Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Intense look at gender and relationships is best for adults.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN, Sara (Julianne Nicholson) is a graduate student driven to examine men and their relationships. She's ostensibly doing so for academic reasons, and she finds plenty of subjects, both casual and official. She eavesdrops on men's conversations at restaurants, she watches them at work, and she sits them down for formal interviews, with each one-on-one building to a crescendo. The men (played by an ensemble that includes Christopher Meloni, Timothy Hutton, and Chris Messina) shock and awe Sara in their callousness and vulnerability. As she gathers information, her motives become clear: She's gutted after a break-up, and she's channeling her grief into her academic pursuits. But what has she really learned about men?
Is It Any Good?
Debuted at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, this film is a respectful adaptation that manages to visually translate the material but doesn't necessarily capture its potency. It was inspired by the late, great David Foster Wallace's story collection, and Wallace's work is hardly an easy read; rendering it onscreen may be tougher still.
That monumental task fell to The Office's John Krasinski, who shepherded the project from concept to fruition (he also acts in it). Kudos to him for not completely botching the job -- and for instilling some structure on which to hang Wallace's stories. He also assembles one of the most talented group of actors -- in addition to the list above, the cast includes Will Arnett, Josh Charles, Frankie Faison, and Bobby Cannavale -- we've seen in a while. But, in the end, the audience hardly arrives at a coherent understanding of men. The interviews are all too brief and the epiphanies unsurprising.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the movie depicts relationships. How are men portrayed? What about women? Does this seem realistic to you?
Do the men seem like a certain "type"? Are they clichéd or multi-faceted? Are the filmmakers reinforcing stereotypes or confronting them?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 25, 2009
- On DVD or streaming : March 16, 2010
- Cast : John Krasinski , Julianne Nicholson , Timothy Hutton
- Director : John Krasinski
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : IFC Entertainment
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 80 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : July 12, 2022
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