Management (R, 2009)

common sense media says

So-so romcom about unlikely couple isn't too racy for teens.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this indie romcom probably won't have much appeal for kids, even many teens. A note of melancholy runs through it, and its themes -- romantic and professional boredom -- are fairly mature, though the film does have interesting things to say about finding your bliss and creating a path for yourself. Swearing (including "f--k") is the main reason for the R rating; there's also a little bit of drinking, one character smokes (though he quits for love), and two people who barely know each other have an intimate interaction that later balloons into a relationship.

Positive messages: A man confronts his aimless existence after a relationship implodes and his mother dies. He pretty much stalks a woman, but somehow this comes off as charming and she falls for him -- though they have to jump through a number of hoops before they end up together. Along the way, they wind up learning quite a lot about themselves and each other.
Violence: A woman's boyfriend threatens another man with physical harm after he hits him. Earlier in the movie, he shoots the same man with a BB gun.
Sex: A woman allows a virtual stranger to fondle her behind for no apparent reason; later, they have sex in the laundry room. But there's no outright nudity -- mostly kissing and groping.
Language: Includes several uses of "f--k" (which is the main reason for the R rating). Other words run the gamut and include "butt," "damn," and more.
Consumerism: Some name-dropping of a yogurt brand.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Some social drinking; a man romances a woman by appearing at her door with a free bottle of wine. A man smokes but gives it up because the girl he likes is vehemently opposed to it.

More on Management

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

Families can talk about what the movie ultimately says about passion -- romantic or otherwise. Why is it important to be passionate about something? Does Sue and Mike's relationship seem believable? Why does it hit so many road bumps? Why does Sue figuratively push Mike away when she clearly likes him? How is the movie similar to and different from other romantic comedies?

What's the story?

What's the story?
On paper, Sue (Jennifer Aniston) and Mike (Steve Zahn) have no business playing at love. She sells kitschy artwork to hotels and lives in Baltimore; he's the goofy, purposeless son helping his parents out at their small-town Arizona motel. But a layover plunks Sue onto Mike's turf, and though he borders on creepy, his insistent charm works on her. An unlikely long-distance relationship ensues, but when Sue moves to Seattle to be with her punk-rocker-turned-yogurt-mogul boyfriend (Woody Harrelson), Mike follows her, intent on convincing her that she is, in fact, his meant-to-be. But Sue's not so easy to persuade, and there are bigger considerations to take into account. ...

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

There are winning oddball movies, and then there are ones that are just plain odd. MANAGEMENT is more of the latter. Its loopy plot and characters scream "sleeper indie hit," but it doesn't gel. The story -- how opposites attract, even repel, but find their way back to each other again ... with a little bit of stalking -- requires a coupling that we can root for, and this simply isn't it. Though Aniston and Zahn hit all the correct comedic beats, they don't have much romantic chemistry; they'd be better off playing siblings in another movie.

The bigger sin, thought, is that Management suffers from kooky-itis. It strains so hard to be offbeat that it becomes off-putting. Fine acting isn't enough to make a masterpiece out of this muddle.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
Director: Stephen Belber
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn, Woody Harrelson
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 93 minutes
Theatrical release: May 15, 2009
DVD release: September 29, 2009
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: language

This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
 
 

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
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