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The Go-Getter (R, 2008)

common sense media says

Mature road-trip dramedy doesn't go anywhere new.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that even though this indie dramedy has a fairly good heart, it's full of iffy adult behavior like sex, theft, and drugs. The film begins with the main character stealing a car and proceeds to include plenty of talk about sex (including an interlude on the set of a porn film), strong language ("f--k" and many derivations thereof), drinking, smoking, and more. Teens who are into alternative music may be interested in the film since it marks the first collaboration of hipster musician M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel, who've since released an album together, but if they watch, be prepared to talk about the characters' conduct.

Positive messages: The lead character steals a car to embark on a road trip; a budding pornographer discusses his theories of art and sex.
Violence: Some scuffling and shoving; punches are thrown; a gun and a knife are brandished. A cowboy-themed dream sequence results in bloody wounds.
Sex: Kissing, underwear-clad making out, sheet-shielded sex, suggestive dancing, much discussion of a character's "first time." A female character relates how she's "shaved down there." A character stumbles into a pornographic film shoot, where there are discussions of sex and other acts, including anal intercourse.
Language: Language includes "f--k," "motherf--ker," ""f--k-ass," "s--t," "dick," "hell," "bitch," and more.
Consumerism: The only brand mentioned by name is K-Y Jelly (used to help elderly person remove rings stuck on fingers).
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Cigarette smoking; a character smokes marijuana; wine, beer and liquor are drunk; two character take Ecstasy; a character takes the prescriptions from his mother's dying bedside, although it's never stated what they are or what happens to them.
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More on The Go-Getter

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the ongoing appeal of road-trip stories. What do they tend to have in common? Is this one different? What other movies can you think of that deal with similar themes? Families can also discuss the characters' choices. Is Mercer's quest admirable, even though he has to steal a car to do it? Why doesn't Kate call the cops on him? Finally, how does the movie contrast the real American West with the stories, songs, and images we're familiar with?

What's the story?

What's the story?
In Eugene, Ore., smart, sad teen Mercer (Lou Taylor Pucci) impulsively steals a car and sets out on the open road looking for his roaming, troubled half-brother Arlen so to tell him of their mother's death. Mercer gets a phone call from the car's owner, Kate (Zooey Deschanel), who knows who he is; she says she won't call the cops, but asks Mercer to check in from the road. As Mercer drives through the West -- Oregon, Nevada, California, and Mexico -- in pursuit of Arlen, he builds a relationship with Kate via telephone as he encounters a variety of other interesting characters.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Road trips, minor crimes, major tragedies, big actors in small parts, sex and drugs and love set to an ace soundtrack -- THE GO-GETTER incorporates a lot of indie-film cliches. And while it's well-made enough, it doesn't really distinguish itself from the crowd, either. Pucci's Mercer seems curiously passive -- he's a reactive character, even as he actively seeks out his half-brother -- and Deschanel's Kate is another indie-film cliche, a plucky life-affirming sprite who puts up with the male lead's bad behavior solely because doing otherwise would end the film.

Directed and written by Martin Hynes,The Go-Getter is certainly well-made, with some nicely inventive and expressive shots and a few good lines. (Mercer, who's living with one of his teachers after his mother's death, explains to Kate how that's going: "I make them nervous. If you don't watch enough TV, you make people nervous.") At the same time, those moments don't add up to much of a whole. The Go-Getter feels, regrettably, more generic than inspired -- as if it was made out of parts from other, better, independent films that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. Even the substantial charms of Pucci and Deschanel can't make The Go-Getter feel unique or significantly different from the other independent films it resembles.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Peace Arch Films
Director: Martin Hynes
Cast: Jena Malone, Lou Taylor Pucci, Zooey Deschanel
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 93 minutes
Theatrical release: June 6, 2008
DVD release: October 20, 2008
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: language, some sexual content and drug use.
This review was written by James Rocchi
 
 

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Peppermint95
teen, 18 years old
15
 
Not suitable for anyone under 15.
This movie contains way too much sexual content for anyone under 14 to be watching. Although they do not show any 'parts' they show them in bed 'together'. The boy goes into an UNDERAGE porno shoot, where they talk about 'fuc-king. There are plenty of drugs. They do not show the concequences of taking the drugs. Violence is going on constantly throughout the film, as well as theft. The canadian rating is 14A. However the american rating is 18A. I strongly warn parents against allowing anyone under 15 to watch this film.
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