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| � positive elements: Ciara and Timothay are caring towards each other and try to defend and help each other when they are kidnapped. Jonathan buys food and coffee for a homeless man. We learn that he comforted his sister after their father�s death despite their mother�s coldness. Patrick, learning Crys� identity, tries to repair what wrongs he did to her family in the past. He asks forgiveness for crimes he comimtted. Crys tries to make ammends with her torn family. Jonathan is a charity lawyer who works with street people. We learn that Patrick took his brother in when blinded by an accident. Characters risk their own safety for the protection of others. � spiritual content: A terrorist mockingly tells Crys he thought the "American God" took care of the fear of death long ago. Various characters thank God for the safe delivery of loved ones. A CIA agent mutters that there is no God (his partner disagrees with him); Patrick decides there must be no God in heaven. � sexual content: Men and women kiss on various occasions. Jonathon makes a joke about inscest. It is implied that Crys was very promiscuous in her teen years. Tomas has a son outside of marriage. Patrick looks at pictures of Tomas� girlfriends in various states of undress. A seventeen-year-old girl is nearly raped in a disturbing flashback. Ciara kisses Patrick in a flashback with violent results. One of the Cup and Saucer employees is seen reading romance novels with scantily clothed bodies on the cover. Michael invites Crys to come with him on a two-week vacation to Mexico and makes a joke about half-naked white tourists and flamenco dancers. � violent content: Much. Guns are constantly worn, waved, and occasionally shot off. In a flashback, Patrick's knee is vividly shot and he limps through the entire film as a result. Later, he is ruthlessly and repeatedly shot by a CIA agent after information. A man tells Crys how he was tortured by having his fingertips cut off (later she is shown guesome pictures of his bloody fingers). The Gang's victims are often transported taped into large cardboard boxes. Crys is hit in the head rather nastily with a car door. An old man is tortured to death graphically. Patrick is a heavily scarred man; previous wounds are often visible. In two subsequent flashbacks, we see a man assumed dead in a car accident; a young girl is shot, her mother tortured and both placed into a car which is then burned. In another flashback, Patrick shoots his own partner, already dying of a gunshot wound. Two people are knocked unconscious with phone receivers. � crude or profane language: In his first few minutes of screen time, it seems that Timothay can say nothing besides "Bastard" and "Son of a b�ch." One F-word, repeated s-words, and eight crude references to urination mar the dialogue of this film. No profane useages of God�s name; some characters say "God knows" and "Thank God." Patrick (apparently raised in the Irish Catholic faith) invokes the names of saints and Mary and Joseph. � drug and alcohol content: It is revealed that Crys was an alcahol-obsessed teenager; Patrick is shown drinking alchahol often and resorts to it to soothe him when he is upset or troubled. Wine is drunk at dinner; Levi Goldheim and Bianca Morgan both smoke. � other negative elements: The romaticization of the Anglo-Irish war and terrorism may cause problems for some viewers. � conclusion: Based on the novel "Santa Monica" by Megan Johnson and Kristine Cook, this combination romance and action movie has elements that would bring any woman to swooning over the romance while not boring her date to death. The storyline is interesting, the actors excellent, and the dialogue quick and witty. It would be a mild and good entertaining fare to relax to with the family if not for the disapointing language, graphic violence, and approving nod to drinking. |
| helping parents and youth leaders guide teens |
| through the world of popular youth culture |
| Santa Monica |
| � rated PG-13 � distributed by DreamWorks Pictures � directed by Megan Johnson and Kristine Cook � starring Hugh Jackman as Patrick Flemming and Reese Witherspoon as Crystianne Morgan |
| Crystianne Morgan is the owner of a popular coffee shop in Santa Monica, learning how to survive through a rough family life, a bumpy dating ride, and the typical troubles of running a buisness. Patrick Flemming is a member of an extremist Irish terrorist group running from his past. He has come to Santa Monica in search of a young woman named Ciara Donnovan, hoping to kidnap her and her brother, Timothay in an effort at exacting personal revenge and capturing their father for the gang leader's purposes. He counted on Crys for information; what he didn't count on was falling for her. From their first meeting, it is clear she feels something for him, attracted by his defined good looks, crisp English accent, and charming ways. It takes a little while for the feelings to become mutual, but when they do, this cold-hearted killer snaps. Unable to complete his mission because he might hurt her, he falls into disfavor with his boss, the ruthless Dormouse, and, distracted by Crys, gets sloppy enough for a determined CIA man to capture him. Finally, with deception and betrayal heaped on top of each other, both Patrick and Crys are captured and taken to Ireland, to an old brick house known as "Wonderland" where stunning revalations come about and Crys must make her ultamite choice about Patrick Flemming and the world she has gotten mixed up in. |