 | 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. |
Dutch
- Review Date: November 14, 2006
- PG-13
- Genre: Comedy
- 1991
Common Sense Media says
Coarse tale of family and Thanksgiving for teens.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie depicts an acrimonious divorce. Doyle is angry and is verbally abusive to his mother, which may give some kids bad ideas about how to treat their mom. Reed is a lying, philandering jerk who neglects his son, which may be difficult for some children of divorce to see. Generally, Doyle is treated poorly by both Reed and Dutch, but he comes to love Dutch because, presumably, Dutch keeps showing up, even if he's borderline abusive.
What's the story?
It's Thanksgiving weekend, and the wounds are still fresh from Natalie (JoBeth Williams) and Reed's (Christopher McDonald) divorce. Between the two is a pissed-off preteen, Doyle (Ethan Embry), who looks down on working-class people, bullies other students, and generally unleashes rage on the world. Enter Dutch (Ed O'Neill), a working-class guy who considers Doyle's tantrums "about as worrisome as a cloudy day." Dutch takes on the job of driving Doyle from his southern prep school to his mom's Chicago home. Along the way, the two "boys" get into some knock-down, drag-out fights; one car gets totaled; they get robbed by two prostitutes; and Doyle gets to see what it's like to be working class at a homeless shelter.
Is it any good?
DUTCH is an argument for the strong male role model in a boy's life -- even if that role model is a swearing, cigar-smoking parental figure who turns borderline abusive as a kind of reverse psychology. The trouble with this movie is that it's trying to be both a family-values film and a teen version of A Christmas Carol. Doyle learns to respect people who have less money than he does, but the whose-is-bigger posturing between a grown man (Dutch) and a young boy (Doyle) is ridiculous. And the only women in the film are ditsy waitresses, prostitutes, and a completely ineffectual mother.
In fact, the most interesting part of the film is how Natalie's helplessness is a prerequisite for Doyle to play the big, strong man. If Natalie would just stand up to her son and tell him to can the insults, Dutch wouldn't need to be the knight in shining armor. Unwittingly, Dutch teaches teens a little something about gender roles and how you can't have one without the other.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the appropriate way for parents to treat children. Is Dutch's approach better than Reed's? How about how Natalie acts? Does the movie reflect a realistic situation? Especially for children of divorce, this movie can be a springboard to talk about how they feel their parents treat them now.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
Educator and Parent of 2 and 5 year old
October 22, 2011
AGE
Don't let the official review dissuade you...
In addition to the divorce issues, the bigger story in this movie is a boy's understanding of people without a class bias. Sure, there is some crude behavior/language as they sink into lower classes, but it is only typical John Hughes stuff. I think a typical middle school student would enjoy this movie.
What other families should know:
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| Studio: | Anchor Bay Entertainment |
| Director: | Peter Faiman |
| Cast: | Christopher McDonald, Ed O'Neill, JoBeth Williams |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 108 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 14, 1991 |
| DVD release date: | March 22, 2005 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | some language, comic violence and adult themes. |
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