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Parents' Guide to

The Accidental Husband

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Sweet, teen-friendly rom-com borders on the cliched.

Movie PG-13 2009 91 minutes
The Accidental Husband Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Lunarspiral
Lunarspiral Adult
January 28, 2022
age 13+

Really bad role models.

Well, I couldn't recommend this for any young impressionable person. This is a bad example of a healthy romance. One sex scene, one make out. Some profanity. Some drinking and getting drunk. (On a profanity note, If you watch on Youtube the subtitles translate Cuckold into something that sounds like cuckold but much more graphic) SPOILERS. Main male ends up kissing and sleeping with the main female under false pretense after his failed attempt to ruin her life.(He ended up falling in love her but really that's no excuse) Also since she was engaged, those encounters were also cheating. He did not tell her that he had been manipulating whole situation before he kissed/slept with her. Her fiancé isn't a good match either but no excuse to cheat on him. The man who manipulated her ends up with her. Pretty messed up plotline. On a not romance point of bad example, Woman sets off fire alarm and then main man(He's a firefighter, on duty at time of call.) and his group(and an engine) has to drive way out of his district to go be romantic with main woman. Yes, leave your district potentially unprotected. Though that's just movie/romance logic so can't complain too much. SO! In conclusion, I can't recommend for young people. If they have a good grasp on what is acceptable and unacceptable in a relationship then it's fine.
MovieLover4Lyfe
MovieLover4Lyfe Adult
May 27, 2010
age 13+
This looks so cute! I can't wait to see it!
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Dr. Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman) has the inside scoop on relationships, and she's become famous for the zinging opinions she shares on the subject as a Manhattan-based radio talk show host. She has no patience for those who pine for Prince Charming, and she believes women shouldn't settle for second best. She ought to know; her fiance (Colin Firth) is the perfect specimen. When an avid listener dumps her boyfriend, Patrick (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), after taking Lloyd's longtime compatibility test and finds her relationship wanting, he's hungry for revenge. His plan: To get a friend to hack into city records so it shows he's listed as Lloyd's husband, a mess she'll have to undo so she can walk down the aisle. But doing so will complicate things quite a bit.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (4 ):

THE ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND is enjoyable enough; some twists -- there's one setup that unfolds at a book party -- are actually hilarious. Two people from very different walks of life fall in love under the oddest of circumstances; they start out attached to other people, but end up together. Not much new there. On the whole, it's so indistinct, how could it possibly offend? There's even the requisite, albeit brief, sing-along. (Since My Best Friend's Wedding, what rom-com doesn't have this?)

Thurman tries valiantly to keep the audience from realizing the material's formulaic, and her efforts, for the most part, pay off. Morgan and Firth are quite game, too. The cinematography, crisp and pretty and visiting less-known NYC locales like Astoria, helps. But overacting from some of the supporting characters dilutes an already watery stew, except for Isabella Rossellini, Brooke Adams, and still-suave Sam Shepard in surprising and delightful supporting turns.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about true love, or as the film likes to put it, "real love." Is there such a thing? Do people only have one soulmate?

  • What about Emma's advice? Does the film subvert what she's espousing in the movie? How?

  • What about the genre itself: Do romantic comedies do love a disservice? If yes, how?

Movie Details

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