Take Care

Take Care
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Take Care is an independent romantic comedy about an injured, house-bound woman who shames her ex into watching over her as she recuperates. With its familiar-but-not-A-list Generation X stars (Leslie Bibb, Thomas Sadoski), Take Care is clearly aimed at adult audiences and is unlikely to attract much teen attention. But if yours do want to see it, know that there's frequent strong language ("f--k," "a--hole," "s--t"), a not-too-explicit love scene and references to sex, and a mature storyline about nursing and loving someone through sickness and health.
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What's the Story?
TAKE CARE opens with Frannie (Leslie Bibb) being creatively helped up the stairs of her walk-up New York City apartment after a car accident has left her with both a broken arm and leg. When her married older sister, Fallon (Nadia Dajani), and her best friend, Laila (Marin Ireland), have to leave her alone in the apartment, Frannie resorts to dragging herself to her aloof neighbor's (Michael Stahl-David) door and demanding that he fix her a sandwich. Alone and upset, Frannie keeps obsessing over her ex, Devon (Thomas Sadoski) -- aka The Devil -- who just sold his company to Yahoo! for $6 million. Recalling how she nursed him through a two-year battle with cancer, Frannie tracks Devon down and emotionally blackmails him into repaying her -- not with a share of his new fortune, but with his nurturing. Devon begrudgingly agrees to watch her every day after work, a situation that confuses and angers his high-strung girlfriend and sparks unexpected feelings between the exes.
Is It Any Good?
Written and directed by "single in New York" specialist Liz Tuccillo, a former Sex and the City writer and author of He's Just That Not Into You, Take Care is occasionally charming and funny. But it's just as often, as were Tuccillo's previous takes on the subject, a tale of seriously self-absorbed and entitled people who are mostly unlikable. Frannie's childish desire to make Devon "pay" for her two years spent at his bedside with a considerably shorter reciprocation while she's house-bound in a double cast doesn't necessarily make sense -- or make her endearing. Devon, played by Sadoski (who's a much more powerful ex in Wild), starts off -- as would be expected -- bitter but compliant, doing the bare minimum to help. But as the days tick by, he comes to enjoy their time together -- watching Law & Order, eating his home-cooked meals, reminiscing about their relationships.
The performances are fine -- particularly the supporting roles of Frannie's sister, her eccentric circle of close (but too busy to give up their lives to help) friends, and Devon's hilariously uptight and jealous girlfriend, Jodi, played by Nurse Jackie regular Betty Gilpin. Even though Jodi is out of control with her needy, passive-aggressive tantrums, she's actually the wronged party, since whatever Devon owes Frannie shouldn't have anything to do with his relationship with Jodi. Take Care is the sort of romantic comedy you stream or watch on demand, but it's not an original, must-see pick.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Take Care's premise. How is it unique compared to other romcoms? How is it similar?
Are movies about couples in their 30s of interest to teens? How do the two relationships depicted in the movie compare/contrast?
Do you think it's believable that Devon would agree to help Frannie? Did his explanation of why he broke up with her make sense?
Movie Details
- In theaters: December 5, 2014
- On DVD or streaming: December 5, 2014
- Cast: Leslie Bibb, Michael Stahl-David, Thomas Sadoski
- Director: Liz Tuccillo
- Studio: Phase 4 Films
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Friendship
- Run time: 93 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: April 1, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love romance and comedy
Themes & Topics
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