Mr. Deeds (PG-13)

Pretty awful, but teen Sandler fans may like it.

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Common Sense rates it
2
Seen the movie? Review it
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Movie details
  • Studio: Columbia Tristar
  • Directed By: Steve Brill
  • Cast: Winona Ryder, Adam Sandler, John Turturro
  • Running Time: 91 minutes
  • Release Date: 06/28/2002
  • Video/DVD Release Date: 10/22/2002
  • Genre: Comedy
  • MPAA Rating: PG-13
  • MPAA Explanation: vulgar humor and language

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie has extremely vulgar humor and strong language for a PG-13.

Families can talk about what they would do if they inherited $40 billion, how childhood dreams turn into adult realities, and how the media covers celebrities.

Message

Social Behavior:

All major characters are white

Consumerism:

Movie stops for Wendy's ad

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Character gets very drunk

Violence

Comic violence, character frozen to death, a lot of punching

Sex

Vulgar references, a few chaste kisses

Language

Crude language

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Nell Minow

MR. DEEDS is a remake of the Depression era movie classic starring Gary Cooper (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town). As in the original, the main character is a small-town guy named Longfellow Deeds (Adam Sandler) who writes poems for greeting cards and is kind to his neighbors. Deeds unexpectedly inherits a fortune. So, he goes to the big city, where an unscrupulous reporter named Babe (Winona Ryder) pretends to be a damsel in distress to get close enough to him so that she can write stories about what an idiot he is.

Is it any good?

2
This remake removes all of the wit and warmth (and the point) of the original and substitutes jokes about getting hit on the head, getting hit in the genitals, snapping off the arm of a frozen dead body, getting stabbed in the foot, physical deformity, and getting hit in the throat.

Sandler's "I'm just a sweet guy who likes dumb jokes" routine is getting tired, and apparently so is he. He looks puffy and uninterested in many of the scenes and oddly uncomfortable when called upon to kiss his leading lady. Ryder is far classier than the material, as are supporting stalwarts John Turturro, Conchatta Farrell, and Steve Buscemi. The other supporting actors range from bland to incompetent, including an obviously uncomfortable John McEnroe.

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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 12 reviews.

4


Posted on 11/25/08 by moviesearcher Kid contributor, age 15

I laughed My BUTT OF/some iffy stuff though

Hahahaa...... this movie will make u pee ur pants but it has some problems with laguageS**t,D**m,.....and also two middle fingers. But other wise it is tottally clean...............
4


Posted on 07/26/08 by themoviefinder Kid contributor, age 13

This made me rolfl

i recomend it to everybody who wants a good laugh
4


Posted on 06/09/08 by caleb.landis Adult contributor

Not Bad

I am an Adam Sandler fan. I think that this movie shows what can happen when we judge people before we actually know anything about them. The language is pretty bad and there is a lot of drinking but I like the message.
4

Posted on 06/08/07 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 12

I disagree...

i saw this movie a few days ago and i thought it was hilarious and a pretty good movie. i was very surprised when i saw this review because i really didnt think it was that inappropreate. overall i really liked it.
3


Posted on 06/05/07 by BlockHead Kid contributor, age 14

OK, moviemogul (2.0) formerly known as moviemogul - you suck!

First of all what kind of a name is that?! What did moviemogul die or something so you decided to make a new one? GET A LIFE!!! This movie is good, but not great. Not the best of the Sandler movies - but its not bad. I give it a 3. But if you want to see it i won't discourage you.
4


Posted on 07/28/06 by suitelife Kid contributor, age 12
0


Posted on 06/20/06 by moviemogul 2.0; also fomerly moviemogul Kid contributor, age 15

I'm sorry, but Forknose, you have no taste.

Absolutely terrible movie, that contunes to show that Adam Sandler does not know when to stop making "movies" (only because that's what he insists on calling them). "Classic"? "Great actor"? There couldn't be any words that least described this movie other than those. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIS MOVIE OR ANY OTHER SANDLER MOVIE FOR THAT MATTER! (escept The Wedding Singer and Punch Drunk Love, which are probably only good because they were the first two movies Sandler was in.)
4


Posted on 06/01/06 by WhatdoIthink? Adult contributor

this is a funny, funny movie, one ofSandler's best and most appropriate. Nothing TOO questionable, but watch it with teens and up.
4


Posted on 03/19/06 by movie_mad_dad Adult contributor

Great family comedy

I have kids ranging from 8-15, and it’s REALLY hard to find a movie we can all watch, and want to watch. This was one. While the Pixar movies are all good examples of younger aged movies that my teenagers will happily watch and the parents enjoy heartily as well, there simply aren’t that many well done G rated features out there. So we often end up trying to find PG and even PG-13 movies that work for the range of kids we have. We gambled on Adam Sandler, and it worked as a family film night selection—hard to do. It’s a sweet, slightly melodramatic and very slap sticky affair; cats get thrown out of a 5th story window, bounce off the rescue mat, and land in a cake, a guy’s afro, etc. The only potentially objectionable things are the periodic use of s@#$ or bulls@#$, and a couple of scenes where Sandler’s character pummels a bad guy. The latter are so funny, it’s hard (for me anyway) to call them objectionable, even for an 8 year old. The very occasional profanity was the only part of the movie I wish our youngest could have skipped.
5

Posted on 04/13/05 by Anonymous Adult contributor

It has a great mesage

See all 12 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 4 reviews.

4


Posted on 06/09/08 by caleb.landis Adult contributor

Not Bad

I am an Adam Sandler fan. I think that this movie shows what can happen when we judge people before we actually know anything about them. The language is pretty bad and there is a lot of drinking but I like the message.
4


Posted on 06/01/06 by WhatdoIthink? Adult contributor

this is a funny, funny movie, one ofSandler's best and most appropriate. Nothing TOO questionable, but watch it with teens and up.
4


Posted on 03/19/06 by movie_mad_dad Adult contributor

Great family comedy

I have kids ranging from 8-15, and it’s REALLY hard to find a movie we can all watch, and want to watch. This was one. While the Pixar movies are all good examples of younger aged movies that my teenagers will happily watch and the parents enjoy heartily as well, there simply aren’t that many well done G rated features out there. So we often end up trying to find PG and even PG-13 movies that work for the range of kids we have. We gambled on Adam Sandler, and it worked as a family film night selection—hard to do. It’s a sweet, slightly melodramatic and very slap sticky affair; cats get thrown out of a 5th story window, bounce off the rescue mat, and land in a cake, a guy’s afro, etc. The only potentially objectionable things are the periodic use of s@#$ or bulls@#$, and a couple of scenes where Sandler’s character pummels a bad guy. The latter are so funny, it’s hard (for me anyway) to call them objectionable, even for an 8 year old. The very occasional profanity was the only part of the movie I wish our youngest could have skipped.
5

Posted on 04/13/05 by Anonymous Adult contributor

It has a great mesage

Kids Reviews

There are 8 reviews.

4


Posted on 11/25/08 by moviesearcher Kid contributor, age 15

I laughed My BUTT OF/some iffy stuff though

Hahahaa...... this movie will make u pee ur pants but it has some problems with laguageS**t,D**m,.....and also two middle fingers. But other wise it is tottally clean...............
4


Posted on 07/26/08 by themoviefinder Kid contributor, age 13

This made me rolfl

i recomend it to everybody who wants a good laugh
4

Posted on 06/08/07 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 12

I disagree...

i saw this movie a few days ago and i thought it was hilarious and a pretty good movie. i was very surprised when i saw this review because i really didnt think it was that inappropreate. overall i really liked it.
3


Posted on 06/05/07 by BlockHead Kid contributor, age 14

OK, moviemogul (2.0) formerly known as moviemogul - you suck!

First of all what kind of a name is that?! What did moviemogul die or something so you decided to make a new one? GET A LIFE!!! This movie is good, but not great. Not the best of the Sandler movies - but its not bad. I give it a 3. But if you want to see it i won't discourage you.
4


Posted on 07/28/06 by suitelife Kid contributor, age 12
0


Posted on 06/20/06 by moviemogul 2.0; also fomerly moviemogul Kid contributor, age 15

I'm sorry, but Forknose, you have no taste.

Absolutely terrible movie, that contunes to show that Adam Sandler does not know when to stop making "movies" (only because that's what he insists on calling them). "Classic"? "Great actor"? There couldn't be any words that least described this movie other than those. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIS MOVIE OR ANY OTHER SANDLER MOVIE FOR THAT MATTER! (escept The Wedding Singer and Punch Drunk Love, which are probably only good because they were the first two movies Sandler was in.)
5


Posted on 01/13/04 by Forknose Kid contributor, age 15

Another Classic

Adam Sandler is the greatest actor ever. He makes another great movie this time around and he can't do anything wrong. This movie is classic. I hope that Adam Sandler always stays like this.
3

Posted on 07/31/03 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 14
See all 8 kids reviews >
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