People aren't always what they seem, and a few may be hiding truly wonderful secrets. Also, friends are important and doing the right thing instead of the easy thing can be rewarding.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Lumpy, much to some people's surprise, is a true stand-up guy who will go way beyond the call of duty to help people. He's also a drunken, obnoxious oaf during the brief time we see him alive.

Violence

A man is seriously injured in a drunken accident; his head is shown with a big, bloody gash. Another man menaces a teenage girl and later brandishes a gun and threatens people.

Sex

A man is shown pulling on his underwear as he gets out of bed, presumably after having sex with another man. There's a brief glimpse of his backside. Other men are seen in brief scenes in their underwear or wrapped in a towel after a shower. A woman talks about whether she's had a "boob job."

Language

Occasional swearing, including "s--t," "ass," and once: "f--k."

Consumerism

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

People drink heavily at a wedding, including shots and hard liquor. One man gets extremely drunk, to the point where he is staggering and obnoxious. Men smoke cigars to celebrate an important moment. A teenage girl lives with her mom and her mom's boyfriend, who both use meth. The boyfriend also seems to be involved in a few shady deals, and forces the girl to shoplift cold medicine that can be used to manufacture meth. Casual jokes about needing a Xanex.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Best Man Down is a dark comedy targeted at adults. There's occasional swearing (including "s--t"), a few scenes with drinking, including one person who gets incredibly drunk at a wedding, and a scene where a teenager sees her mom and her mom's boyfriend smoking crystal meth. There's one very brief scene that shows a man's naked backside as he gets out of bed after presumably having sex, plus a joke about a "boob job."

User Reviews

Parents say
Kids say

Adult Written bywonder dove November 16, 2013

age 15+

Heartfelt, Moving Drama for 16+

Great movie!!!! I highly enjoyed this. The story was refreshing and heartfelt with a little bit of everything. It is not a chick flick, it is not a comedy altho... Continue reading

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Parent Written byebro61 June 19, 2014

age 18+

Waste of time

This movie was not only hard to follow, but also not interesting, not warm and not funny. Instead we found it to be depressing and the "humor" was ne... Continue reading

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What's the story?

Lumpy (Tyler Labine) is the best man of the groom, Scott (Justin Long), who makes a scene by drinking too much and being too loud at the wedding. His bride, Kristin, points out that Lumpy is Scott's old friend, not necessarily a best friend. But when Lumpy dies in a tragic wedding-night accident, the newlyweds have to cancel their honeymoon to plan a funeral instead. Soon, they discover that they barely knew the real Lumpy. The person who knew him best, it seems, is Ramsey, a teenage girl who lives in small town in northern Minnesota, who's stuck living with her waitress mom and her mom's brute of a meth-head boyfriend. Scott and Kristin set out to discover the connection between Ramsey and Lumpy, and learn some surprising secrets about the late best man.

Is it any good?

BEST MAN DOWN starts off seemingly like a predictable comedy about a loudmouth drunken boor of a pal, but improves as the film unfolds, revealing surprising depth. In fact, it appears at first like two unconnected films, but the parallel stories gradually merge as Scott and Kristin follow Lumpy's trail all the way to Ramsey's doorstep. That's when the story becomes unexpectedly emotional, even somewhat satisfying, as the teen slowly reveals the late best man's true character.

Still, parts of the film don't work. Coincidences pile too high; characterizations are thin (Kristin, especially, could've used some examination); and the pacing's stilted. Still, these can perhaps be overlooked. When the film finally gets interesting, it may feel worth the wait.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about Lumpy's character. Why didn't Lumpy tell his friends about his life? Did your opinion of him change during the course of the film? What kinds of secrets would you keep from your friends?
Can you think of any other road movies that you like? What do they all have in common?

Movie details

In theaters: November 8, 2013
On DVD or streaming: January 21, 2014
Cast: Addison Timlin, Jess Weixler, Justin Long, Tyler Labine
Director: Ted Koland
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Genre: Drama
Topics: Friendship
Run time: 91 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: thematic material, drug content, some sexuality and brief language