Say It Isn't So

  • Review Date: May 7, 2003
  • R
  • Genre: Comedy
  • 2001
 Review

Common Sense Media says

A mediocre comedy about incest.
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.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie contains extremely strong language, many sexual references and situations, and a lot of gross-out material. There's brief nudity and drug humor, and characters smoke and drink. Most parents will not find this movie suitable for children or teenagers.

  • Comic peril and violence, brief gross injury, prosthesis humor.
  • Constant sexual humor.
  • Very strong language.

What's the story?

In SAY IT ISN'T SO, sweet Gilly Noble (Chris Klein) meets up with the world's worst hairdresser, Jo Wingfield (Heather Graham) and they fall in love and become engaged. But then Gilly finds out that the birth parents he has been looking for are none other than the Wingfields, Valdene (Sally Field) and Walter (Richard Jenkins), Jo's parents. So, the lovers part, and Jo returns to her old boyfriend, rich, handsome, charming Jack Mitchelson (Eddie Cibrian). A year later, as Jack and Jo are about to get married, Gilly finds out that he is not Jo's brother, and he races off to get her the message before the wedding.


Is it any good?

 

Audiences who have been wondering when we were going to get a great comedy about incest can keep wondering. Say it Isn't So is a mediocre comedy about incest, a pale retread from the producers (but not the writers or director) of There's Something About Mary. They are clearly trying here for the same results, but miscasting and going once too often to the well of "I can't believe they did that" get in the way. Its primary appeal will be on video, to excited middle schoolers who think they are cool for watching an R-rated movie and can't tell the difference between gross, outrageous, and funny.

All of this is just an excuse for jokes involving amputated limbs, bikini waxes, paralysis, pierced nipples, bestiality, a town named "Beaver," a guy with his arm stuck in a cow's rear end, and, of course, lots of incest humor. The few bright spots feature Orlando Jones as Gilly's one friend (an amputee pilot).


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about what to do when someone you care for is about to marry someone you think is a bad choice, and about how a highly dysfunctional family like the Wingfields could produce a sweet daughter like Jo.


This review was written by Nell Minow

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.


This review was written by Nell Minow
Studio:Twentieth Century Fox
Director:James B. Rogers
Cast:Chris Klein, Heather Graham, Sally Field
Genre:Comedy
Run time:95 minutes
Theatrical release date:March 23, 2001
DVD release date:August 21, 2001
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:strong sexual content, crude humor and language

This review was written by Nell Minow
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you see Say It Isn't So?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it