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Parents' Guide to

For a Good Time, Call...

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Silly phone sex comedy is lighthearted but crude.

Movie R 2012 85 minutes
For a Good Time, Call... Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 10+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 2+

good

good
age 18+

For a Good Time, Watch This Movie!

"For a Good Time, Call..." is about two young women who start a phone-sex line, So, obviously quite a bit of sexual content is expected. Most of the comedy comes from the absurdness of the situations. The movie just barely gets an R rating and comes close to NC-17 due to the Graphic Sexual Language. There are talks about sTDS, sex Toys, and strange sexual role play. In the beginning of the movie there is a brief sex scene not very explicit though. This movie is for ADULTS ONLY.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Making his feature debut, director Jamie Travis is content to keep FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL... at a sitcom level, set in a squeaky-clean, good-natured New York. The potentially adult material is pitched at a goofy, warm level rather than depraved (for example, a joke about a baby-voiced operator is diffused before it gets disgusting). And the two leads, though a typical Hollywood mismatch, are genuinely engaging.

While they're together in their apartment, the movie clicks, but whenever outside elements come in -- such as a customer turning into a love interest for Katie or Lauren's meddling parents visiting at all the wrong times -- the movie gets clunky and ridiculous. Additionally, silly cameos by people like Kevin Smith and Seth Rogen as sex line customers seem like needless filler. Still, co-star Miller (Rogen's real-life wife), who co-wrote the screenplay with Katie Anne Naylon, is to be commended for her attempt at girl power; hopefully her future endeavors can be a bit more daring.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: August 31, 2012
  • On DVD or streaming: January 22, 2013
  • Cast: Ari Graynor , Justin Long , Lauren Anne Miller
  • Director: Jamie Travis
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors
  • Studio: Focus Features
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 85 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: strong sexual content throughout, language and some drug use
  • Last updated: June 2, 2023

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