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The Accidental Husband (PG-13, 2009)

common sense media says

Sweet, teen-friendly rom-com borders on the cliched.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this by-the-book romantic comedy is entertaining enough, and may offer laughs to teens who adore the genre. The sexual situations are very mild for the PG-13 rating, the language is only occasionally spicy, and a character gets very drunk in a bar scene.

Positive messages: Uma Thurman’s character dispenses sage advice about marriage -- for example, roughly 43 percent of nuptials end in divorce, so it’s important to pick the right partner -- but, as is typical in rom-coms, the movie’s premise contradicts this somewhat.
Positive role models: The film’s central romantic setup begins with a lie, but everything that follows comes from the heart. Everyone just wants to find happiness, but the film, like many others like it, tends to generalize love.
Violence: Two men exchange sharp words over a girl.
Sex: A passionate embrace (kissing, groping) in an elevator, while security watches via camera; a woman takes her top off in front of a guy (she’s wearing a camisole underneath). A quick soft-focus moment showing a couple in bed.
Language: From “ass” to “crap” to “bulls--t,” and one instance of “f--k.”
Consumerism: One character totes a plastic bag with the logo for the pharmacy, Duane Reade, clearly visible. At a bar, name brands and logos for beer, including Heineken and Bass, are displayed.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Friends, old and new, down shots at a bar, and one of them gets very drunk.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on The Accidental Husband

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about true love, or as the film likes to put it, “real love.” Is there such a thing? Do people only have one soulmate?
  • What about Emma’s advice? Does the film subvert what she’s espousing in the movie? How?
  • What about the genre itself: Do romantic comedies do love a disservice? If yes, how?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Dr. Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman) has the inside scoop on relationships, and she’s become famous for the zinging opinions she shares on the subject as a Manhattan-based radio talk show host. She has no patience for those who pine for Prince Charming, and she believes women shouldn’t settle for second best. She ought to know; her fiance (Colin Firth) is the perfect specimen. When an avid listener dumps her boyfriend, Patrick (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), after taking Lloyd’s longtime compatibility test and finds her relationship wanting, he’s hungry for revenge. His plan: To get a friend to hack into city records so it shows he’s listed as Lloyd’s husband, a mess she’ll have to undo so she can walk down the aisle. But doing so will complicate things quite a bit.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Two people from very different walks of life fall in love under the oddest of circumstances. They start out attached to other people, but end up together. So what else is new? THE ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND is enjoyable enough; some twists -- there’s one setup that unfolds at a book party -- are actually hilarious. On the whole, however, it’s so indistinct how could it possibly offend? There’s even the requisite, albeit brief, singalong. (Since My Best Friend’s Wedding, what rom-com doesn’t have this?)

Thurman tries valiantly to keep the audience from realizing the material’s formulaic, and her efforts, for the most part, pay off. Morgan and Firth are quite game, too. The cinematography, crisp and pretty and visiting less-known NYC locales like Astoria, helps. But overacting from some of the supporting characters dilutes an already watery stew, except for Isabella Rossellini, Brooke Adams, and still-suave Sam Shepard in surprising and delightful supporting turns.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Sony Pictures
Director: Griffin Dunne
Cast: Colin Firth, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Uma Thurman
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 91 minutes
Theatrical release: November 10, 2009
DVD release: November 10, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: some sexual content and brief strong language.
This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
 
 

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wwechampion
kid, 11 years old
12
 
The Accidental Husband
Rated PG-13 For Some Sexual Content And Brief Strong Language
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helped me decide (7) | had useful details (7) | read my mind (6)
MovieLover4Lyfe
adult
13
 
This looks so cute! I can't wait to see it!
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Totally500
teen, 15 years old
13
 
a accedinal film
A fine film with lots of surprise moments and laughter that is accendinal
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helped me decide (3) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (3)

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