago. She uses some strong profanity.
KIRSTEN DUNST plays a seemingly privileged young woman who parties hard and is occasionally passed out and/or high. She uses profanity and somewhat befriends Manual as well as some guys who are doing community time for Miles.
GEOFFREY WIGDOR plays Adele's young adult son who's into trouble and wants revenge for being shot earlier. He uses strong profanity.; KIRSTEN DUNST plays a seemingly privileged young woman who parties hard and is occasionally passed out and/or high. She uses profanity and somewhat befriends Manual as well as some guys who are doing community time for Miles.
GEOFFREY WIGDOR plays Adele's young adult son who's into trouble and wants revenge for being shot earlier. He uses strong profanity.; GEOFFREY WIGDOR plays Adele's young adult son who's into trouble and wants revenge for being shot earlier. He 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 drama. Profanity consists of at least 39 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also used. Sexually related dialogue is present, and some kissing/caressing leads to off-screen sex.

Violence consists of a flashback to a murder scene via gunshot, while several people are shot and wounded (on and off-camera) and other threatening with intent of harming others with guns and knives is present. Some of those scenes might be disturbing, tense or suspenseful to some viewers, while various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes.

Meanwhile, various characters drink or smoke, with some being drunk and/or high. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: We see a liquor ad in a commuter tunnel, as well as various shots and/or mentions of liquor stores later in the film.
Some men drink on the street.
Some guys drink.
We see smoke wafting from Miles' room (as well as a shadow of him and that smoke) and later learn that it's marijuana (he says it helps him forget).
Sofia is passed out and Manual is asked to take her home. He does and she doesn't come to until they're in front of her house.
Sofia comes out of the club with a guy and appears to be drunk and/or high.
We see that Sofia's mom appears to be an alcoholic (by the way she acts) and then see her grab a bottle (of wine or liquor) and head off somewhere else inside the house.
Some people drink in a comedy club.
Sofia is drunk or high at the club.
Some young men drink beer and hand one to Sofia when she arrives (she does not drink).

BLOOD/GORE: In a flashback, we briefly see the slightly bloody bullet hole in Abner's forehead after Manual shoots him.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: We learn that Manual murdered Abner several decades ago and we later see a flashback to the robbery and murder.
A man wants Manual's help in robbing a store (Manual refuses) and that man then pulls out and swings a knife at him.
Some viewers might not like the fact that Abner and Adele state they don't believe in God. In addition, Miles says that when he finally sees God, he's going to "whip his holy ass."
Some upset young men overturn a portable toilet and spray-paint graffiti on a construction trailer. They're later disrespectful to Manual while he addresses them in a counselor sort of way.
A person shoots Abner (not seen), Abner and his friends try to get their revenge by shooting that guy (it never happens), and that other guy then returns to shoot and kill Abner (that never happens).
A man turns out to have been living a lie under a false identity and then flees from the authorities who are after him.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: Scenes listed under "Violence" might also be unsettling, tense or suspenseful to some viewers.
We see a flashback to the pivotal murder scene where Manual and two friends rob a convenience store at gunpoint. During this, two of them hold guns on young Abner and after a few tense moments, Manual shoots him in the head (we briefly see the slightly bloody bullet hole in Abner's forehead).
Abner and his friends approach a rival guy, preparing to shoot him. Abner nearly does, but a passing police car makes him change his mind.
Abner hits a guy over the back with a board who was coming down an alleyway to shoot him. He then holds his gun on this man, but Manual intervenes, aims a gun at him and then struggles with him.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Handguns: Used to threaten, wound or kill people. See "Violence" for details.
Knife: Pulled out and swung at Manual by a man who's mad at him.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "I'll f*ck you up," "What is your f*cking problem?" "F*ck you man," "He's one pissed off little f*ck," "Get the f*ck /out of here/off me," "Are you f*cking deaf?" "What goes around, comes around m*therf*cker," "What the f*ck are you doing?" "F*ck that," "You're so full of sh*t you're clogging up the city," "Bullsh*t," "You look like sh*t," "Where the hell you been?" "Pull your head out of your ass," "What the hell /are you doing/is that?" "Shut up" and "Cheap ass."
Some upset young men overturn a portable toilet and spray-paint graffiti on a construction trailer.
Abner has tattoos on his arms.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): A tiny bit of such music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: At least 39 "f" words (5 used with "mother"), 21 "s" words, 2 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck"), 1 slang term for female genitals ("p*ssy"), 1 slang term for sex ("bone dance"), 9 hells, 6 asses, 5 damns, 3 uses of "G-damn," 2 of "Oh God" and 1 use each of "God" and "Swear to God" as exclamations

SEX/NUDITY: A storefront sign reads "Sex Shop," but we don't see anything more than that.
When Manual takes Sofia home via a taxi in the morning, she asks, "Are you sure we didn't..." but doesn't complete the question of whether they had sex (they didn't).
When Sofia enters the room, some young men like the looks of her and one comments on "p*ssy." She then replies, "You are what you eat." One then tells her to come over and he'll turn her into one "big long d*ck." She replies that she wouldn't want to take that work away from his mother and then makes another sarcastic genital comment by saying that she already flossed that morning.
Abner tells his mom and Manual that he'll be gone for a while if they want to do "the bone dance" (have sex). Moments later, she caresses Manual's hair, runs her fingers across his lips and then leans in to kiss him (they lean back out of the camera shot and it's implied that they have sex). We later see him leave (to go to work) and she's still in bed.
Later, Sofia tells Manual that he smells like sex (from the above).
A young man recounts a sexual encounter to his friends where he comments on telling the woman to get off him.

SMOKING: Sofia holds what looks like a clove cigarette, while various miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Adele worries about her son, including when he's been shot and then when he plans to get his revenge.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Redemption.
Guilt.
Whether prison reforms or rehabilitates prisoners.
The comment that if you want to help yourself, try helping somebody else.
Young, privileged people getting drunk and/or high.
Being evicted.

VIOLENCE: A man pulls out a knife and briefly swings it at Manual.
Upset at Manual for saying her life is a waste, Sofia starts flailing at him. He then grabs and briefly shakes her.
We don't see the act, but someone shoots Abner (he lives, but is in the hospital).
We see a flashback to the pivotal murder scene where Manual and two friends rob a convenience store at gunpoint. During this, two of them hold guns on young Abner and after a few tense moments, Manual shoots him in the head (we briefly see the slightly bloody bullet hole in Abner's forehead).
Abner hits a guy over the back with a board who was coming down an alleyway to shoot him. He then holds his gun on this man, but Manual intervenes, aims a gun at him and then struggles with him.
A person is shot and wounded (no blood) and others around him react to that.

Reviewed March 28, 2003 / Posted April 25, 2003

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