Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Emotionally raw comedy exploring divorce is edgy, intense.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Jason Nash Is Married
What's the Story?
Jason (Jason Nash) is married to Busy (Busy Phillips). While he's trying to find work in show business, his success-driven wife is growing increasingly frustrated with his inability to find a job that pays the monthly bills as well as the $30,000 he owes to the IRS. As tensions arise between them, their marriage starts to fall apart. Jason continues to pitch projects to agents and producers and work on his podcast, as he and his wife see a therapist but continue to argue and face difficulties. Jason reflects on everything that went wrong as he tries to pick up the pieces and move forward, even as he holds out hope that he can somehow patch things up with Busy. Through leaps in time he discusses the pain and hurt of the experience.
Is It Any Good?
JASON NASH IS MARRIED is a fearless comedy that also manages to explore the difficulty of separation and divorce without being too mawkish or jokey. It strikes a nice balance; a comedy that explores awkward situations in the same manner as shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Maron, and Louie. Although some of the awkwardness mined out of the situations feels similar to what happens in the aforementioned TV shows, what makes this stand out is the emotional vulnerability at play as Nash is unafraid to discuss the pain and sadness that accompany the painful process of a marriage falling apart.
This movie does not explore divorce from a "family" point of view but from the point of view of the husband and father in the situation. As such, the way the topic is presented makes this movie best for older teens and parents, because much of the humor and situations will go over the heads of younger kids. This movie also is a showcase of the star performers of the "alternative" Los Angeles comedy scene in recent decades -- there are literally at least a dozen cameos from somewhat well-known and hilarious comedic performers -- so fans of Mr. Show and Upright Citizens Brigade and comics such as Patton Oswalt will also find much to enjoy in this emotionally raw yet still funny comedy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the balance between comedy and tragedy in this movie. How is the topic of a man going through a difficult divorce conveyed in an honest way without being too sad or too "jokey"?
Who is the intended audience of this movie? How do you know?
Could you relate to the main character? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : June 24, 2014
- Cast : Jason Nash , Busy Philipps , Andy Richter
- Director : Jason Nash
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Comedy Central
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 84 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 10, 2021
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