I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (PG-13, 2007)

common sense media says

Typical Sandler comedy overflows with stereotypes.

parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie was originally rated R and had to be resubmitted to earn its PG-13 rating. As with many Sandler movies, the jokes make fun of people -- in this case, mostly homosexuals and the obese. It's 90 percent lowbrow shenanigans and 10 percent heart, with an oversimplified message that discrimination is bad and tolerance is good. (Also good: best friends who would do anything for each other.) Expect raunchy setups (Sandler plays a womanizing, "hot" fireman who can apparently bed five women at once), tired stereotypes (the firefighters look horrified when they accidentally drop the soap in a butt-baring shower scene), and strong language ("s--t," "dick," etc.). Even if tweens and younger teens are Sandler fans, they may be too young to separate the juvenile jokes from the underlying do-good message.

Positive messages: Many, many gay and fat jokes. Before Chuck realizes firsthand how homosexuals are discriminated against, he's the first to say hateful words about homosexuality; later he changes his tune -- as do the rest of the firefighters. But there's no redeeming the movie's painful Asian stereotypes, which take the form of a Canadian wedding chapel owner (it's obviously Rob Schneider dressed as an East Asian man).

Violence: Chuck punches a protesting minister who calls him a "faggot."

Sex: Chuck is known as a womanizer; he has five lingerie-clad girlfriends spending the night. He makes twin sisters kiss each other (off screen -- viewers see the firefighters' reactions). A woman discusses how "freaky" she can get in bed. Firefighters' bare buttocks are visible in a fairly long shower scene. Many jokes about all the "hot gay sex" Chuck and Larry are having while they're pretending to be a couple. Chuck receives pornographic material (a blow-up doll, brown paper packages marked "explicit," Trojan XL condoms case, etc.) in the mail. A calendar shows hetero men in homosexual poses.

Language: Homosexual hate words like "faggot" and "fag" are used for the first half of the movie; later, a character explains why it's insensitive to use those words. Other curse words include "ass," "a--hole," "s--t," "bitch," "whore," "dick," "fatboy," etc.

Consumerism: Trojan condoms

Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Chuck shows an obviously stoned store employee the marijuana joint that started a fire; Chuck and another character drink wine; partygoers drink.

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What to talk about

Talk to your kids

Families can talk about the issues raised by the film -- particularly discrimination. Why do Chuck and Larry's firefighter friends start treating them differently once they're outed as a couple? What do Chuck and Larry learn about homophobia? Do the stereotypes in the movie (about gay people, overweight people, and Asians) detract from its intended message? Is it OK to use hate words in comedies? What would you have done differently if you were making this movie?

What's the story?

The setup of NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY is simple: pudgy firefighter Larry (Kevin James) is a widower whose New York City fire department benefits can no longer be changed to make his children his beneficiaries -- unless he remarries. Enter Chuck , a loud, offensive, womanizing firefighter. After Larry saves Chuck's life during a fire, Chuck tells Larry he owes him "anything" he wants. What Larry wants is a fake domestic partnership so the kids will be taken care of ... so, naturally, Chuck and Larry have to pretend to be gay life partners. At first, the charade is low-key -- a civil ceremony at a courthouse and a few weeks of Chuck's mail forwarded to Larry's address. But the pals have to really let their rainbow flags fly when the benefits department sends an intrusive auditor (Steve Buscemi) to find out whether they're trying to defraud the government. Enter gay-friendly defense attorney Alex (the lovely Jessica Biel), who believes her new clients, even though Chuck can't keep his bedroom eyes off of her. To kick up the facade a notch, the couple endures getting outed, literal "don't drop the soap" jokes in the firehouse shower, a ridiculous marriage ceremony in Canada, and their first taste of discrimination. All of a sudden, they realize how insensitive they've been in the past.

Is it any good?

Adam Sandler is a comedian who occasionally astonishes audiences with his range (Punch-Drunk Love) and sincerity (The Wedding Singer). But, for the most part, he makes his living playing and acting the crass fool and this "comedy" is not one of the exceptions in the Sandler filmography. Even the addition of lovable everyman Larry Valentine, the Chuck factor dominates the movie.

For of all the movie's borderline -- and outright -- offensive laughs, there's a well-intentioned message of tolerance, diversity, and so on. Under so many layers of tired humor, the tiny kernel of wisdom easily gets lost, and its message about tolerance apparently doesn't extend to the obese (who are cheaply made fun of in the majority of Sandler's movies) and East Asians, who will no doubt cringe at the horrifying sight of Rob Schneider -- one of the many Saturday Night Live vets to cameo -- playing the Asian wedding officiant. With his bowl cut, buck teeth, and thick glasses (not to mention the awful accent) Schneider is the worst caricature of an Asian man in nearly half a century. On the bright side, at least there's a hilarious moment when a hitherto scary Ving Rhames starts belting out a Diana Ross tune in the shower. That alone was worth one star.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details

Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Dennis Dugan
Cast: Adam Sandler, Jessica Biel, Kevin James
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 115 minutes
Theatrical release: July 19, 2007
DVD release: November 6, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: crude sexual content throughout, nudity, language and drug references.

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This review was written by Sandie Angulo Chen

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What parents & educators say

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AnimeGirl-Nikki
teen, 15 years old

Only for diehard Sandler fans

Well, it's Adam Sandler, so that ought to tell you something right off the bat. The movie's chock full of crude stereotypes and sex jokes. Once you get past all of that, however, the messages of the movie get through fairly clearly- acceptance, sticking together with friends and family, etc. If you're a Sandler fan, pick this up. If you don't mind some pretty lowbrow comedy, you might enjoy this. If you don't like watching homosexuals, fat people, or women portrayed in a stereotypical manner, then skip this flick.

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I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (PG-13, 2007)

common sense media says

parents & educators say

What parents need to know

More on I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

What's the story?

What's the story?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?

Movie themes & details

Movie Details

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Review It

Review I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

What parents & educators say

Most useful reviews by all members

Only for diehard Sandler fans

horrible

COMMON SENSE MEDIA NEEDS FIXING UP

Offensive Gay Pandering

Crazy Comedy is Funny

They're Gay... And So Is The Movie. :]

Disgusting garbage

I never knew Adam Sandler was a misogynist

Such a disappointment

Adults ONLY!!

OMG it had something disterbing

ummmmmmmm?

it was super funny, loved it

It would be okay or at least 11 year-olds

FUNNY!!

I love it!

Unwatchable except for Biel

holly cow, man did I laugh

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