Catch and Release

  • Review Date: May 7, 2007
  • PG-13
  • Genre: Comedy
  • 2007
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Mostly forgettable romantic comedy for teens+.
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

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this isn't your typical romantic comedy. After the main character's fiancé dies on the eve of her wedding day, she discovers that her husband-to-be hid the facts that he was a millionaire and had fathered a child with another woman. Out of grief, the characters act recklessly and have casual sex, overeat to the point of gluttony, and frequently get drunk. Tweens might initially want to see this because of Jennifer Garner's popular comedy 13 Going on 30, but this "chick flick" features very mature themes like death, infidelity, and deceit.

  • Characters learn to look past their preconceived notions of each other.
  • A woman slaps a man twice out of anger; he responds by forcibly holding her hands against a wall. They then kiss.
  • At his close friend's funeral reception, a man has sex with the caterer in the bathroom. Two main characters share a passionate kiss and have sex several times, but it's never more explicit than the standard shot of the man's bare chest and the woman's naked shoulders under the sheets. A woman gives a man a comical full-body massage, and it's implied that she touches his genitals before immediately apologizing and stopping. A child born as the result of an affair is a central part of the storyline.
  • Occasional use of strong language, including "s--t," "bulls--t," "s--tcan," and other mild obscenities: "damn," "ass," "assface," "jackass."
  • Sam works at the herbal-tea company Celestial Seasonings, and the brand's logo is prominently displayed on T-shirts, mugs, and around the company's offices. He also frequently quotes the famous adages printed on the tea boxes. Gray drives a Subaru Outback wagon in several scenes. A 3-year-old has a Happy Meal.
  • The grief-stricken characters self-medicate with alcohol -- Scotch, wine, beer, vodka, you name it. One character takes prescribed drugs to sleep and later gets drunk at a bar and wakes up with a severe hangover. Another character drinks to excess on several occasions and ends up hospitalized after mixing vodka and sedatives. One character smokes a joint after having sex.

What's the story?

Jennifer Garner stars as Gray, a woman whose fiancé, Grady, dies on his bachelor-party fishing trip, so she spends what would've been her wedding day attending his funeral. After the funeral, Gray moves in with her beloved's odd-couple roommates -- responsible business partner Dennis and slacker Celestial Seasonings employee Sam (Kevin Smith). Complicating the new "three's company" balance is Fritz (Timothy Olyphant), Grady's womanizing high-school friend.Gray can't figure out why Fritz, a Hollywood director, is still hanging around their Boulder, Colo., bungalow until she finds out that Grady had never revealed a couple of important details about his life: He was a millionaire, and he was sending monthly payments to a woman and her son -- his son. When Grady's New-Agey baby mama (Juliette Lewis) and son show up wondering where their check is, the story comes even further apart.


Is it any good?

 

Even Alias devotees who adore Jennifer Garner will be disappointed by this unimpressive dramedy. At least Juliette Lewis and Kevin Smith are amusing as, respectively, an airheadish massage therapist who studies Chinese medicine and a robe-wearing, fast-talking layabout who likes to quote sayings printed on herbal-tea boxes. But a few funny lines can't save this romantic comedy from being utterly forgettable.


Explore, discuss, enjoy

Families can talk about the many ways that people keep secrets. What would have happened if Grady hadn't died? In what ways are all the characters different than they first seem? After the funeral, how do Grady's best friends help support Gray? What are some examples of the characters acting selflessly? How is this movie similar to and different from other romantic comedies? What elements do most romantic comedies have in common?


This review of Catch and Release was written by
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
what an upset
this movie was nothing like previews said its deffinetly not a movie I or anyone should be recomending dont waste ur money on iit!

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
A must see for everyone who likes movies
This movie, while shallow when it comes to the sex scenes, has a moral value and just an overall amazing plot. Jennifer Garner is simply phenomenal. A lot of big issues come up like drug use and sex and death, and the film handles them almost perfectly. I give this film three thumbs up

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Kid, 12 years old
April 9, 2008
 
WE HAD TO WALK OUT THE THEATER

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Kid, 11 years old
April 9, 2008
 
it Makes the watcher want to live in a fantasy world

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Teen, 15 years old
April 9, 2008
 
everyone sucked
except kevin smith and her other friend

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Rather boring, unnecessary content
I was rather expecting your typical chick-flick, something reminiscent of 13 Going on 30. I was surprised in the sadness and adult content in the film. Both my roommate and I kept saying things like "That should not be happening" and "Was that really necessary?" The love scene was NOT necessary to get across the point of the action and the direction the story was heading in. The plot was slow and rather predictable. Had it not been for the two sidekick comedic relief characters, the movie would not have been that interesting. The ending left both my roommate and I feeling a bit disappointed, though happy for some of the characters. Be careful and know your audience when watching the movie.

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Teen, 14 years old
April 9, 2008
 
not very good
this movie was really sad. There is some adult material but a kid over 10 would be ok if they are used to adult material. I would not recomend this movie to you is you injoy happy movies. You would injoy it if you like getting DEPERESST ! ! ! !

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Teen, 14 years old
April 9, 2008
 
You will enjoy this if you have a passion for pointless movies
I have seen some dumb movies in my lifetime but this one gets the prize. It had no plot and no moral value or romance. It is too boring/depressing/immature for teens and adults and way innappropriate for kids. they have one scene where a woman acts/does something really horeish to another man right in front of her little boy

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Nadda
BOO Only good stuff was with Kevin Smith.

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This review of Catch and Release was written by
Studio:Columbia Tristar
Director:Susannah Grant
Cast:Jennifer Garner, Kevin Smith, Timothy Olyphant
Genre:Comedy
Run time:111 minutes
Theatrical release date:January 25, 2007
DVD release date:May 8, 2007
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:sexual content, language and some drug use.

This review of Catch and Release was written by
 

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