Untogether

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Untogether
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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 Untogether is a dramedy about a disaffected 20-something author (Jemima Kirke), her sister (Lola Kirke), and their entanglements with men. Sex and language are the biggest issues. Expect nudity (including brief female full-frontal), several sex scenes, and implied oral sex. Strong language includes "f--k" and many others. Characters also drink, including while driving; a car accident is implied, and there are scenes with punching and mild cutting. Jamie Dornan, Ben Mendelsohn, and Billy Crystal co-star.
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What's the Story?
In UNTOGETHER, Andrea (Jemima Kirke) is a one-year-sober 20-something struggling writer in Los Angeles who hooks up with a doctor (Jamie Dornan) who's become a successful author. As Andrea wonders whether they should be together, she hangs around, copyediting random things to pass the time in the house she shares with her sister, Tara (Kirke's real-life sister, Lola Kirke), and Tara's beau, Martin (Ben Mendelsohn), a faded pop star. Tara is reconnecting with her Jewishness; she becomes interested in unassuming, married rabbi David (Billy Crystal).
Is It Any Good?
This isn't the worst pseudo-pithy romantic dramedy about disaffected young people you'll see, but it's definitely not the best. On one hand, writer-director Emma Forrest, a pop culture journalist and author, should be applauded for not worrying about making her characters "likable" in Untogether. On the other, she took that pretty far. Apart from looks and one character's plot-central daddy issues, it's a mystery why any of these folks are entangled. People are often selfish by nature, but these folks are characteristically cold and narcissistic. The exceptions are Martin and David, the two older male characters who are caught in the younger ones' slipstream. Crystal's steady presence is particularly welcome as David.
In Untogether, people form attachments without strong feelings for each other. There's a detachment to the whole exercise. Only Martin's confusion and heartbreak and David's concern register. The movie has a secondary theme of fiction vs. nonfiction and what makes someone a real writer, but, as with the romances, the film's observations on this topic aren't new or profound, either. Ultimately, there isn't enough charm to go around in Untogether.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what keeps people together or drives them apart in Untogether. Can you pinpoint why any two of these people are together?
What do the film's insights into relationships seem to be?
How does the movie portray sex? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Movie Details
- In theaters: February 8, 2019
- On DVD or streaming: March 26, 2019
- Cast: Jemima Kirke, Lola Kirke, Jamie Dornan, Ben Mendelsohn, Billy Crystal
- Director: Emma Forrest
- Studio: Freestyle Digital Media
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 98 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: sexual content, language and brief graphic nudity
- Last updated: May 7, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love romance
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