Hall Pass Movie Poster Image

Hall Pass

age 17+
(i)

 

Farrellys' film about infidelity has both raunch and heart.
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  • Review Date: February 22, 2011
  • Rated: R
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Release Year: 2011
  • Running Time: 106 minutes

What parents need to know

Positive messages

The two main characters have a brazen disregard for their wives' feelings, blatantly checking out women and joking about being biologically hardwired to have their eyes wander. They're also very eager to test out their "hall pass," though they do seem to arrive at the realization that their marriages matter above all else. And although it takes them a while to reach this conclusion, when they do, it's surprisingly convincing.

Positive role models

For most of the movie, there really isn't anyone to admire. Not the two leads; not their bumbling, crass friends; not their wives (who pretty much put up with their behavior and try the hall-pass approach only as a last resort); and more. But in the end, many of the characters do sort of redeem themselves.

Violence

A man first attacks a vehicle with a crowbar and then the people driving it. He also shoots at them with a handgun. In another scene, one man punches another.

Sex

Start with the full-frontal nudity showcasing two men's genitals. Add to that lots of fairly graphic descriptions of sex acts, a scene showing a man pleasuring himself in a car on a public street (his private parts aren't seen. but it's obvious what he's doing), another in which a woman bares her breasts to a married man, and many more. Two guys are openly on the make for a week even though they're married; their wives get to have their fun, too.

Language

Frequent use of words including "butt," "d--k," "s--t," "ass," "p---y," "bastard," "f--k," "bang," "t-ts," "a--hole," ""hell," and "oh my God."

Consumerism

Many products and labels are visible, including the Apple iPhone, Honda Odyssey, Titleist, Chili's, Olive Garden, Applebee's, and more.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

An underage college student asks an older man to buy her some beers. Characters are shown in bars and parties downing shots and drinking to oblivion. Alcohol is used as a social lubricant, a way to loosen up. Friends try pot brownies (and overdo them).

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this "hard R" comedy is as raunchy, scatological, and irreverent as you'd expect from a Farrelly brothers movie. The plot -- two husbands (played by Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis) get a one-week reprieve from marriage and its attendant responsibilities (including fidelity) -- hints at what the movie's like. Expect full-frontal male nudity (as well as a breast-flashing scene), lots of sexual innuendoes and graphic discussions about sex acts, drinking and drug use (pot brownies), and frequent swearing (everything from "butt" to "f--k").

What's the story?

Lifelong friends Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) have grass-is-greener syndrome; even though they love their wives, Maggie (Jenna Fischer) and Grace (Christina Applegate), they can't stop checking out other women and imagining what it would be like to bed them. After one humiliation too many, the women decide to give their husbands a one-week “hall pass,” allowing them to step out of their marriages for seven days and pursue whatever -- and whomever -- they want. Little do they realize that the hall pass applies to their wives, too... Chaos ensues when everyone attempts to embrace the notion of freedom, only to realize that love and marriage are more complicated than their "simple" plan.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

HALL PASS is a foul-mouthed, raunchy, ridiculous, sometimes gross, and inevitably funny movie. It goes all out with jokes inspired by bodily functions gone awry and situations played strictly and outrageously for laughs. In enough moments, it manages to carry it all off, primarily because the humor is so brazen that you're shocked into submission (though one particular scene involving full-frontal nudity is just on this side of too much). But there are also plenty of groan-worthy scenes that could just have easily been left on the cutting room floor. The tired, sexist jokes about wives should have been relegated there, too, as well as one (or two or three) scatological jokes.

Without Wilson, this comedy would be insufferable; somehow, he makes it sort of likeable. The actor -- who has played enough eternal-bachelors-gone-good -- now does doting dad and distracted husband quite well. His transformation actually seems plausible. But as funny as he is, Sudeikis' Fred is overdone: He's a callous, crass, hormone-driven character who doesn't quite come across as genuinely changed when his arc comes to its (formulaic) end. The movie could also have done with fewer predictably quirky friends and engineered-to-be-nutty moments. Credit goes to the Farrelly brothers for handling the wives' response to the hall pass with some complexity, but in the end, the movie doesn't quite earn a proverbial pass for its transgressions.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about how the movie depicts marriage and relationships. Do you think something like this could happen in real life? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values when it comes to marriage and commitment.

  • Does the film stereotype husbands and wives? Does it add any nuance to the battle of the sexes?

  • Does the movie need all of the swearing, sex, etc. to be funny? Does any of the humor cross the line? Who decides where that line falls?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:February 25, 2011
DVD release date:June 14, 2011
Cast:Christina Applegate, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Owen Wilson
Directors:Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Studio:New Line
Genre:Comedy
Run time:106 minutes
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:crude and sexual humor throughout, language, some graphic nudity and drug use

This review of Hall Pass was written by

S. Jhoanna Robledo
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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Parent of a 14 and 16 year old Written bysweetcheeks5573 March 5, 2011
age 16+

I wouldn't want anyone under 18 to be allowed in!

It was horrible! I saw it last night, and the predictability was so horribly bad I should have stuck to just watching the trailer. What a waste of 9 bucks!
What other families should know
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Adult Written bykhan2705 April 29, 2011
age 15+

bad movie

1.5-5 Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are best friends who have a lot in common, including the fact that they have each been married for many years. But when the two men begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives (Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate) take a bold approach to revitalizing their marriages: granting them a "hall pass," one week of freedom to do whatever they want...no questions asked. At first, it sounds like a dream come true for Rick and Fred. But it isn't long before they discover that their expectations of the single life-and themselves-are completely, and hilariously, out of sync with reality. well first of all i wasn't even interested in watching this movie, i just don't feel that way for hollywood comedies anymore, they are getting worst and dull day bu day. i don't feel that way for rom coms or romantic dramedies but maybe in few years. comedies nowadays are just so empty and silly and without any laughs. i saw this movie as it was available free on a local cabel channel here, i was free so i did. and just as i thaught and i saw people and critics saying it was awful. the whole idea of Hall Pass could have been a good subject to show with lots of fun and madness but it is so dull and made in such a bad way it seems like a hall pass of boredom. very boring. it had very few laughs almost no laughs. it wasn't even that rude, nude or the way nowadays these silly comedies are. i think the directors were lost or simply they had no idea where this movie or the story of it was heading or suppose to go. very poorly written, bad screenplay, bad story, made very badly. direction was not good. editing was not good either, the characters or dialogues too. literally if you need a reason to get dissapoint or angry, think of watching a star studded newly released comedy made by some well known director and go see it. you will have what you wan't. Owen Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Jason Sudeikis and Christina Applegate were lost and just not into the characters. bad performances. and their was seen at that spa, sauna whatever which is so not something to mention, i mean really showing the private parts of men for no reasons, if you are planning a silly rude comedy than make the whole movie like that not one scene, so useless. this like many other movies was a bad one. don't watch it if you are planning to.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Parent Written byflipflops2012 October 23, 2011
age 17+

Completely Inappropriate And Offensive.

This movie does have some funny parts, but it was actually quite dissapointing. In my opinion, this is just another stupid, boy-targeted movie, that only teenage boys or immature men would enjoy. The movie seems quite insulting to women. The story includes VERY strong sexual content, including nudity and lots of sexually explicit situations and conversations. There is also plenty of crude, bad language and plenty of alcohol/drugs references and situations. All in all, don't waste your money renting or buying this movie. I have to admit that I do enjoy watching a stupid, inappropriate comedy every now and then...but this movie crossed the line to offensive. I would never let my child watch this movie.
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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