SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: MARGOT AT THE WEDDING

"MARGOT AT THE WEDDING"
(2007) (Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh) (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
Moderate	Minor	None	None	Extreme

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

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: A woman visits her sister for her upcoming wedding, but both must deal with their various personal and interpersonal issues with each other as well as those around them.

PLOT:

Margot (NICOLE KIDMAN) is a writer who's traveling with her teenage son, Claude (ZANE PAIS), to attend her sister's wedding. Despite a past falling out, Margot tries to put on a happy face and positive spin on this visit, despite thinking that unemployed and self-centered musician Malcolm (JACK BLACK) is all wrong for Pauline (JENNIFER JASON LEIGH).

She's a teacher and single mom to Ingrid (FLORA CROSS), and while she similarly blames her various personal problems on her and Margot's father, she thinks this marriage will make things right. That's unlike Margot who's having an affair with her screenwriting partner, Dick Koosman (CIARAN HINDS). He lives near Pauline with his teenage daughter Maisy (HALLEY FEIFFER), whose youthful looks have drawn Malcolm's attention.

As the big day nears, the sisters must deal with their various personal and interpersonal issues with each other as well as those in their lives.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Unless they're fans of someone in the cast, it doesn't seem too likely that many kids will be interested in it.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For sexual content and language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: NICOLE KIDMAN plays an unhappy and confused wife and mother who isn't pleased to see her sister or attend her wedding, but tries to act like she is. She uses strong profanity, is having an affair with Dick, smokes (maybe pot), drinks a lot of wine, and tries to be a good mother to Claude, but has a difficult time carrying through with that.
JENNIFER JASON LEIGH plays her sister, a single mom and teacher who similarly blames much of her personality and behavioral woes on their father. She hopes her pending marriage to Malcolm is the right decision, uses strong profanity, and drinks a little despite being pregnant by him.
JACK BLACK plays her unemployed, highly competitive, easy to erupt musician who only looks out for himself, but is planning to marry Pauline. He uses strong profanity, and reportedly cheated on Pauline with Maisy.
ZANE PAIS plays Margot's son who's going through that awkward kid to young man transition, a change not helped by having a neurotic mother. He briefly uses strong profanity.
FLORA CROSS plays Pauline's daughter who uses some profanity.
CIARAN HINDS plays a man who's working with Margot on a screenplay, but is also having an affair with her.
HALLEY FEIFFER plays his saucy teenage daughter, who uses some profanity and reportedly had a fling with Malcolm in the past.; JENNIFER JASON LEIGH plays her sister, a single mom and teacher who similarly blames much of her personality and behavioral woes on their father. She hopes her pending marriage to Malcolm is the right decision, uses strong profanity, and drinks a little despite being pregnant by him.
JACK BLACK plays her unemployed, highly competitive, easy to erupt musician who only looks out for himself, but is planning to marry Pauline. He uses strong profanity, and reportedly cheated on Pauline with Maisy.
ZANE PAIS plays Margot's son who's going through that awkward kid to young man transition, a change not helped by having a neurotic mother. He briefly uses strong profanity.
FLORA CROSS plays Pauline's daughter who uses some profanity.
CIARAN HINDS plays a man who's working with Margot on a screenplay, but is also having an affair with her.
HALLEY FEIFFER plays his saucy teenage daughter, who uses some profanity and reportedly had a fling with Malcolm in the past.; JACK BLACK plays her unemployed, highly competitive, easy to erupt musician who only looks out for himself, but is planning to marry Pauline. He uses strong profanity, and reportedly cheated on Pauline with Maisy.
ZANE PAIS plays Margot's son who's going through that awkward kid to young man transition, a change not helped by having a neurotic mother. He briefly uses strong profanity.
FLORA CROSS plays Pauline's daughter who uses some profanity.
CIARAN HINDS plays a man who's working with Margot on a screenplay, but is also having an affair with her.
HALLEY FEIFFER plays his saucy teenage daughter, who uses some profanity and reportedly had a fling with Malcolm in the past.; ZANE PAIS plays Margot's son who's going through that awkward kid to young man transition, a change not helped by having a neurotic mother. He briefly uses strong profanity.
FLORA CROSS plays Pauline's daughter who uses some profanity.
CIARAN HINDS plays a man who's working with Margot on a screenplay, but is also having an affair with her.
HALLEY FEIFFER plays his saucy teenage daughter, who uses some profanity and reportedly had a fling with Malcolm in the past.; FLORA CROSS plays Pauline's daughter who uses some profanity.
CIARAN HINDS plays a man who's working with Margot on a screenplay, but is also having an affair with her.
HALLEY FEIFFER plays his saucy teenage daughter, who uses some profanity and reportedly had a fling with Malcolm in the past.; CIARAN HINDS plays a man who's working with Margot on a screenplay, but is also having an affair with her.
HALLEY FEIFFER plays his saucy teenage daughter, who uses some profanity and reportedly had a fling with Malcolm in the past.; HALLEY FEIFFER plays his saucy teenage daughter, who uses some profanity and reportedly had a fling with Malcolm in the past.

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 38 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. All sorts of sexually related dialogue (much of it explicit) is present, while a woman is seen masturbating (no nudity), off-screen sex occurs (a woman is pregnant before marriage), and a man's bare butt is seen as are glimpses of a woman's bare breasts along with several sexually explicit drawings.

Violence includes some brief attacking of others (including child on child), while a boy who can't swim sinks to the bottom of a pool and must be rescued. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while some of the behavior on display might prove enticing to imitate. Characters drink and/or smoke, while pot use is suggested (and possibly seen) and some crude and scatological material is present.

The same holds true for tense family material, while some thematic elements are also present. 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, a great deal of camera movement (including varying degrees of bouncy handheld) occurs throughout the film.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Margot asks Pauline if she can have some white wine.
Pauline occasionally drinks despite being pregnant.
Pauline carries a beer, while Malcolm has one by him.
Various adults have wine with dinner.
About the way she's acting, Claude asks his mom if she's stoned, and she says maybe a little (meaning some of the smoking she does could be of pot).
Malcolm has a beer with a meal.
Margot has wine.
Margot has wine in another scene.
Margot has wine, with Pauline sharing some of that.
Margot snoops through Pauline's drawer, taking and pocketing some prescription medication. We later see her taking some of these or other pills in several scenes.
Margot has wine.
People have wine with a meal.
Margot has wine.
Margot and Pauline share a beer.

BLOOD/GORE: Malcolm uses the excuse of people peeing in pools as his reason for not wanting to go swimming at Dick's, and he says that Dick and Maisy do that.
Margot spies through the windows of the neighbors' house, seeing odd things, such as a couple (the man in his underwear) carrying what looks like a dead body wrapped in plastic. We then see that it's the gutted body of a full-size pig.
Malcolm suddenly mentions to the others that he finally tried sitting down to pee, asking Margot's husband if he has (he says he hasn't). Malcolm then mentions women doing that all of the time, but Margot says she doesn't in public restrooms, saying she squats and hovers.
Margot sees someone going through their trash. The next morning, Malcolm finds and picks up a severed pig's foot from that.
Malcolm has a slightly bloody lip after Dick punches him.
As Margot drives Malcolm's car, she realizes they don't have any brakes. She swerves a few times and then comes to a stop (everyone is okay). Pauline then goes off behind a tree, Claude asks if she pooped in her pants, and we then see Pauline removing her excrement filled panties (from a distance).

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Pauline occasionally drinks despite being pregnant.
Margot and Pauline mention something about what sounded like their sister Becky being raped in the past by a horse trainer, but they laugh about that, so we may have missed the context of the comment.
Margot is insistent that a male gay couple's child is autistic, which they say is not true.
About Malcolm, Margot says he isn't ugly, but is unattractive.
Pauline and Malcolm's neighbors are cantankerous and rude people.
Upset over a bad shot in croquet, Malcolm heaves the mallet a long way across the yard.
Claude spies on the neighbors through a fence.
Margot is upset with the neighbor woman for yanking her child by the arm. The woman gets belligerent about that and tells Margot, "Stay out of it, bitch."
Margot spies through the windows of the neighbors' house. A kid is then suddenly at that window, startling Margot.
Margot is very opinionated about others.
Ingrid and Claude talk about knowing anyone who's gay.
Malcolm says that since women were denied various rights for so long, they abuse the power of driving.
Margot snoops through Pauline's drawer, taking and pocketing some prescription medication.
Margot is upset when her husband gives her a gift of slippers. She says she already has some, and that such gift-giving makes her feel that he doesn't know her. She also expresses her disappointment that he's arrived there (as she didn't want him to), and that he makes her "feel like sh*t." She also states that she hates herself when she's with him, and that sometimes she finds him despicable.
Margot sees someone going through their trash. The next morning, Malcolm finds and picks up a severed pig's foot from that.
The neighbor boy menacingly approaches Claude and Ingrid, asking if they're "fruity." Claude tries to leave with Ingrid, but the boy tackles him, and then proceeds to bite him (we don't see the impact, but do see Claude's pained reaction and hear him screaming).
About someone, Claude tells Margot, "...and then you f*ck him." That prompts her to slap him on the face.
About a worker in her past, Margot says she thought the guy was "retarded" and thus she feared for her safety.
Margot is having an affair with Dick.
Pauline gets suspicious/jealous and asks Malcolm if he wants to "f*ck" Margot. He says he doesn't, and swears he hasn't cheated on her, but then starts crying and admits that he made out with Maisy (a teenager).
Pauline blames Margot on ruining yet another marriage of hers (the second was with Malcolm that nearly, but never occurred).

FRIGHTENING SCENES: On a dare from the others about her being able to do so as a kid, Margot climbs high into a large tree, nearly slips, and is then frozen in fear (with a firefighter having to rescue her -- played for laughs rather than suspense, but those afraid of heights might not like the scene).
Claude falls into the pool and sinks (not knowing how to swim), sees a dead rodent down at the bottom drain, and has to be rescued.
Margot spies through the windows of the neighbors' house, seeing odd things, such as a couple (the man in his underwear) carrying what looks like a dead body wrapped in plastic. We then see that it's the gutted body of a full-size pig.
Margot and her husband come across the neighbor woman by the side of a road at night, distraught about her dog having been hit. The husband then picks up the dog and they transport it to the veterinary hospital.
The neighbor boy menacingly approaches Claude and Ingrid, asking if they're "fruity." Claude tries to leave with Ingrid, but the boy tackles him, and then proceeds to bite him (we don't see the impact, but do see Claude's pained reaction and hear him screaming).
As Margot drives Malcolm's car, she realizes they don't have any brakes. She swerves a few times and then comes to a stop (everyone is okay).

GUNS/WEAPONS: None.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "F*ck it," "F*ck you," "I've got a f*cking bug in my ear," "Do you think your mom is f*ckable?" "What the f*ck?" "Why don't you f*cking drive yourselves home?" "It's so f*cking infuriating," "What a f*cking nut-job," "The whole f*cking thing," "She's such a f*cking idiot," "You're both f*cking morons," "F*cked up," "You're f*cking dead," "You f*cking sleaze-bag," "F*ck off, d*ck-head," "You're such a f*cking asshole," "Get out of my f*cking house," "I'll f*cking tear your bowels out," "They f*cked up the cake," "I don't give a sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "That makes me feel like sh*t," "You make me feel like sh*t," "Really sh*tty," "Watch it, d*ck-sac," "That man had a sexual screw loose," "My scrotum is longer than my penis," "You're always starring at her t*ts," "Stay out of it bitch," "(I think he was) Retarded," "Losers," "Oh, poo," "Are you a fruity?" "You're being a jerk" and "You're an asshole."
Claude goes into the closed-in area between train cars and repeatedly screams quite loudly.
Upset over a bad shot in croquet, Malcolm heaves the mallet a long way across the yard.
On a dare from the others about her being able to do so as a kid, Margot climbs high into a large tree, nearly slips, and is then frozen in fear (with a firefighter having to rescue her -- played for laughs rather than suspense).
Claude has tape over his lips and mouth for exaggerated effect.
Margot snoops through Pauline's drawer, taking and pocketing some prescription medication.
Pauline says that Margot tried to bake her (literally) as a child, but we don't know if that's true or just a joke.
Having learned that she fooled around with Malcolm, Pauline nearly kicks Maisy down some stairs (she raises her leg, but stops in mid motion when Maisy turns around - all played for comedy).
A graffiti-type drawing on the wall shows what looks like some sort of animal having standing sex with a human woman (we see genital contact). Earlier, we see Malcolm's sketch of rear entry intercourse, including a graphic view of genital contact.

JUMP SCENES: Margot spies through the windows of the neighbors' house. A kid is then suddenly at that window, startling Margot.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: At least 38 "f" words (10 used sexually, as is the term "do"), 12 "s" words, 3 slang term using male genitals ("d*ck"), 1 for breasts ("t*ts"), 5 asses (3 used with "hole"), 3 hells, 7 uses of "Jesus," 3 of "God," 2 each of "G-damn" and "Oh God" and 1 use of "Holy Jesus."

SEX/NUDITY: We hear that Pauline is pregnant (she's about to marry Malcolm).
Malcolm comments about someone, "That man had a sexual screw loose."
We see Malcolm's bare butt as he stands looking at himself in the mirror with his briefs partially pulled down. He comments on his scrotum being longer than his penis, while Pauline sits on the bed in pajamas with the top open, thus showing glimpses of her bare breasts. Malcolm then says, "Let's f*ck" and playfully gets on top of her on the bed.
We see Margot masturbating while lying face down on a bed. While we don't see any nudity, we see hand movement and hear her related sounds.
Pauline shows some cleavage while leaning over.
Claude spies on the neighbors through a fence and it appears that we see some female nudity as a woman lies down on a lounge chair with a man, but the view is brief and shaky, so it's hard to say what exactly is seen.
There's talk that Margot and Pauline's sister got her tubes tied, with Pauline saying she thought about that back when she was "f*cking" everyone. Margot said she did her share as well, with Pauline doubting that, and Margot wonders if she wants to compare numbers, but they don't. One of them then asks what it was about their dad that made them "f*ck" so many guys.
We see Malcolm's sketch of rear entry intercourse, including a graphic view of genital contact.
We see Maisy in a bikini top, and Malcolm stares at her.
We see Margot get out of the pool in a one-piece swimsuit that shows part of her bare butt.
Margot spies through the windows of the neighbors' house and sees a man in his underwear.
As Claude sees what looks like a condom in the toilet, Margot asks if he's interested in Maisy, saying that if they do anything, he should use a condom.
About Margot, Maisy asks Claude if he thinks his mom is "f*ckable," saying she'd "do her" if she were gay, and might anyway since she's "hot." That talk prompts young Ingrid to say she isn't going to "do" anyone.
Dick wants Margot to come home with him tonight, and then licks her neck while seated next to her.
Ingrid asks Claude if he's obsessed with Maisy, saying, "You're always starring at her t*ts."
We see Claude in his underwear and a T-shirt.
Margot snoops through Pauline's drawer, finding photos of Malcolm and Pauline in sexual situations.
After being angry about other matters, Malcolm suddenly tells Pauline, "Let's make love." Later, we see her walking, clothed, and wiping something off her legs.
Margot asks how she can be married to Jim and "f*ck" Dick. Pauline then talks about "f*cking" and being "f*ckable" at their age. She then adds that she (Pauline) lives a mile away "from the guy you're f*cking."
About someone, Claude tells Margot, "...and then you f*ck him." That prompts her to slap him on the face.
About Margot's writing, Dick mentions the sexual push-pull between some of the characters.
Pauline tells Malcolm that Margot should get out of her marriage and she can then "f*ck" whoever she wants. Malcolm says he doesn't like the thought of Dick "f*cking" Margot, with Pauline getting suspicious/jealous and asking Malcolm if he wants to "f*ck" Margot. He says he doesn't, and swears he hasn't cheated on her, but then starts crying and admits that he made out with Maisy (a teenager).
We see the shape of Margot's nipples under her shirt.
Pauline wears a T-shirt that reads, "I spent the night with Arsenio Hall."
A graffiti-type drawing on the wall shows what looks like some sort of animal having standing sex with a human woman (we see genital contact).
We see Malcolm in his briefs and a shirt.
Claude tells his mom that he masturbated the night before, and she tells him he doesn't need to tell her such things.

SMOKING: Margot and Malcolm each smoke several times (although some or all of Margot's could be pot).

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Claude comments on thinking Margot wasn't speaking to Pauline, but Margot says she got over that.
When Margot wonders if some guy Pauline dated was the one who roughed her up, Pauline says no, that that was their dad.
Margot is upset when her husband gives her a gift of slippers. She says she already has some, and that such gift-giving makes her feel that he doesn't know her. She also expresses her disappointment that he's arrived there (as she didn't want him to), and that he makes her "feel like sh*t." She also states that she hates herself when she's with him, and that sometimes she finds him despicable.
About someone, Claude tells Margot, "...and then you f*ck him." That prompts her to slap him on the face.
About Pauline, Margot tells Claude to "go with mom," but when he asks about that, she tells him to go with Pauline.
Pauline tells Claude not to be upset if his mom leaves his dad.
Pauline blames Margot on ruining yet another marriage of hers (the second was with Malcolm that nearly, but never occurred).
Margot sends Claude off to live with his father for a while, and Claude doesn't want to go. Margot then runs to catch the bus and boards it with her son.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Personal and familial dysfunction.
Claude goes into the closed-in area between train cars and repeatedly screams quite loudly.
Pauline occasionally drinks despite being pregnant.
Pauline states that Malcolm was molested by a man as a kid.
We briefly see a male gay couple who are raising a child.
Margot telling Claude not to use deodorant as it causes cancer (after Maisy tells him he should, as he stinks).
Affairs.

VIOLENCE: The neighbor boy menacingly approaches Claude and Ingrid, asking if they're "fruity." Claude tries to leave with Ingrid, but the boy tackles him, and then proceeds to bite him (we don't see the impact, but do see Claude's pained reaction and hear him screaming).
About someone, Claude tells Margot, "...and then you f*ck him." That prompts her to slap him on the face.
Having learned that Malcolm fooled around with his teenage daughter, Dick chases Malcolm down some steps and to the beach where he proceeds to kick him repeatedly and punch him once, slightly bloodying his lip.
Pauline yanks stuff off a table in anger/frustration.
A large, partially chain-sawed tree falls over and crushes a wedding tent, as well as the neighbors' fence (played for laughs).

Reviewed November 14, 2007 / Posted November 30, 2007

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