Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Laughs fade fast in Wilson art comedy with sex, pot use.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Paint
What's the Story?
Carl Nagler (Owen Wilson) is the host of PAINT, a popular art tutorial TV series made by the PBS station in Burlington, Vermont. Needing to raise the ratings and attract younger viewers, station manager Tony (Stephen Root) programs another art show featuring Ambrosia (Ciara Renée), a young female host who quickly becomes a sensation.
Is It Any Good?
As a recurring character in a late-night sketch show, Carl Nagler might be perfect, but putting him in a 96-minute feature is stretching the canvas too thin. What's smart is the idea of having a character who lives life like it's 1973 in 2023 -- not only to elicit laughs at the hairstyles and fashions of decades past, but also to question the attitudes of a previous era. Poetic, artistic, and gentle, Carl represents the "sensitive man" persona of the '70s. The soundtrack reflects this, using musicians who are known for being in touch with expressing their softer and vulnerable sides, like Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver, and Don Williams. When each song plays, the precision of the match to Carl's perspective offers a few laugh-out-loud moments. The cast features talented comedic actors -- including Wilson, Root, Michaela Watkins, and Wendi McLendon-Covey -- and they get laughs, but it's always the same joke. That repetition, combined with the quietness of the characters, means that ultimately the comedy flow slows until it becomes as still as a lake captured in one of Nagler's landscape portraits.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what Carl is meant to represent in Paint. How does portraying someone as being stuck in the past illustrate the way that societal attitudes have changed?
What is a "fish out of water" plot, and why are these types of stories compelling to watch? How does Paint take a character who's the biggest fish in his pond and suddenly push him out of the water?
Writer-director Brit McAdams says he wrote the script for Paint 12 years before its release. What does this say about perseverance? Why is perseverance an important life skill?
Carl's lack of growth is the result of being successful at such a young age. How can hardship actually help people become the best version of themselves?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 7, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : May 9, 0023
- Cast : Owen Wilson , Michaela Watkins , Stephen Root
- Director : Brit McAdams
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : IFC Films
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Arts
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual/suggestive material, drug use and smoking
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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