 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Blow
- Review Date: June 25, 2003
- R
- Genre: Drama
- 2003
Common Sense Media says
Uneven drug trade story has explicit drug use.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that young George watches his parents fight about money. His relationship with his mother remains difficult throughout the movie; she turns him in to the police and disowns him. His first girlfriend dies of cancer. George is heartbroken at the loss of his own daughter after he's sent to prison. Drug abuse leads George to a near-fatal collapse. Like Traffic, the movie's premise is that the drug trade is impossible to stop because of America's demand for drugs. Regular use of strong profanity. The movie is set at a time when cocaine use was widespread and held in some circles to be socially acceptable. Brief casual nudity in a poolside scene. Sexual excess of the disco era is alluded to but not seen. In one scene, George is brutally beaten by gunmen working for his former partner.
What's the story?
BLOW explores a time in recent history when changing social norms seemed to offer a tidal wave of commercial opportunity for someone inclined to take advantage of the situation. As played by Johnny Depp, George is less a villain than a young go-getter at the wrong time and place. He finds it easy to ignore the evils of a trade that offers him enormous amounts of money, a chance to exercise his wits, and a constant adrenaline rush from making up the rules as he goes along. In the funniest scene, George condescendingly tells a federal judge that he doesn't feel that what he did--importing and selling marijuana in the early 1970s--was a crime, quoting Bob Dylan to bolster his case. (You can see on the judge's face that she's adding months to his sentence with every word he says.)
Is it any good?
Borrowing more than a bit from GoodFellas and Boogie Nights, Blow works better as a character study than as a history of America's obsession with drugs, a subject on which the script presumes viewers will already have some perspective.
Depp is excellent as usual, and there are some very moving scenes near the end of the movie with George's father (Ray Liotta) and his own young daughter, who turns her back on him. Parents will need to fill in the blanks and discuss with their teens the larger cultural issues associated with the importing of cocaine and marijuana.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the larger cultural issues associated with the importing of cocaine and marijuana.
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- Teens & kids
Teen, 15 years old
November 1, 2010
AGE
Good for teens!
Wow. What a great movie! It really got me interested in learning more about George Jung. I'm 15, just seeing it for the first time. It was such a great movie. It was very informative and I think most teenagers would enjoy this one! One of my favorites for sure. Also, once again, Johnny Depp does not disappoint!
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Great Movie!
I first watched this movie when i was 13. I fell in love! This is a great movie, that shows what drugs can do to a person and the people that care about them. I think that anyone and everyone should see this movie. It makes you laugh and it makes you cry. Wonderful movie!
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Kid, 12 years old
February 21, 2012
AGE
Watch it :)
Blow is a brilliant film for anyone mature enough to know to not take drugs. The reason I put Positive messages is because:
*Spoiler Warning*
George does go to jail in the end of the film and his wife divorces him. He can't see his daughter either. all because of drugs.
*End*
The film is very good and excellent for any Johnny Depp or Penelope Cruz fan who is mature enough to see it.
What other families should know:
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Parent of 6 year old
September 16, 2012
AGE
blow
Parents will need to fill in the blanks and discuss with their teens the larger cultural issues associated with the importing of cocaine and marijuana. Families can talk about the larger cultural issues associated with the importing of cocaine and marijuana.
What other families should know:
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Adult
November 10, 2012
AGE
Excellent true story...
True story about George Jung (Johnny Depp) and his experience with selling cocaine. Georges' wish had always been to have money and to never be poor. He grew up in a poor family with fighting parents and a mother he's never really been close to. After experimenting with selling marijuana, it wasn't enough for George, he wanted more! While getting busted the first time and going to jail, he meets his inmate, who convinces George the fortune he could make selling Blow (Cocaine). Together, they make it happen. After losing his girlfriend to cancer and meeting another woman (Penelope Cruz) he marries her and has a beautiful little girl Christina (Emma Roberts) who is later taken from him when he & his wife divorce. George loses a lot in his life and the story is extremely sad. He is a very decent, kind man who loves to share and help others. He is not a bad spirited person! The film will have you in tears toward the end. Lots of violence shown (mainly beatings, also the slapping of a woman). Strong language including lots of "f" words. Some sexual content (innuendo, flirting, kissing, women in bikinis). Graphic drug use & discussions, plants & substances shown. A++ film with a positive message.
What other families should know:
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| Studio: | New Line |
| Director: | Ted Demme |
| Cast: | Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ray Liotta |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 119 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 4, 2003 |
| DVD release date: | February 4, 2003 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | pervasive drug content and language, some violence and sexuality |
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