Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Raunchy comedy is packed with sex, drinking, and swearing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Cedar Rapids
What's the Story?
Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) is a naive small-town insurance man. When his firm's star salesman unexpectedly dies, Tim is selected to go to a convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to help his firm win the Two Diamond award for the fourth year in a row. Once there, Tim tries to do the right thing but falls in with a crowd of ne'er-do-wells, including party animal Dean Ziegler (John C. Reilly), flirty Joan Ostrowski-Fox (Anne Heche), and upright Ronald Wilkes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.). As Tim begins to have a good time, he also begins to discover greed, selfishness, and corruption on all sides. Can he come to terms with this harsh reality check and rise above it?
Is It Any Good?
Directed by Miguel Arteta CEDAR RAPIDS has a grungy, low-budget feel, but it's actually a perfect copy of Animal House's successful, decades'-old formula. Nerds cut loose, discover their true selves, and bring down hypocritical authority figures. The movie also uses its small-town setting more to ridicule its characters than to say anything funny or insightful about small-town life.
But while there's nothing surprising about the movie's story or plot, the characters are endearing and -- though not constantly funny, they're at least consistently funny. Cedar Rapids also has the fact that its characters are adults -- rather than teens -- setting it apart from other films in the Animal House mold. Although they may act like crazy college students, in their quiet moments, these are grown-ups with grown-up problems (divorce, loneliness, unsatisfying marriages, etc.). Overall, the movie has enough laughs and charm to ensure a good time ... for those mature enough to handle its content, that is.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's sexual situations. Which characters are looking for solid relationships, and which aren't? Why? What messages does the movie send about sex and relationships?
Characters drink and do drugs a lot in this movie. Why? What would the consequences for this behavior be in real life?
Are any of the characters in this movie role models? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 11, 2011
- On DVD or streaming : June 21, 2011
- Cast : Anne Heche , Ed Helms , John C. Reilly
- Director : Miguel Arteta
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s) , Puerto Rican Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Fox Searchlight
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 86 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : crude and sexual content, language and drug use
- Last updated : February 10, 2025
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