The Bachelor

  • Review Date: July 9, 2003
  • PG-13
  • Genre: Comedy
  • 2001
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Unbelievable plot and stale stereotypes.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that in general, this film portrays women as marriage-hungry robbers of men's freedom, and men are portrayed as commitment-fearing wild animals who enjoy drifting from one woman to another. Parents may want to discuss these stereotypes with their teens.

  • In general, women are portrayed as marriage-hungry robbers of men's freedom, and men are portrayed as commitment-fearing wild animals who enjoy drifting from one woman to another. Some sex-related humor.
  • Not applicable.
  • Jimmie's grandfather tells Jimmie to procreate quickly because marriages sour over time. One ex-girlfriend remembers how they "screwed a couple times." Female genitals are compared to flowers. Anne's parents are quite affectionate with one another. When she discovers she won't be marrying Jimmie, one bride candidate proclaims "Thank God I'm bisexual."

What's the story?

In THE BACHELOR, grandson Jimmie (Chris O'Donnell) learns that he's inherited millions from his grandfather. But he won't get the money unless he is married before he turns 30 years old, which is just a day away. His girlfriend (Renee Zellweger) doesn't want to rush things, and every other girl he asks turns him down. So, Jimmie's pal places an ad in the newspaper, and the response is overwhelming.


Is it any good?

 

Thanks to the comedic talents of the actors, The Bachelor is humorous and entertaining, at first. Unfortunately, the jokes become cliché, and the plot becomes a bit unbelievable. It's admirable that Jimmie decides not to tell his true love about the inheritance when he proposes to her. He even lets her leave the country, accepting the fact that he'll forgo the money if she won't marry him. But when he learns that marriage is necessary to save the family company, it seems that he'd then focus his efforts on traveling to Greece to pursue his true love. Would he really consider marrying and having kids with someone he doesn't love when he could possibly marry the woman of his dreams?

Viewers willing to overlook the movie's far-fetched circumstances may still enjoy the acting of performers such as Chris O'Donnell, Renee Zellweger, Peter Ustinov, Edward Asner, Hal Holbrook, James Cromwell, Artie Lange, and Brooke Shields, who manage to entertain despite a weak script. The movie has its share of hilarious moments, and true romance eventually outweighs bachelor cynicism.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the lack of realism in comedies like this one. Why do you think many comedies are based on things that would never really happen?


This review was written by Kate Pluta

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This review was written by Kate Pluta
Studio:New Line
Director:Gary Sinyor
Cast:Chris O'Donnell, Ed Asner, Renee Zellweger
Genre:Comedy
Run time:101 minutes
Theatrical release date:December 26, 2001
DVD release date:December 26, 2001
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:language

This review was written by Kate Pluta
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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