Parents' Guide to

Dinner for Schmucks

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Slapstick comedy feasts on the nerdiness of others.

Movie PG-13 2010 114 minutes
Dinner for Schmucks Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 31 parent reviews

Aidan S.
Aidan S. Adult
September 12, 2015
age 13+
plenty of sexual material and some language
Zhash
Zhash Adult
August 29, 2012
age 13+

Funny

Dinner for Schmucks is Rated PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 31 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on filmmaker Francis Veber's French comedy Le Diner Des Cons (The Dinner Game), DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS stars Paul Rudd as Tim, a financial analyst who wants to move up -- literally and figuratively -- to the big leagues at his firm. A deal he suggests is well-received, but first he must pass the ultimate test: Bring a guest to a company dinner expressly to show off his or her idiocy. As it happens, he nearly runs over the perfect candidate -- Barry (Steve Carrell) works for the IRS and makes painstakingly assembled still-lifes populated by stuffed mice. (They're actually cuter than they sound.) Barry is eager to make a friend in Tim and agrees to go to dinner, but the 24 hours before the actual event finds the two thrown together in the silliest of ways.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (31):
Kids say (41):

A Paul Rudd-Steve Carrell production can't fail -- they are, hands down, two of the funniest men working in comedy today. In fact, they're so simpatico as a team that they should take the show on the road. When they're on screen, they're always watchable, with their singular expressions and easy delivery. The supporting cast -- comprised of such comedic heavy-hitter as Jemaine Clement and Zach Galifianakis -- also appeals.

But Dinner for Schmucks still isn't exactly the perfect cinematic meal. Director Jay Roach and his actors go for broke in terms of absurdity, but there's something about it that doesn't quite translate. (Maybe it played better in French?) While some bits are hilarious, others -- like a side plot about Tim's sexually aggressive female stalker -- feel like a strain. And some sections just seem downright disappointing; the aforementioned dinner, for instance, is a free-for-all mock-fest, and it's hard to laugh freely when you're cringing too much. One of the key problems, actually, is that the movie takes too long to arrive at that pivotal event in the first place; by the time we finally get to dinner, we're not all that hungry anymore.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's message. What's the ultimate take-away? Does any of the positive stuff get lost amid the movie's humor?

  • Would you be willing to make fun of other people for personal gain? Do you think it would be easy to stand up and do the right thing, even if your job was at risk?

  • Who are the real "idiots" in this movie? How can you tell?

Movie Details

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