Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there's very little to worry about in this earnest romantic comedy. The characters are all well-intentioned, and even when they behave badly, it's only because they're human, not because they want to hurt anyone (this is made very clear). Teens who know star Jay Baruchel from Judd Apatow's Knocked Up may be surprised that there's no foul-mouthed guy humor here. Instead, it has themes about finding yourself and making authentic choices. Some drinking, but only by those of legal age, and one heavy make-out session.
Families can talk about expectations and how they're set. How does a young person decide who he or she becomes? Do parents wield the most influence? What about neighbors and friends? Also, what role does the media play in creating and setting expectations? In TV shows and movies, does it seem like there's one fork in the road leading to a specific choice that determines what happens in the future? Is that how it is in real life?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: S. Jhoanna Robledo
There's a lot to like about I'M REED FISH: the adorable romance that develops when you least expect it, the movie's appealing vintage look, the sweetly eccentric supporting cast, the small flashes of cinematic brilliance. Unfortunately, all these likeable parts don't add up to a loveable whole.
But first: Who is Reed Fish? For starters, he's the movie's screenwriter. He's also the titular hero (Jay Baruchel), a gangly twentysomething guy who's so dutiful, nice, and dependable that even his future father-in-law calls him a "good boy." To Kate (Alexis Bledel), he's a loving fiancé. And to everyone else in the tiny town of Mud Meadows, Reed Fish is his father's son, which means that since his dad (and mom, too, actually) is long gone, it's up to him to step into the role of town chronicler as the voice of its radio station (which is broadcast from Reed's garage) and host of its public-access cable show.
But ask Reed Fish who he is, and he won't be able to answer. He's so busy fulfilling everyone else's expectations that he doesn't know himself. Until an old high school crush, Jill (Schuyler Fisk), stops in one summer and forces him to find out, that is ...
And so, in the tradition of Garden State, this quirky comedy unfolds, complete with oddball twists and turns. There's also a film-within-a-film -- and a corresponding character-playing-another-character conceit -- that pops up in the middle. But unlike Zach Braff's hit, Reed Fish is lethargic, lacking the jauntiness that typically energizes indie rom-coms. (A running joke about a "zorse"-- a horse crossed with a zebra -- falls, as even Kate points out, completely flat.) It's as if the real-life Fish and director Zackary Adler went to the store, gathered the ingredients for a feast of a film, cooked it all up, and completely forgot to season it. Maybe they shouldn't have doctored it up with so much quirk in the first place.
Adler does draw decent performances from his cast, including Baruchel and Bledel (and DJ Qualls as a love-strong martial arts fanatic is hilarious.) But it's Fisk who stands out -- she's so natural and refreshing (with a great singing voice, too!) in the role of Jill that when Fish starts to make choices that are far removed from the life script already written for him, it's not only understandable, but applause worthy -- if only a little bit.
Older fans who want to dig into another man's soul- and soulmate-searching may prefer the aforementioned Garden State, as well as High Fidelity, and Rushmore. For a better tween-friendly romantic comedy that still has a bit of quirk, try While You Were Sleeping.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentAn engaged couple paw each other and make out (sex later is implied). Another pair kisses nearly every time they're onscreen together (quick pecks and some long smooches, but nothing in close-up). An engaged man flirts with a woman who's not his fiancée; later, he kisses her and she eagerly reciprocates. |
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ViolenceTwo men brawl clumsily, shoving each other, rolling around on the floor, and even removing one shoe each as if to swat at each other. One character talks about "hurting" another through martial arts, but nothing happens; the same person also breaks a board with a punch (it's a deliberate stunt, so no one gets hurt). Two women scream at each other briefly over a man's affections. |
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Language"Hell" is about as bad as it gets. In fact, it's so clean there's even a joke about the word "frig" (as in "frigging") being too colorful for a character who's somewhat uptight. |
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Social BehaviorReed, who's engaged, kisses a woman who's not his fiancée; guy friends jokingly threaten each other with bodily harm; in one incident, two male friends get in a prolonged fistfight (though no one draws blood). |
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CommercialismLittle to speak of except for vintage products (like rotary phones and mics, which are prominently placed in the radio station). |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoBeer and hard liquor are served at bars and restaurants and champagne appears at a wedding, where Fish has a little too much; Fish and his future father-in-law smoke "Cubans." |
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