"GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST"
(2009) (Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner) (PG-13)

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

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QUICK TAKE:

Romantic Comedy: While attending his brother's wedding, a confirmed bachelor and habitual womanizer ends up haunted by ghosts determined to show him the error of his ways.

PLOT:

Fashion photographer Connor Mead (MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY) is at the top of his game. While his assistant, Melanie (NOUREEN DeWULF), handles his scheduling and business affairs, he usually ends up bedding his lingerie models, following the advice of his late Uncle Wayne (MICHAEL DOUGLAS) in terms of getting women in bed but never committing to any of them.

Accordingly, he really isn't in favor of his younger brother, Paul (BRECKIN MEYER), marrying Sandra (LACEY CHABERT), but agrees to be the best man at their wedding. Besides, it allows him to see the various bridesmaids, all but one of which he's previously bedded. That includes Jenny Perotti (JENNIFER GARNER), a physician and the only woman who nearly got him by the heart after knowing each other since they were kids.

She isn't crazy to see Connor, which also holds true for Sandra's father, Sergeant Volkom (ROBERT FORSTER), a Korean War vet who will be officiating at the ceremony. But that also means his sexy ex-wife, Vondra (ANNE ARCHER), will be in attendance, much to the delight of Connor.

He's less thrilled, however, and actually quite shocked, to have an encounter with Uncle Wayne who informs him that he'll be visited by three other ghosts -- from Connor's past, present and future -- who will show him the error of his womanizing ways. Connor thinks his uncle is an alcohol-fueled hallucination until he finds Allison Vandermeersh (EMMA STONE) in his bed. She's the teenager to whom he lost his virginity, and she takes him on a tour of his past behavior, while Mel does the same for his present, and another Ghost (OLGA MALIOUK) does the future bit.

As he contends with that, he must also deal with his resurrected feelings for Jenny who wants little to do with him, especially considering the presence of the handsome and debonair Brad (DANIEL SUNJATA) who's been flown in by the bride for Jenny's enjoyment.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

If they're into romantic comedies, are fans of anyone in the cast, and/or like stories related to Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," they might be interested.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13

For sexual content throughout, some language and a drug reference.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY plays a professional fashion photographer and habitual womanizer who lives by his late uncle's life philosophy of bedding many women but never falling for any of them. He fools around with various women, drinks, uses some profanity and must not only contend with the ghostly visits, but also his resurrected feelings for Jenny.

JENNIFER GARNER plays a doctor and Sandra's bridesmaid who isn't happy to see Connor at the wedding (due to a past sexual encounter that he intended as only casual when she wanted more), but tries to be civil.

MICHAEL DOUGLAS plays Connor's late uncle and famed womanizer who's seen both as a ghost and in flashback as such a player. He drinks in various scenes and tutors his nephew about becoming a womanizer.

BRECKIN MEYER plays Connor's younger brother who's getting married and has Connor as his best man, but begins to question that choice as the story unfolds. It's later revealed that he slept with one of Sandra's friends when they first stated dating.

LACEY CHABERT plays his cleavage-revealing fiancée who becomes progressively more uptight and high-strung as her wedding approaches.

ROBERT FORSTER plays her father, a Korean War vet who's going to officiate at the wedding ceremony.

ANNE ARCHER plays his sexy ex-wife who appreciates Connor's mindset about sex, but says they can't do anything due to their pending familial connection via the wedding. She drinks some.

EMMA STONE plays the ghost who shows Connor his past, including when he lost his virginity to her as teens.

NOUREEN DeWULF plays Connor's assistant who puts up with his behavior, serves as the story's second ghost showing the repercussions of his current acts, and admits to a one-time lesbian fling in the past.

DANIEL SUNJATA plays a handsome and debonair man at the wedding who the bride and her friends want to fix up with Jenny.

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 romantic comedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of a partial use of an "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. All sorts of sexually related dialogue is present as are scenes of fooling around, with off-screen sex occurring on several occasions. Women are seen in revealing attire, while varying amounts of cleavage (sometimes a lot) are also present.

There's some striking of others as well as a few bits of slapstick style material, drinking occurs in various scenes (one character has a lot in one, while a boy drinks with his uncle in a flashback), and some drug-related comments are made. There's a little bit of crude humor, while various bad attitudes are present. Some behavior might be enticing for some kids to imitate, while brief bits of tense family material occur.

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 some camera movement from time to time in the film.

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

We see Connor doing a fashion shoot with several female models, one of which holds a martini for the shot.

Sandra and her bridesmaid have shots as well as champagne. We then see Connor taking two drinks at the rehearsal dinner, and then several more.

Uncle Wayne mentions a pile of "blow" (cocaine) the size of a toaster in his past.

Uncle Wayne has a drink.

Connor orders a drink.

People have drinks, beer and such after the rehearsal dinner.

In a flashback, Uncle Wayne takes young Connor to a bar and orders whiskey for both of them, with young Connor nearly coughing his out after his first sip.

We see a flashback to a high school party where students drink what might be alcohol.

We see another flashback where young adult Connor and others drink.

Connor orders two Dirty Martinis.

In a montage, young adult Connor and young adult Jenny have wine.

Allison tells Connor she'll buy him a drink, and we then see miscellaneous drinking in a bar.

Connor blames a nightmare on alcohol, but then rummages for some to calm him. He eventually finds and opens champagne, briefly drinking straight from the bottle.

When she hears Brad spent some time in Colombia, Jenny jokingly asks if that was as a drug mule.

Connor asks another bridesmaid if she's the one who slept with Paul. She says no, but another says it was her, and then adds that she'll need to get plastered and settle downward for some wedding sex.

Connor drinks champagne from the bottle.

Various wedding party members drink.

We see a flashback to Mel serving martinis to some of Connor's past lovers, telling them to have two and then they won't feel their faces.

Uncle Wayne holds a drink.

Connor carries a drink.

People have drinks and champagne at a wedding reception.

Uncle Wayne tells the ghost of the future, "Let's get naked," but she throws her drink in his face. He and Allison then have drinks.

BLOOD/GORE

We see Uncle Wayne standing at a urinal and hear the related sound.

Doing his wedding reception speech about true love, Sergeant Volkom talks of his time in the Korean War where he held another soldier's bloody guts in his hands, adding that they were warm, squishy and mushy before pushing them back in (none of which is seen, just described -- as humor on the part of the film).

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Connor, who is a habitual womanizer and doesn't care, breaks up with three women "in bulk" on a conference call with them.

Meeting Brad, Connor mockingly says he must be the wedding sex brought in for Jenny, while Brad asks if Connor is the same for everybody else.

About seeing himself as a kid in the past telling young Jenny that he'll keep her picture forever, adult Connor states, "He always said fruity stuff like that."

Uncle Wayne comments on something being "sissy talk."

In a flashback, Uncle Wayne instructs young Connor (after buying him liquor) that one should give a woman two compliments above the neck, but then insult her and let her know the guy wants to play (meaning sex).

About a pickup line young Connor suggests in a flashback, Uncle Wayne replies, "I might as well say I'm a fag."

Young adult Jenny comments on the way young adult Connor is dressed, jokingly saying, "You look like a gay pirate."

Various wedding party members gossip about Connor and that Brad was flown in as a fine slice of wedding beefcake for Jenny.

When Brad mentions he once worked as a pastry chef (meaning he can help Jenny repair a damaged wedding cake), Connor can't believe it and says, "C'mon, this guy is gay."

We see a flashback to Mel serving martinis to some of Connor's past lovers, and she tells them, "Don't be sad, you whiny bitches."

About Sandra as the uptight bride-to-be, Connor says she's been acting like a mental patient for the past 12 hours.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Although "ghosts" are present, none of them are remotely portrayed as scary or unsettling.

GUNS/WEAPONS

Sergeant Volkom uses little plastic army men to arrange the wedding seating arrangement, with a joke about one with a grenade launcher.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "Eat sh*t," "Tell him to go screw himself...you know, like a man and woman," "Never touch a man when he's hanging a wire" (urinating), "I don't like to cross swords" (penises), "That dude used to get boners in the gym shower," "The stabbin' wagon," "What does a girl have to do to get laid at this wedding?" "I've banged worse," "Fine slice of wedding beefcake," "Women love to be screwed...not screwed over," "You made your bed, now you have to bang whatever crawls into it," "You can be a real sarcastic pr*ck sometimes," "Sorry for going to second base with your mother," "Slutty friend of yours," "Man-whore," "How is your d*ck-tation?" "Damn right," "I'll be damned" (followed by "It's probably true"), "Bitch," "Dude," "How you got your head so far up your own ass," "What the hell is going on?" "He always said fruity stuff like that," "Dames," "Broad," "I might as well say I'm a fag," "You're damn right," "You look like a gay pirate," "You stupid bitch" (said to a man), "She's freaking out," "Shut your face," "You're totally gay," "Screwed up," "Don't be sad you whiny bitches," "Shut up," "Been acting like a mental patient for the past 12 hours," "Oh, hell no," "You moron" and "I'll be G*damned."

Some teens might want to copy the womanizing behavior.

A model has a tattoo on the small of her back as well as a pierced navel.

As part of a photo shoot, Connor has an archer shoot an apple off a nervous model's head.

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

A song repeats the lyrics, "Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight."

PROFANITY

At least 1 partial use of the "f" word (in the term "MILF"), 1 "s" word, 13 slang terms for sex (including "shag," "hooked up," "forking," "hit that," "laid," "banged," "stabbin,'" "do" and "screwed"), 6 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck," "pr*ck," "Johnson," "wire" and "swords"), 4 asses (2 used with "hole," while 2 uses of "tail" are also present), 7 hells, 5 damns, 4 craps, 10 uses of "Oh my God," 5 of "Oh God," 4 of "God" and 1 use each of "G-damn," "My God" and "Oh Jesus."

SEX/NUDITY

We see Connor doing a fashion shoot with several female models in skimpy/revealing lingerie (showing lots of skin and cleavage). When he's done with them, we see two more in just small/sexy bras and panties (similarly exposed skin). Mel asks if she should book them, he says yes, she asks separately or together, and he replies "Yes." We then see Connor preparing his next model who he strips down to her bra and panties. After that's done, we then see her back in her short dress (showing lots of cleavage and leg), on top of Connor kissing him (he's also clothed), but Mel interrupts them for business and after that's done, he undoes the front of the model's dress (revealing her bra and cleavage again), and sex is implied.

A classic statue shows bare breasts.

Connor comments that he's slept with all but one of the bridesmaids.

Sandra shows cleavage (sometimes a lot) in various outfits, while the various bridesmaids also show varying amounts of cleavage in their outfits.

Jenny warns Connor that if he ruins Sandra's wedding, she'll sneak into his room and cut off his favorite appendage. He replies that he likes the first part of that.

Connor comments on Uncle Wayne's "mind-numbing, clothing optional orgies" he held in the past.

Jenny comments on Connor's tactics to get women to sleep with him, including his use of cheap sexual innuendo.

On the phone, Connor tells someone to tell someone else to "go screw himself," clarifying that by adding, "Like a man and woman."

Connor mentions various things he wishes he could believe in, including the stripper with a heart of gold.

We see Uncle Wayne standing at a urinal and hear the related sound. When Connor can't believe his eyes (since Uncle Wayne is dead), he reaches out to touch him to see if he's real, but Uncle Wayne tells him, "Never touch a man when he's hanging a wire."

Uncle Wayne comments that he chased some "tail" in his past.

We see a close-up of Vondra's cleavage (showing Connor's point of view), and since he thinks she might be a ghost, he gropes her breasts, stating they feel so real. She says they are, but jokes about usually being offered a drink first. They then start chatting, with him asking when casual sex become a crime, adding that every night he swims in a lake of sex. They then talk about "spooning," with her saying it's nice, but he replies not as much as "forking." He then adds that he bets she knows her way around a bedroom, but nothing happens since they'll be loosely related by marriage.

Connor asks a bridesmaid her position on casual sex, and she blurts out "on top" while taken aback by his bluntness. He then asks if she's the one who slept with his brother, adding that he doesn't like to cross "swords."

About Connor's ways of easily seducing women, a male bartender asks him if that works on men.

Meeting Brad, Connor mockingly says he must be the wedding sex brought in for Jenny, while Brad asks if Connor is the same for everybody else.

After Connor states he has a woman waiting upstairs for him, Jenny mockingly states "to be partially satisfied." Connor then goes up to that bedroom and is pleased to see movement under the sheets, but is shocked when that turns out to be Allison (fully clothed), the first girl (at age 16) to whom he lost his virginity long ago.

Connor ends up viewing himself back in middle school where young Jenny's girlfriends tell her that another boy wants to dance with her. They then excitedly state that means making out and thus tongue. In response, Connor states (but can't be heard by them) that the boy used to get "boners" in the gym shower. Connor then tells the younger version of himself (who can't hear him) that the latter "didn't want to hit that anyway."

In a flashback, young Connor says something's bothering him, with Uncle Wayne jokingly asking if that means a girl is pregnant and makes other sexually related comments.

Connor comments that Uncle Wayne invented the term "MILF" ("Mom I'd Like to F*ck"), and that his vehicle was known as the "stabbin' wagon" (we later see the license plates that read something close to that).

A song repeats the lyrics, "Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight."

In a flashback, Uncle Wayne comments about young Connor "chasing tail," and then talks more about sex, including having it with a stranger in a public bathroom, and uses the slang term "Johnson" for a penis. He then instructs young Connor that one should give a woman two compliments above the neck, but then insult her and let her know the guy wants to play (meaning sex).

In a flashback, a woman slaps Uncle Wayne for something he says to her (we don't hear it). Another woman (showing lots of cleavage) then comes over and suggestively states that just because that other woman isn't into that, doesn't mean she (the second woman) isn't.

We see a flashback to a high school party where Allison pushes teenage Connor down out of the camera view after the two kiss against a wall. This is viewed by adult Connor and Allison as a ghost, with the latter commenting on that being Connor's first time (for sex) and that it didn't last long. We then see teen Allison walk out and happily state they're done.

We see miscellaneous cleavage.

In a flashback, young adult Jenny asks young adult Connor if he's going to try to get her in the sack now, and he playfully says yes. She then makes up a story that she's still with a guy from middle school and (what sounded like) that she allows him to cup her bottom in her dress. Connor then asks Jenny about a little dinner and a little sex, and when she playfully objects, he amends that to just sex. She then comments on not wanting a one-night thing.

In a montage, young adult Connor and young adult Jenny make out. We next see them in bed, under the covers, right after finishing having sex. He says it was amazing, with her jokingly replying she can't imagine why as they've only had twenty years of foreplay. Connor then gets up to leave (we see him shirtless), but Jenny informs him that there are women you "shag" and leave and those you "shag" and snuggle with, adding she's the latter. He then does just that, but when she wakes up the next morning (presumably nude under the covers), he's gone.

In an imagined scene, Allison takes Connor to a bar filled with all of the women he's slept with. We then hear brief details, with several saying he slept with their sisters, others mentioning sex on planes, and others involving cars (sex in them, on them, having sex as she washed his car), and such.

About Connor, a young woman states she almost "hooked up" with him.

Connor asks another bridesmaid if she's the one who slept with Paul. She says no, but another says it was her, and then adds that she'll need to get plastered and settle downward for some wedding sex.

Connor sees movement under his sheets and flees, thinking it's Allison, but it's one of the bridesmaids who then asks (to herself), "What does a girl have to do to get laid at this wedding?"

Connor tells Mel, "You're totally gay," with her saying she's not, but there was that one time in college, adding that she went to Barnard (an all-girls school).

About Connor previously coming on to her, Vondra states, "I've banged worse." Others gossip that Brad was flown in as a fine slice of wedding beefcake for Jenny, while one woman states (about Connor), "I still want to do him," and another sexual term is used.

Uncle Wayne tells Connor that women love to be "screwed" but not "screwed over." It then starts raining, with Uncle Wayne saying they are tears from all of Connor's lovers, followed by falling tissues. He then mentions condoms and Connor dives for cover inside a car while we hear them hitting the vehicle, but don't see any of them.

Sandra is upset with Paul upon hearing that he had sex with one of her friends when they (Sandra and Paul) first stated dating. That results in her calling off the wedding.

Uncle Wayne tells Connor the latter made his bed and now has to bang whatever crawls into it.

We see more classic statues that show bare breasts.

Connor apologizes to Sandra for going to "second base" with her mom (referring to the above groping scene). Trying to convince her to forgive Paul for sleeping with one of her friends back when they first started dating, Connor reminds Sandra that Paul slept with a "slutty" friend of hers.

A woman refers to Connor as a "man whore" with duties (meaning sex) to the women there.

We see miscellaneous cleavage.

Connor and Jenny passionately kiss.

Uncle Wayne tells the ghost of the future, "Let's get naked," but she throws her drink in his face. He then tries coming on to Allison, asking how her dictation is, reiterating the word "d*ck-tation," asking if she gets that. She then reminds him that she's just 16, with him saying it doesn't matter as they're ghosts.

We see some of the bridesmaids adjusting their clothed breasts (in dresses that show cleavage).

SMOKING

None.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

Vondra states she's been divorced from Sergeant Volkom for 8 years.

We hear that Connor's trip into his past was the summer before his parents died in a car accident. We then briefly see the funeral scene, and later hear that Connor raised Paul.

Sandra is upset with Paul upon hearing that he had sex with one of her friends when they (Sandra and Paul) first stated dating. That results in her calling off the wedding.

After Connor ends up ruining his marriage, Paul tells his brother that he never should have invited him and no longer wants him there.

Connor is shown a future view of Paul as a very old man, being the only one (besides the minister) at his brother's funeral. Connor is then pushed into his own grave, with various women then shoveling dirt onto him.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

Connor being a chronic womanizer who states that he doesn't believe in marriage or love.

Casual sex.

The notion that whoever cares the least has the most power in a relationship.

VIOLENCE

To prove she's a real ghost, Allison playfully pushes Connor backwards and then instantly shifts to below his legs, thus sending him falling backwards over her to the floor.

In a flashback, a woman slaps Uncle Wayne for something he says to her (we don't hear it).

Waking from a nightmare, Connor rolls out of his bed and lands hard on the floor.

Connor ends up accidentally destroying the wedding cake.

Serving as the ghost of the present, Mel slams Connor's head to a steering wheel. Later, she punches him in the face to transport him to another scene.

Connor is shown a future view of Jenny marrying Brad, and he tries to dive into them to stop the ceremony, but passes through and lands hard on the floor.

Connor drives his uncle's car through a closed garage door, then through the woods, and then jumps out before it crashes. To talk to Sandra and convince her to forgive Paul, Connor then punches Sergeant Volkom in the face, knocking him out.

Reviewed April 28, 2009 / Posted May 1, 2009

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