Parents' Guide to

Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Raunchy stand-up roadshow will appeal to teens.

Movie R 2008 100 minutes
Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In the late summer of 2005, Vince Vaughn and a company of four young stand-up comics plucked from a well-known Los Angeles comedy club embarked on a 30-day, 30-city stand-up marathon. With the added attraction of some appealing guest stars -- including Justin Long, Peter Billingsley, and Jon Favreau -- the show played to delighted, mostly college-aged audiences in sold-out auditoriums. This documentary follows the company, on stage and off, as they make their way across America.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

For the most part, Vince Vaughn achieves his goals; like the stand-up show, the movie is funny, irreverent, hip, macho, revealing, and heartfelt. Credit Vaughn with trying to pay it forward: Grateful for his own success, he hoped the country would fall in love with comedians Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Bret Ernst, and Sebastian Maniscalco, and that certainly seems to be the case. The film does run a bit long, though, and occasionally is upended by raging testosterone and lapses into childish behavior.

Ahmed, Caparulo, Ernst, and Maniscalco -- and, of course, Vaughn -- are talented, funny men. They're also revealed to be very human. Scenes between shows (shot in the luxury bus that was their home for the trip) are mostly playful but also reveal the insecurity and fear that are part of show business. In four highly personal scenes with the comics' families, the audience gets a first-hand look at their origins, their characters, their hopes, and their vulnerability. Those scenes make this film more than just a comedy revue.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether the movie's documentary format heightens viewers' appreciation of the comedians. What did you learn about the actors and comedians that surprised you? Did your feelings change as you got to know them and their families? Was the segment in which the comedians worked "clean" (for young Hurricane Katrina victims) less funny, more funny, or about the same as their usual routines? Why?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate