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Catch and Release

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 15; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    Mostly forgettable romantic comedy for teens+.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–15

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Characters learn to look past their preconceived notions of each other.
  • Violence:

    A woman slaps a man twice out of anger; he responds by forcibly holding her hands against a wall. They then kiss.
  • Sex:

    At his close friend's funeral reception, a man has sex with the caterer in the bathroom. Two main characters share a passionate kiss and have sex several times, but it's never more explicit than the standard shot of the man's bare chest and the woman's naked shoulders under the sheets. A woman gives a man a comical full-body massage, and it's implied that she touches his genitals before immediately apologizing and stopping. A child born as the result of an affair is a central part of the storyline.
  • Language:

    Occasional use of strong language, including "s--t," "bulls--t," "s--tcan," and other mild obscenities: "damn," "ass," "assface," "jackass."
  • Consumerism:

    Sam works at the herbal-tea company Celestial Seasonings, and the brand's logo is prominently displayed on T-shirts, mugs, and around the company's offices. He also frequently quotes the famous adages printed on the tea boxes. Gray drives a Subaru Outback wagon in several scenes. A 3-year-old has a Happy Meal.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    The grief-stricken characters self-medicate with alcohol -- Scotch, wine, beer, vodka, you name it. One character takes prescribed drugs to sleep and later gets drunk at a bar and wakes up with a severe hangover. Another character drinks to excess on several occasions and ends up hospitalized after mixing vodka and sedatives. One character smokes a joint after having sex.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Catch and Release was written by Sandie Angulo Chen

Parents need to know that this isn't your typical romantic comedy. After the main character's fiancé dies on the eve of her wedding day, she discovers that her husband-to-be hid the facts that he was a millionaire and had fathered a child with another woman. Out of grief, the characters act recklessly and have casual sex, overeat to the point of gluttony, and frequently get drunk. Tweens might initially want to see this because of Jennifer Garner's popular comedy 13 Going on 30, but this "chick flick" features very mature themes like death, infidelity, and deceit.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the many ways that people keep secrets. What would have happened if Grady hadn't died? In what ways are all the characters different than they first seem? After the funeral, how do Grady's best friends help support Gray? What are some examples of the characters acting selflessly? How is this movie similar to and different from other romantic comedies? What elements do most romantic comedies have in common?
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More on Catch and Release

What’s the Story?

Jennifer Garner stars as Gray, a woman whose fiancé, Grady, dies on his bachelor-party fishing trip, so she spends what would've been her wedding day attending his funeral. After the funeral, Gray moves in with her beloved's odd-couple roommates -- responsible business partner Dennis and slacker Celestial Seasonings employee Sam (Kevin Smith). Complicating the new "three's company" balance is Fritz (Timothy Olyphant), Grady's womanizing high-school friend.Gray can't figure out why Fritz, a Hollywood director, is still hanging around their Boulder, Colo., bungalow until she finds out that Grady had never revealed a couple of important details about his life: He was a millionaire, and he was sending monthly payments to a woman and her son -- his son. When Grady's New-Agey baby mama (Juliette Lewis) and son show up wondering where their check is, the story comes even further apart.

Is It Any Good?

Even Alias devotees who adore Jennifer Garner will be disappointed by this unimpressive dramedy. At least Juliette Lewis and Kevin Smith are amusing as, respectively, an airheadish massage therapist who studies Chinese medicine and a robe-wearing, fast-talking layabout who likes to quote sayings printed on herbal-tea boxes. But a few funny lines can't save this romantic comedy from being utterly forgettable.

Movie Details

Studio: Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Director: Susannah Grant
Run time: 111 minutes
Theatrical release: 01/25/2007, DVD release: 05/08/2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, language and some drug use.

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 3.0

    what an upset

    this movie was nothing like previews said its deffinetly not a movie I or anyone should be recomending dont waste ur money on iit!

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title off for age 0 and give it 2.0

    WE HAD TO WALK OUT THE THEATER

  3. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

    A must see for everyone who likes movies

    This movie, while shallow when it comes to the sex scenes, has a moral value and just an overall amazing plot. Jennifer Garner is simply phenomenal. A lot of big issues come up like drug use and sex and death, and the film handles them almost perfectly. I give this film three thumbs up

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title off for age 0 and give it 0.0

    it Makes the watcher want to live in a fantasy world

  5. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 2.0

    Rather boring, unnecessary content

    I was rather expecting your typical chick-flick, something reminiscent of 13 Going on 30. I was surprised in the sadness and adult content in the film. Both my roommate and I kept saying things like "That should not be happening" and "Was that really necessary?" The love scene was NOT necessary to get across the point of the action and the direction the story was heading in. The plot was slow and rather predictable. Had it not been for the two sidekick comedic relief characters, the movie would not have been that interesting. The ending left both my roommate and I feeling a bit disappointed, though happy for some of the characters. Be careful and know your audience when watching the movie.

  6. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in California
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 2.0

    everyone sucked

    except kevin smith and her other friend

  7. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 3.0

    not very good

    this movie was really sad. There is some adult material but a kid over 10 would be ok if they are used to adult material. I would not recomend this movie to you is you injoy happy movies. You would injoy it if you like getting DEPERESST ! ! ! !

  8. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Iowa
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 3.0

    Nadda

    BOO Only good stuff was with Kevin Smith.

  9. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 0.0

    You will enjoy this if you have a passion for pointless movies

    I have seen some dumb movies in my lifetime but this one gets the prize. It had no plot and no moral value or romance. It is too boring/depressing/immature for teens and adults and way innappropriate for kids. they have one scene where a woman acts/does something really horeish to another man right in front of her little boy

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