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"ALL ABOUT STEVE"
(2009) (Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper) (PG-13)

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


QUICK TAKE:
Comedy: A nerdy, trivia-spewing crossword puzzle creator thinks a TV cameraman is interested in her and thus follows him around the country, much to his horror.
PLOT:
Mary Horowitz (SANDRA BULLOCK) creates weekly crossword puzzles for the Sacramento Herald but doesn't have any sort of personal life. The fact that she lives at home with her parents (BETH GRANT and HOWARD HESSMAN) while her place is fumigated certainly doesn't help matters, and she isn't looking forward to the blind date they've arranged for her.

That changes, however, when she sets eyes on Steve Gunders (BRADLEY COOPER), a cameraman for the CCN TV network who works with producer Angus (KEN JEONG) getting reporter Hartman Hughes (THOMAS HADEN CHURCH) on the air. Immediately smitten, she tries seducing him in the first minutes of their date, and while he's sort of into that, her non-stop talking and trivia dropping quickly changes his mind. Fortunately for him, an urgent work call means he has to leave, but not before saying something she takes out of context as meaning he's interested in her when he really isn't.

The next day, her crossword puzzle is all about him, resulting in her boss firing her. Yet, in her mind, that frees her up to join Steve on the road, and thus she sets off to find him as his team covers the latest breaking new stories for their boss, Danny (KEITH DAVID). After she barely misses them when a hostage situation is resolved, she follows them to another location where they're covering the news story of a girl born with three legs.

There, she meets a number of protestors, including Elizabeth (KATY MIXON) and Howard (DJ QUALLS), who want the girl to keep her limbs. When not the on air competing with rival reporter Vasquez (JASON JONES) for that and other stories, Hartman decides to mess with Mary by leading her on that Steve truly is into her, and that anything he says to the contrary is just him being insecure.

From that point on, and as they end up traveling around the country, Mary continues with her belief that she's meant to be with Steve, all as his horror of being stalked continues to grow.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
They might if they're big fans of anyone in the cast or are looking for a goofy comedy.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For sexual content including innuendos.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • SANDRA BULLOCK plays a nerdy crossword puzzle creator who has no social life and thus latches onto Steve when she sees how handsome he is. She immediately comes on to him sexually and then, not realizing he's blown her off, follows him around the country, essentially stalking him. She also uses profanity.
  • BRADLEY COOPER plays a TV cameraman who goes on a blind date with her, initially enjoys her immediately coming on to him, but is thankful their tryst is interrupted. He then goes about his life, initially unaware and then horrified by the fact that she mistook something he said for him being interested in her, thus resulting in her stalking him. He uses profanity and briefly punches Hartman for lying to Mary about his feelings toward her.
  • THOMAS HADEN CHURCH plays the egotistical and overly dramatic on-air TV reporter who works with Steve. For fun, he leads on Mary to think that Steve does like her. He also uses profanity.
  • KEN JEONG plays their producer who must put up with all of that. He uses some profanity.
  • DJ QUALLS plays a young man who ends up traveling with Mary and Elizabeth around the country following Steve. He briefly uses profanity and makes face figurines out of carved apples.
  • KATY MIXON plays a young woman Mary meets who becomes her friend and travel companion. She wears a top that shows a lot of cleavage.
  • KEITH DAVID plays the network boss who's constantly irritated by the work delivered by Steve's crew. He uses some profanity.
  • BETH GRANT and HOWARD HESSMAN play Mary's parents who only want her to be happy and then are worried about her safety late in the film.
  • JASON JONES plays Hartman's reporter rival who's just as egotistical as his competitor.
  • 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 comedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of a least 10 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue and innuendo are present, as is some unexpected but incomplete fooling around that includes making out, partial disrobing and groping, but is played for comedy rather than eroticism.

    Violence consists of a brief punch, while some slapstick style material is also present. Some characters accidentally end up in harm's way (some fleeing from a tornado, others falling down a mine shaft), but everyone is okay in the end.

    Bad attitudes are present (from characters, as well as potentially by the film in terms of subject matter used for intended laughs), as is behavior that some kids might try to imitate. Tense family material occurs, while there's a brief drug related comment, a character states he's getting high from glue, and alcohol is briefly present but not seen being consumed. A little bit of crude humor is also present.

    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
  • Steve and Mary's dad hold drinks.
  • Steve mentions a type of drink at a restaurant (to Mary), but they never get there.
  • Mary talks about coke, but then says she's not referring to the cola or "booger sugar" (cocaine).
  • Making some signs, a guy states that the glue is making him high.
  • Danny asks his staff if they have any stories of drunk-driving celebrities.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • During a montage of people doing Mary's latest crossword puzzle, we see pants around the ankles of various men seated in adjacent bathroom stalls.
  • Danny tells his reporting crew that if they mess up again, they'll be sent off to a cold remote location and mentions "snot-sickles" there.
  • Steve punches Hartman in the face for lying to Mary about him, while a carried camera then accidentally hits Steve in the face. He ends up with a little bit of a bloody nose, while Hartman has a little bit of a bloody lip.
  • Mary comments on cows and their gas doing the most damage to the ozone layer.
  • Mary has some slightly bloody scrapes on her head, and material wrapped around her leg that she apparently also cut (no blood seen) falling down a vertical shaft.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Some young students are mean to Mary when she talks about her job on career day, joking about her living with her parents and not having a husband or boyfriend.
  • Mary essentially ends up stalking Steve (although her motives are only misguided and incorrect, and not malicious or dangerous).
  • About a woman who isn't present, Hartman tells Steve the fact that he (Hartman) was looking at her "ass" was a compliment.
  • While we never see the person, we hear that someone has taken others hostage.
  • Tired of Mary spewing trivia, a bus drive takes off and leaves her at a diner, much to the joy of the other riders.
  • Some viewers might not like the film's attempt at humor where Mary thanks a truck driver (with whom she nervously accepted a ride) for not raping her, and he replies, "My pleasure."
  • Some viewers might not like the film's attempts at humor stemming from an unseen girl who's been born with three legs, or later a group of deaf kids who suddenly fall through a sinkhole down into an abandoned mine.
  • Hartman purposefully lies to Mary about how Steve feels about her (saying he's in love, and that anything he says to the contrary is just a sign of insecurity).
  • Thinking Mary may have poisoned some chips, Steve throws that and other stuff out the window as he drives the van (littering).
  • Vasquez gives "the finger" to Hartman.
  • Hartman pats Mary on the clothed butt in two scenes.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Howard, Elizabeth and Mary end up confronted by a large tornado, and since his old car won't go in reverse, they have to abandon it and run for a large pipe in which they hide as the twister passes overhead, taking Howard's car with it (they're okay, although a cicada lands on Mary's face -- she's fine with that once she figures out what it is).
  • As they walk across a field toward a carnival, a class of deaf students suddenly fall through a sinkhole and disappear (we then learn into an abandoned mine). Later, after a crane has pulled out what's supposedly the last kid, the crane starts to sink as well (although it finally stops), prompting the operator to flee from it.
  • Not realizing the hole (and shaft leading down to the abandoned mine) is in her path, Mary runs toward Steve, only to fall and disappear into that hole (played for comedy).
  • We hear news reports that Mary and a young girl who are stuck at the bottom of a vertical shaft in the abandoned mine are now in danger from carbon monoxide.
  • Realizing he's responsible for what's happened to Mary, Hartman grabs a fire hose and jumps down a vertical shaft leading to the abandoned mine. He doesn't realize, however, that it's not securely attached to the fire engine and thus comes loose, sending him falling hard into a small body of water at the bottom of the shaft (he's okay, and this is all played for laughs).
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Reporting from a hostage situation, Hartman hears some distant popping sounds and thinks it's gunfire, but we later learn it was a truck backfiring. We also see a horse lying on the ground and think it's been shot, but it gets up and Angus indicates to Hartman that it's a stunt horse.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "This crossword is bullsh*t," "Holy sh*t," "Ah sh*t," "That's a bunch of horse-sh*t," "Too much of a p*ssy," "Bite the big one," "He's hot," "He's so not gay," "Now I'm going to eat you like a mountain lion," "You look like a retired porn star," "I knew you had some balls in those Underoos," "These clues suck," "Snot-sickles," "Don't screw it up," "Muy caliente," "Booger sugar" (cocaine), "Was such an asshole," "That's scary thoughtful," "Wouldn't shut his pie hole," "Mouth pillows" (lips), "Go get your Steve on," "That's freaking me out," "What the hell was that?" "You're an asshole," "Shut up," "Dumb ass," "You scared the crap out of me," "Freakishly intelligent" and "Why the hell didn't I think of that?"
  • Wearing just a towel, Mary tries to slide backwards (face-down) down a stairwell banister, but only goes a short distance before stopping.
  • A miscellaneous man has many tattoos.
  • A miscellaneous man belches.
  • Cautiously accepting a ride from a truck driver, Mary writes down his driver's license number on her arm so that he'll have to cut her up if he kills her.
  • Howard carves heads of various people out of apples.
  • Thinking Mary may have poisoned some chips, Steve throws that and other stuff out the window as he drives the van (littering).
  • Vasquez gives "the finger" to Hartman.
  • Realizing he's responsible for what's happened to Mary, Hartman grabs a fire hose and jumps down a vertical shaft leading to an abandoned mine. He doesn't realize, however, that it's not securely attached to the fire engine and thus comes loose, sending him falling hard into a small body of water at the bottom of the shaft (he's okay).
  • Hartman pats Mary on the clothed butt in two scenes.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • As they walk across a field toward a carnival, a class of deaf students suddenly fall through a sinkhole and disappear (we then learn into an abandoned mine).
  • Mary turns and is startled by the presence of a young girl in a mine.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A moderate amount of suspenseful music (most of it played lightly/playfully) occurs in several scenes.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 10 "s" words, 2 slang terms for sex ("bang"), 1 each using male and female genitals ("ding-a-ling" and "p*ssy"), 1 for breasts ("puppies"), 5 asses (2 used with "hole"), 4 hells, 4 craps, 3 S.O.B.s, 2 damns, 4 uses of "Oh my God," 2 each of "Jesus" and "Oh Jesus" and 1 use each of "Christ," "For the love of God" and "Swear to God."
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • A woman on the phone in Mary's office is heard talking about short skirts and sexy panties.
  • About her blind date (and talking to a stranger), Mary figures (before meeting him) that Steve's parents probably think he's gay and that her parents are pimping her out to test his sexuality. She does admit, however, that she could use a little (whistle sound, standing in for a word about sex) as it's been a long time.
  • Some young students are mean to Mary when she talks about her job on career day, joking about her living with her parents and not having a husband or boyfriend. She admits that's true, but adds, "I have had liaisons."
  • Mary's dad tells her mom that if she wants to see grandchildren, she'll have to burn the tall red boots Mary wears all of the time.
  • Mary talks to her pet and mentions "support," but then says by that she doesn't mean the breast kind, and adjusts her own clothed breasts to indicate rather than say that.
  • Mary's mom tells her that Steve is "hot," with Mary hoping that's not on the inside.
  • After seeing that Steve is handsome, Mary returns to her room to change into something sexier, telling her pet that Steve is "so not gay" and comments about the power of a spectacular pair of skivvies. She then returns now wearing a short skirt and a cleavage-revealing top.
  • Once in his truck, Mary lasciviously comes on to him, crawling atop him in the front seat and removing her coat, thus exposing her cleavage directly in his face. They make out, the seat suddenly reclines, and they take turns being on top of the other in the back as they start to undress (he ends up shirtless and she's seen in her bra, showing more cleavage). Since they're parked outside of her parents' place, he asks what about her mom (catching them), with Mary matter-of-factly saying her mom is too old for him and not his type. She also talks about their sexual compatibility and other non-sexual matters, with his hands ending up on her bra-covered breasts, followed by her telling him that she's now going to eat him like a mountain lion. His phone then vibrates and he takes the call, stating that he's coming (to the location of a breaking news story). She mistakes that for something sexual and replies, "Already? I can hurry." He then puts his shirt back on and escorts her out of the vehicle, mouthing "Thank God" to himself about getting rid of her. All of that is played for comedy rather than eroticism.
  • We see a miscellaneous couple making out as they walk along a sidewalk.
  • During a montage of people doing Mary's latest crossword puzzle, we see pants around the ankles of various men seated in adjacent bathroom stalls. We then see one such foot tap that of another man (meant as a gay come-on signal).
  • Danny is upset about a gardening story that Hartman and Steve have shot, with Hartman talking about the "stiffness" of a plant as Steve's camera shot zooms in to show only the woman's abundant cleavage.
  • We see several view of Mary in different positions in a bubble bath, but no nudity is seen. We then see her walking along wearing just a towel.
  • About a woman who isn't present, Hartman tells Steve the fact that he (Hartman) was looking at her "ass" was a compliment.
  • While it's being said about a young girl born with three legs, some viewers might see sexual context (and slang) when one person says that if God hadn't intended for that "third leg" He wouldn't have placed it between the other two.
  • A miscellaneous middle-aged woman talks of having been born with a vestigial penis (calling it a "ding-a-ling"). She adds that she used to "work it" (meaning play up the fact that she had it), let it hang out, but then had it cut off. She then takes Hartman's hand and places it on the scar (not seen) to have him feel it, and that grosses him out.
  • When Steve says he didn't invite Mary to come along on the road with him, she says he did after he fondled her breasts, comments that he "grabbed my little puppies" and went right to town (making the gesture of doing that), and adds that it felt great.
  • As Mary sees Steve off, she comments on him doing his first job and that his second occupation is fornication.
  • Elizabeth shows a lot of cleavage (seen several times).
  • Steve comments that Mary earlier mounted him like a mountain lion.
  • Noting Mary's red boots, Hartman jokingly asks if she "banged" a fireman and that term is used again. He then asks if Steve's heart and loins are full of joy, and that she should now rest those "little mouth pillows" (lips) as she'll need them for "all sorts of naughtiness" later. He then pats her on the clothed butt as she leaves, with him telling her, "Go get your Steve on."
  • We see Steve shirtless in the back of the TV van as Angus drives and Hartman chats with Mary who's jogging alongside the van.
  • Hearing the TV crew is headed for Galveston, Mary comments on that being a gay friendly town.
  • A woman makes some comment about panties and lack of sparkle or something similar to that, and then thanks God for what sounded like the "bedazzler."
  • About Steve and his disguise, Angus says he looks like a retired porn star.
  • About Angus finally standing up to his and Steve's nonsense, Hartman tells him, "I knew you had some balls in those Underoos."
  • Angus states that their rival news organization knows everything about Mary except for her panty size.
  • Hartman pats Mary on the clothed butt.
  • SMOKING
  • We see that Mary has created a St. Patrick's Day crossword puzzle in the blocky shape of a leprechaun holding a pipe.
  • Hartman talks of his looks as Marlboro Man handsome.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • There's talk of an unseen couple who have joint custody of their daughter (also unseen) who's been born with three legs, and that they're battling over whether to have the extra limb amputated.
  • Hartman briefly comments about his deceased father in two scenes.
  • We hear news reports that Mary and a young girl who are stuck at the bottom of a vertical shaft in an abandoned mine are now in danger from carbon monoxide. We then see Mary's parents being nervous while watching news coverage of the event on TV.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Stalkers.
  • Mary's boss saying she should do less work and more of everything else, telling her to be normal.
  • Casual sex (Mary immediately tries to have that with Steve upon first meeting him).
  • The comment that it's humans' natural inclination to fill empty spaces, be that in crossword puzzles or others' lives.
  • The film's attempts at satirizing the current state of cable TV news services.
  • People born with an abnormal amount of limbs.
  • VIOLENCE
  • Mary accidentally runs into a handgrip pole inside a bus when the bus driver takes off.
  • Steve punches Hartman in the face for lying to Mary about him, while a carried camera then accidentally hits Steve in the face. He ends up with a little bit of a bloody nose, while Hartman has a little bit of a bloody lip. Some guards then grab Mary as she rushes up toward Steve, and her foot ends up tangled in his camera cable, and accidentally pulls him off a tall stand, sending him hard to the ground.
  • As Mary, Howard and Elizabeth safely hide, a tornado lifts up his car. We later see it badly damaged, along with other related destruction.
  • Not realizing the hole (and shaft leading down to an abandoned mine) is in her path, Mary runs toward Steve, only to fall and disappear into that hole. While we don't see the impact, she has a few scrapes and cuts from that.
  • Realizing he's responsible for what's happened to Mary, Hartman grabs a fire hose and jumps down a vertical shaft leading to an abandoned mine. He doesn't realize, however, that it's not securely attached to the fire engine and thus comes loose, sending him falling hard into a small body of water at the bottom of the shaft (he's okay).



  • Reviewed September 1, 2009 / Posted September 4, 2009

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