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Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "NOBEL SON" (2008) (Bryan Greenberg, Shawn Hatosy) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Heavy Extreme *Moderate Moderate Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Moderate Mild Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Minor Moderate Moderate Heavy QUICK TAKE: Dramedy: A young man kidnaps the adult son of an egotistical Nobel Prize winner in hopes of blackmailing him. PLOT: It's no surprise that Barkley Michaelson (BRYAN GREENBERG) ended up a smart young man who's studying anthropology and, in particular, cannibalism. After all, his father, Eli (ALAN RICKMAN), is a noted chemistry professor, while his mother, Sarah (MARY STEENBURGEN), is a forensic psychologist. Even so, Barkley doesn't get along well with his father, mainly because Eli is a pompous, conceited and egotistical intellectual who cheats on his wife with his college students. To make matters worse, he's recently been awarded the Nobel Prize for his work, thus only inflating his ego to even greater heights (or depths). With the family set to fly off to Stockholm where Eli will accept his award, Barkley misses the flight due to an unexpected sexual rendezvous with bohemian poet Sharon "City" Hall (ELIZA DUSHKU). When he realizes his mistake, Barkley rushes home, only to be knocked out and abducted by Thaddeus James (SHAWN HATOSY) who manages to avoid detection by the Michaelson's recovering obsessive-compulsive tenant, Gastner (DANNY DeVITO), who lives in their garage. Although Eli doubts the validity of the ensuing ransom call, he and Sarah rush home when a severed finger is delivered to them as proof of the kidnapping. As Sarah's cop friend Max Mariner (BILL PULLMAN) starts working on the case, Barkley tries to convince Thaddeus not to harm him. While doing so, however, he learns the two have much more in common than he could have expected, a discovery that leads to a number of unexpected developments, twists, and turns in the kidnapping scheme. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For some violent gruesome images, language and sexuality. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: BRYAN GREENBERG plays an anthropology student specializing in cannibalism who finds himself as Thaddeus' kidnapping victim. Although initially scared by him and the situation, he eventually teams up with his abductor to get revenge on his egoistical and pompous father. He uses strong profanity, has sex with City Hall, and briefly drinks. SHAWN HATOSY plays his kidnapper whose motive is greater than money toward Eli. He uses strong profanity, maims others and briefly drinks. ALAN RICKMAN plays the conceited, egotistical and pompous professor of chemistry whose attitude only gets worse when he wins the Nobel Prize. He has affairs with his students, uses strong profanity, smokes once, and looks down on his son and his choices in life. MARY STEENBURGEN plays his sympathetic forensic psychologist wife who worries about their son and seemingly turns a blind eye toward her husband's ways, at least for a while. BILL PULLMAN plays her cop friend, a detective who tries to crack the kidnapping case. ELIZA DUSHKU plays a bohemian style poet who has sex with Barkley, uses strong profanity, and turns out to have some serious mental issues. DANNY DeVITO plays the recovering obsessive-compulsive tenant who lives in the Michaelson's garage. 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 brief summary of the content found in this R-rated dramedy. Profanity consists of at least 27 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Sexually related dialogue (some of it explicit) is present, as are views of various sexual encounters with movement, sounds and some nudity. Violence includes an off-screen murder via electrocution, another person apparently being crushed to death by things falling on him, a person's thumb being hacked off, and the hitting/beating of others. Some of that has bloody/gory results, including the graphic removal and later display of that severed finger, while some scatological material is also present. Some of those scenes might be unsettling and/or suspenseful to some viewers. Various bad attitudes are present, as is some tense family material. Various characters drink and one briefly smokes, while some behavior might be enticing to imitate. 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. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's handheld camera footage in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE People have champagne at a reception. Eli has wine on a plane. Miscellaneous people drink in a bar. Barkley and Thaddeus have beer. Thaddeus and City Hall have wine along with Barkley and his family. Sarah has a drink and Max has beer. Thaddeus makes breakfast for Eli, Sarah and himself, and serves champagne with that. Sarah, Barkley and others have drinks at a beach. Barkley has beer. BLOOD/GORE We see a thumb being cut off a hand, with bloody/gory/meaty results. When it can't be yanked off from that cut, a meat cleaver is used to sever it before it's bagged (while we also see blood on a sidewalk). Barkley has a few abrasions on his face. Thaddeus cuts his own finger on purpose and then licks the resultant blood. Eli farts in a limo, prompting him and Sarah to break out laughing. Eli opens a package addressed to him and discovers a severed thumb in it, nearly causing him to vomit. A poet delivers a line about lying in a bath of one's own excrement. Thaddeus tells Barkley to swallow a locker key and let it poop itself out as he goes on "stool patrol." When Barkley hesitates, Thaddeus tells him to do so or "I'll shove it up your ass." We later see Barkley sorting through his excrement in a toilet for that key. Thaddeus repeatedly punches and kicks Barkley quite hard, all to make him appear he's been abused by his kidnapper, leaving Barkley with a bloody nose. Barkley vomits. We see a dead man in a bathtub after having been electrocuted (a murder made to look like a suicide, done by Thaddeus -- not seen). Barkley accidentally cuts his own finger, with some blood visible. Thaddeus steps in some blood and then tastes that. What appears to be a severed human breast is delivered to others, but we later hear it was made of marzipan. Thaddeus vomits from the sight of that. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Not only is Eli egotistical, conceited and pompous (and that only gets worse after he wins the Nobel Prize), but he also cheats on his wife with others, including some of his students. One of those young women confronts Eli, implying she'll report their sexual encounter if he doesn't give her a good grade (which he initially was not going to, but now changes his mind). Eli is condescending toward Barkley and the choices the son has made in his life. Barkley steals some flowers to give to City Hall. When Eli is informed the captain of their flight is pleased to have him onboard, Eli sarcastically asks the female flight attendant if that's because he won the Nobel Prize or because he inspires the man's latent, homoerotic wet dreams. Thaddeus kidnaps Barkley in hopes of blackmailing Eli for $2 million. Thaddeus states that Eli stole information from his father in the past and then presented that as his. Eli tells a cop the latter is lucky he's not a genius as it's lonely at the top. Spoiler Alert: Barkley allies himself with Thaddeus in trying to blackmail their father. Spoiler Alert: Barkley realizes City Hall was in on Thaddeus' ploy. We see a dead man in a bathtub after having been electrocuted (a murder made to look like a suicide, done by Thaddeus -- not seen). We learn that a cop is in on part of a blackmail scheme. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" and/or "Blood/Gore" may be unsettling and/or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Thaddeus goes at Barkley as if he's going to cut off the latter's thumb with a knife, causing Barkley to panic and plead for him not to do that. GUNS/WEAPONS Thaddeus uses a stun gun on Barkley. Thaddeus goes at Barkley as if he's going to cut off the latter's thumb with a knife, causing Barkley to panic and plead for him not to do that. We see a shotgun mounted in Max's police car. Max and other cops raid a house, thinking they're going to find Thaddeus, but instead aim their handguns at an elderly couple in bed. A full-sized car is driven through a mall via remote control, and crashes through a wall as part of the plan. Cops aim their guns at the stopped car. To scare off a reporter, Sarah tells her over the phone that she has a gun and shows it through the window, frightening off those outside. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck yeah," "Lucky f*cking son of a bitch," "Will you shut the f*ck up already?" "F*ck you," "Stop f*cking with me," "Merry f*cking Christmas," "F*ck off, ass-wipe," "(Sick) F*cker," "F*ck if I know," "Holy sh*t that's a lot of f*cking money," "What the f*ck /do you know/are you doing?" "F*cked up," "I want to f*ck you so bad," "Your entire f*cking life," "It's bullsh*t," "Cut the sh*t and get your ass on the plane," "What a sh*t he /can be/is," "Sh*t-head," "He looks like sh*t," "Latent, homoerotic wet dreams," "Suck my reindeer d*ck," "You rock," "You can finally kiss my fine white ass," "It's a damn good thing," "Harder than hell," "The hell with him," "Damn, I'm good," "(Crazy) Bastard," "Scumbag," "You think?" "I'll shove it up your ass," "Been to hell and back" and "Have you lost your mind?" It's possible some kids could try to do their own kidnapping and/or related scheme. A miscellaneous guy has multiple piercings. Thaddeus spits on a sharpening stone to be used on a knife. Thaddeus cuts his own finger on purpose and then licks the resultant blood. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A song has the suggestive line about "wouldn't you like to come inside?" PROFANITY At least 27 "f" words (2 used sexually, as are the terms "laid" and "screwed"), 16 "s" words, at least 3 slang terms using male genitals (including "d*ck" and "pole"), 7 for breasts ("t*ts"), 8 asses (3 used with "hole"), 4 damns, 3 hells, 2 S.O.B.s, 3 uses of "Oh God," 2 each of "God" and "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "For God's sakes," "G-damn" and "My God." SEX/NUDITY We hear sounds of a sexual encounter and then see Eli on top of one of his female students (thrusting, her shirt open revealing her bra and cleavage, etc.). We later see another view of this act, with him standing and her lying back on a desk as they have sex. Sarah talks of some past criminal offense where a dairy farmer committed partial sex acts on the dead. Barkley comments to his mom about the student having an affair with his dad, referring to her as a nymph. That young woman then confronts Eli, implying she'll report their sexual encounter if he doesn't give her a good grade (which he initially was not going to, but now changes his mind). A person comments to another that they look naughty and add what they wouldn't do to tear their clothes off their gorgeous body. Sarah shows some cleavage. Some poetry reading includes a line about being "damp with cum" and there are various uses of the slang term "t*ts" in that. That's followed by a line about sucking lips and "open your legs to the great conquering me." City Hall shows cleavage. When City Hall says she's a vegetarian, Barkley says that's good to know if he has to eat her (meaning cannibalism, but with some sexual overtones). City Hall passionately kisses Barkley and invites him back to her place. We next see them passionately kissing up on her roof, with her then dropping her clothes (we see a full rear view of her in just her lacey thong panties). We then see a partial side view of her bare breast as they kiss, followed by them having sex (artsy and brief/partial views, including that of thrusting, etc.). The next morning, he gets up and stretches on the roof. We see his full rear nudity, while others apparently see his full frontal nudity, surprising him. Later, we see just the beginning of them having sex again (her on top). About his son, Eli sarcastically says that Barkley probably found a way to "get laid." We see Barkley in his boxers. When Eli is informed the captain of their flight is pleased to have him onboard, Eli sarcastically asks the female flight attendant if that's because he won the Nobel Prize or because he inspires the man's latent, homoerotic wet dreams. Thaddeus shows he has a photo of Eli having sex with a student, but we don't see any nudity in it. Thaddeus states that Eli had an affair with his (Thaddeus') mother in the past. He adds that his father killed himself over the resulting pregnancy due to knowing he was sterile. Sarah shows more cleavage. To divert attention away from something else, Thaddeus plays a Santa recording at a mall with all sorts of Christmas and sexually related comments and innuendo, including yelling for others to suck his "north pole" and "reindeer d*ck" and putting something up one's "chimney." Barkley states that something nonsexual ranks higher than his first "blow job" and then adds as well as his second one, even when his mom walked in on that one. After Thaddeus tells Barkley the latter's wife left him because he "couldn't get it up," Barkley pushes Thaddeus back to a wall. City Hall shows cleavage as Max questions her about Barkley. She states that Barkley liked her breasts and moves them (clothed) in front of Max for effect. She also comments on being consumed by a raging fire of passion, and runs her hand over her clothed crotch and breasts while seated in a chair (all to make Max uncomfortable). Max tells Barkley that the latter wouldn't be the first guy to lie to get a girl in the sack. A song has the suggestive line about "wouldn't you like to come inside?" City Hall tells Barkley, "I want to f*ck you so bad," but then says she's with someone else now. City Hall shows lots of cleavage. We see Thaddeus in just a towel as he comes out of the bathroom, followed by City Hall in just a robe. A cop makes a sexual metaphor "not much for foreplay" about something nonsexual. Barkley asks his father if the latter "f*cked" another man's wife. Eli replies that she was cute and "screwed" a lot of men, but not him. What appears to be a severed human breast is delivered to others, but we later hear it was made of marzipan. About photos of Eli's sexual escapades, Barkley states there are too many unflattering shots of his penis. Sarah passionately kisses Max (after dumping Eli). The camera focuses on a female student's jeans-covered butt, representing Eli's point of view as he gets back into form in terms of helping her with her studies (in suggested exchange for sex with him). SMOKING Eli smokes once. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Eli is condescending toward Barkley and the choices the son has made in his life. City Hall says her father burned her stuff when she was a teen. She also says her dad died, but we later learn that's a lie. Eli is mad that Barkley didn't show up for their flight to Stockholm, while Sarah worries a bit about him. Thaddeus states that Eli had an affair with his (Thaddeus') mother in the past. He adds that his father killed himself over the resulting pregnancy due to knowing he was sterile. Eli opens a package addressed to him and discovers a severed thumb in it, nearly causing him to vomit. That also makes Sarah worry about their son's status, thinking the thumb is his. After Thaddeus tells Barkley the latter's wife left him because he "couldn't get it up," Barkley pushes Thaddeus back to a wall. Thaddeus states his mother hated him because he reminded her of Eli (her lover with whom she created Thaddeus). We hear that City Hall burned her father in the past. Sarah tells Eli they're getting divorced and that she's taking him to the cleaners. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The comment that there's more barbarity in eating a man while he's alive than when he's dead. We hear that Gastner was institutionalized for obsessive-compulsive disorder. The Stockholm Syndrome where a bond of sorts forms between a hostage and their kidnapper. The Nobel Prize. Eli tells a cop the latter is lucky he's not a genius as it's lonely at the top. VIOLENCE Thaddeus hits a guy over the head with a pipe of some sort while the latter stands at an ATM. We see a thumb being cut off a hand, with bloody/gory/meaty results. When it can't be yanked off from that cut, a meat cleaver is used to sever it before it's bagged (while we also see blood on a sidewalk). Thaddeus hits Barkley with a baseball bat, tie-wraps and gags him, and then slaps him (while and then after kidnapping him). He then thrashes Barkley about a bit while the latter wears a hood. As Thaddeus carries and puts Barkley into the car, he accidentally hits Barkley's head on the open hatch. Thaddeus uses a stun gun on Barkley. Thaddeus cuts his own finger on purpose and then licks the resultant blood. It appears as if Thaddeus cuts off Barkley's finger, but we later see that's not the case. A full-sized car is driven through a mall via remote control, and crashes through a wall as part of the plan. Cops aim their guns at the stopped car. After Thaddeus tells Barkley the latter's wife left him because he "couldn't get it up," Barkley pushes Thaddeus back to a wall. Thaddeus repeatedly punches and kicks Barkley quite hard, all to make him appear he's been abused by his kidnapper, leaving Barkley with a bloody nose. We see a dead man in a bathtub after having been electrocuted (a murder made to look like a suicide, done by Thaddeus -- not seen). Barkley accidentally cuts his own finger, with some blood visible. We see surveillance footage of the aforementioned ATM attack. Eli is hit over the head, injected with something, hooded and then dragged down some steps (he bounces on them). The floor above a garage as well as a car collapse down onto a person, presumably killing them. Reviewed November 5, 2008 / Posted December 5, 2008

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