"BROKEN FLOWERS"
(2005) (Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright) (R)

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

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QUICK TAKE:

Dramedy/Comedy: After receiving an unsigned letter from a former lover stating he has a son he never knew about, an over-the-hill Don Juan sets out to revisit his lovers from long ago to try to find out which is the mother.

PLOT:

Don Johnston (BILL MURRAY) was once quite the ladies man, but his reputation of being a middle-aged Don Juan doesn't sit well with his girlfriend, Sherry (JULIE DELPY), who promptly dumps him and moves out. The news only gets better for him when he receives an anonymous letter -- complete with a too faded to read postmark -- from some past lover who states that she had his child twenty years ago and that his son is now searching for him.

Despite having made all of his money from the computer business, Don doesn't own one at home, so his next-door neighbor Winston (JEFFREY WRIGHT) -- a family man with three jobs and a desire to be a private detective -- takes it upon himself to do some digging and figure out who the woman might be. With a list of Don's lovers from that era, Winston comes up with four potential women and arranges trips for Don to visit them.

There's closet organizer Laura (SHARON STONE), whose teenage daughter Lolita (ALEXIS DZIENA) lives up to the reputation of her name. Former lover Dora (FRANCES CONROY) is now married to Ron (CHRISTOPHER McDONALD), but doesn't seem happy in her life. Animal communicator Carmen (JESSICA LANGE) is amused but cautious about Don's sudden visit -- while her assistant (CHLOË SEVIGNY) obviously doesn't like him. The same seems to hold true for Penny (TILDA SWINTON) who lives on a farm where some men only reinforce that reaction.

Without coming right out and asking them if they're the letter writer and mother of his child, Don tries to feel each of them out for the answer, all while watching for clues as well as eyeing any young men who might be the right age to be his son.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

If they're fans of Murray, anyone else in the cast or the film's director, they just might. Otherwise, it seems highly unlikely.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R

For language, some graphic nudity and brief drug use.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

BILL MURRAY plays a middle-aged Don Juan whose live-in girlfriend has just dumped him and moved out. After receiving an anonymous letter about him fathering a child decades ago, he sets out to find out who the mother might be by revisiting his former lovers from that era. He uses some strong profanity.

JEFFREY WRIGHT plays his next-door neighbor, a hard-working family man and amateur detective who helps Don track down those former lovers.

FRANCES CONROY plays one of Don's former lovers who doesn't seem happy in her sterile life and marriage.

CHRISTOPHER McDONALD plays her husband who doesn't seem too fazed by Don suddenly showing up at their doorstep.

JESSICA LANGE plays a reserved animal communicator who's curious about Don's sudden visit.

CHLOË SEVIGNY plays her assistant who doesn't like Don despite not knowing him.

SHARON STONE plays another former lover, a free-spirited closet organizer and widow who's happy to see Don and apparently has sex with him as a one-night stand.

ALEXIS DZIENA plays her teenage daughter who lives up to her namesake (Lolita) by walking out fully nude in front of Don, otherwise acts provocatively and drinks wine in front of her mother.

TILDA SWINTON plays a poor woman who lives on a farm, uses strong profanity, smokes, and isn't happy to see Don, her former lover.

JULIE DELPY plays Don's current live-in girlfriend who dumps him and moves out.

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:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this drama/comedy that's been rated R. Profanity consists of at least 9 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Some sexually related dialogue is present, while a teenage girl walks out fully nude in front of a man (we see full frontal and rear shots) and later is seen in just her bra and panties.

An unmarried couple has sex off-screen (we see them in bed the following morning), while the main character learns that he apparently fathered a child by one of his many lovers in the past. Some bad attitudes are present, including by some men who beat up the main character (leaving him slightly bloodied and unconscious).

Two characters briefly share a joint, some drinking of wine occurs and a woman smokes once. A woman briefly talks about her dead husband, while another appears to be divorced and has a teenage daughter living in another country.

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.

For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there is some shaky camera movement from time to time.

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

Winston smokes after his wife tells him not to (she doesn't see him). His daughter then gets after him about that, but he says it's not tobacco but instead is herb, with Don taking a puff and then confirming that (the joke being that it's marijuana).

We see champagne in front of Don.

Laura, Lolita and Don have wine with dinner, with Lolita pouring more and Laura getting after her about that, saying she was only supposed to have a sip. Moments later, however, Lolita has more in front of her.

Dora, Ron and Don have wine with dinner.

Don asks Carmen if she wants to get a drink, but she says she doesn't drink.

BLOOD/GORE

Don wakes up in his car out in the middle of a field, with a swollen black eye and some blood on his face and shirt (after being beaten up).

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Winston smokes (pot) after his wife tells him not to (she doesn't see him).

A miscellaneous girl admits to lying to her mom about where she is and who she's with.

Lolita walks out fully nude in front of Don, fully aware of what she's doing.

Laura, Lolita and Don have wine with dinner, with Lolita pouring more and Laura getting after her about that, saying she was only supposed to have a sip. Moments later, however, Lolita has more in front of her.

Although she doesn't know him, Carmen's assistant acts like she doesn't like Don.

Penny is not at all happy to see Don. She then grabs and pushes him off her porch, drawing the attention of two men who live with or work for her. They grab Don, with one holding him while the other punches him, knocking him out (we see Don's POV of the punch coming toward him).

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Penny is not at all happy to see Don. She then grabs and pushes him off her porch, drawing the attention of two men who live with or work for her. They grab Don, with one holding him while the other punches him, knocking him out (we see Don's POV of the punch coming toward him).

GUNS/WEAPONS

None.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "No f*cking way," "So what the f*ck do you want?" "F*ck you," "Grab that f*cker," "What the hell's your f*cking problem?" "Just to f*ck with you?" "Man, you're f*cked up," "Fatherly sounding bullsh*t," "How's the sweetest grape on the vine?" (said to a woman), "Knock yourself out," "You're insane," "We're such heifers," "Mister fancy pants," "Young hippie chick," "I am a stalker in a Taurus" and "Shut up."

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

A song has a lyric about "I want you baby...I want you to want me."

PROFANITY

At least 9 "f" words, 1 "s" word, 1 crap, 1 damn, 1 hell, 3 uses of "Oh my God" and 1 use of "G-damn."

SEX/NUDITY

We see some minor cleavage in a movie on TV.

Sherry claims that Don has received another letter from one of his girlfriends, states that she can't be with an over-the-hill Don Juan, and that she feels like his mistress, although he's not married.

Don receives an unsigned letter with no return address and a faded postmark from a woman who indicates she had his son twenty years ago when they were lovers.

We see what looks like a breast (although it could be anything) in an abstract art painting.

Winston insists that Don find out "which of those women you impregnated with your semen" twenty years ago.

The camera POV tilts up a woman's shapely legs at an airport (she's seated).

Lolita (a teen) answers the door in a short robe and then lets Don (a stranger to her) enter her house while waiting for her mom to arrive. Moments later, she walks out completely nude in front of him to answer the phone (we see everything from both the front and rear), leaving him rather shocked. Our views of her are not long, but they are full and we see several shots of her that way.

Laura shows some cleavage.

We see part of Laura's exposed bra in her low-cut dress with one of its straps down off her shoulder.

In the morning, we see Laura asleep and partially on top of Don in her bed. We see her bare back and part of the side of her bare breast and previous sex is implied.

As Don leaves, Lolita comes outside to say good-bye in just her small panties and bra. After Laura makes her go inside, we see her standing in the window the same way.

When Don is asked if he has any kids, he states he's still a bachelor. Ron then jokes, however, that one or two (presumably meaning sperm) could have gotten away.

We see a flashback to Lolita appearing nude in front of Don and see her full rear nude view as she walks away from him.

While seated at her desk, Carmen's assistant shows a lot of bare thigh and we see Don's POV of that.

Carmen shows a little cleavage.

We see a brief flashback to Lolita standing in the window in her small bra and panties.

Don spots a stranger kid who appears to be the right age to possibly be his son. When the teen looks cautious, Don states that he's not gay or a cop.

SMOKING

Penny smokes once.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

We see a cremation urn next to family photos in Laura's place and we later hear that Laura's race car driver husband died in a car racing crash.

Dora doesn't seem happy in her sterile looking life.

Carmen admits that she was married and that her 16-year-old daughter is in Sweden (but no other details are learned).

Don occasionally stares at boys who could be the right age to be his son and wonders if they're him.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

Don receives an unsigned letter with no return address and a faded postmark from a woman who indicates she had his son twenty years ago when they were lovers.

Don spots a stranger kid who appears to be the right age to possibly be his son. When the teen looks cautious, Don states that he's not gay or a cop.

The comment that the past is gone, the future isn't here yet, and thus all there is, is this.

How past actions can come back to haunt people.

How people change over time and react to people from their past.

VIOLENCE

We see two women briefly struggling in an old movie on TV.

Penny is not at all happy to see Don. She then grabs and pushes him off her porch, drawing the attention of two men who live with or work for her. They grab Don, with one holding him while the other punches him, knocking him out (we see Don's POV of the punch coming toward him). He wakes up the next day with a swollen black eye and some blood on his face and shirt

Reviewed June 30, 2005 / Posted August 5, 2005

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