Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Booze, bongs, and breasts galore in "drugs are fun" comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Beach Bum
What's the Story?
In THE BEACH BUM, Moondog (Matthew McConaughey) is a poet for whom the party never stops; his motto is "fun is the gun." But when his rich wife, Minnie (Isla Fisher), dies in a car crash, she tries to motivate him to greatness through her will: He's cut off immediately until he produces another book. Moondog keeps the party going and the drugs flowing while he looks to write one more volume of artistic merit.
Is It Any Good?
Just like being at a party with a friend who's obliterated, this comedy is occasionally funny but mostly annoying. Yes, McConaughey stars in a role that the real-life bongo drummer seemed destined to play: a womanizing, burnout poet who's loved by all and floats through life without a care in the world. But Moondog really doesn't care about anything: not keeping up with his daughter, staying faithful to his wife, staying out of jail, or writing his next book. He's only committed to having fun, and it would seem that he's high on life -- except that he's constantly high on everything else. Life is a nonstop party, and the audience is pulled into Moondog's haze.
In The Beach Bum, director Harmony Korine (Spring Breakers) has made another movie with outrageous, hedonistic characters who live in total excess. The worry is how all that might rub off on younger viewers. For instance, Moondog and his wife marry off their daughter and refer to her groom as "limp d--k" -- to his face. When one character uncomfortably brings up the time when he behaved inappropriately around Moondog's daughter, Moondog says he didn't mind. When asked why he invited a gang of homeless people to trash and destroy his own mansion, Moondog responds, "Uh ... BOREDOM!" And, when Moondog is talking to his sleazy agent (Jonah Hill, sporting a ridiculous Southern accent), a comment is made that seems to sum up the movie's perspective: that the best part of being rich is "you can be just horrible to people, and they have to take it." But here's the kicker: As a moviegoer, you don't.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Moondog and his family's attitude toward life. How does Moondog and Minnie's lifestyle affect their daughter? Do you think the consequences are realistic? If not, what do you think the real-life consequences would be?
How is substance use/abuse depicted in the film? Is Moondog an addict? Does the film glamorize drug and alcohol use?
Flicker says constantly that people have a free pass to be as terrible as they want because Jesus already died for our sins. Do you agree?
How does the movie handle sex, nudity, and innuendo? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
What do you think the movie's message is? What audience is it aimed at? How can you tell?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 29, 2019
- On DVD or streaming : June 18, 2019
- Cast : Matthew McConaughey , Snoop Dogg , Isla Fisher , Zac Efron
- Director : Harmony Korine
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Neon
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : pervasive drug and alcohol use, language throughout, nudity and some strong sexual content
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
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