Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

Movie review by Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Good cast can't save stereotype-laden comedy.

PG-13 2008 113 minutes
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Parents say

age 12+

Based on 5 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 4 reviews

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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 despite this family-reunion comedy's heartwarming message about remembering your roots and embracing your family, there are many raunchy jokes about sex -- including a scene of two dogs doing the deed. There's also plenty of foul language ("s--t," one use of "f--k," the "N" word), some of which is used in front of the characters' parents and other elders. Adult siblings bicker and get into fistfights, and there's a fair amount of social drinking (at one point, a pregnant woman drinks spiked punch).

Community Reviews

Jim B.
Jim B. Adult
March 30, 2017
age 7+

Good for the whole family

I enjoyed this movie because while we are so divided as a nation right now this movie emphasized the importance of family. Saw this movie 9 years after it was released but the message is timeless. Just a light-hearted feel good movie. I was surprised how much i enjoyed it. Not interested in promoting an agenda. Just wish we were all more together as Americans. This movie made me smile and chuckle for all the right reasons.
christian_mom
christian_mom Adult
June 23, 2009
age 17+

WARNING: FULL OF LANGUAGE

I have never given a review here before, but am VERY concerned about the review on commonsensemedia.org on this particular movie. I count on your site religiously to decide on whether to allow our family (children are ages 12 and 14) to watch certain movies. This movie claimed to contain one use of the f-word and had mo mention of gd, although both were used at least twice and the entire movie was completely FULL of constant swearing and cussing. It was so offensive I was very dissapointed. The movie would have been good had it not been for this. I really wish Hollywood realized that this stuff does NOT sell movies to families! It offends and it is just not acceptable. Period. Thanks for letting me vent.

This title has:

Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Director Malcolm D. Lee assembled a first-rate cast to star in family-reunion comedy WELCOME HOME ROSCOE JENKINS. Martin Lawrence headlines as RJ Stephens, a Dr. Phil-like talk-show host who returns to his family's Georgia home for the first time in nine years to celebrate his parents' 50th anniversary (Poppa is James Earl Jones; Mamma is Margaret Avery). Despite the presence of his gorgeous celebrity fiance Bianca (Joy Bryant), RJ is still the picked-on little brother to unimpressed siblings Otis (Michael Clarke Duncan) and Betty (Mo'Nique) and cousin Clyde (Cedric the Entertainer). The celebratory weekend turns into a mess when RJ can't come to terms with the family that playfully belittled him growing up.

Is It Any Good?

With so many talented actors, it's a shame that the movie's script has so many stereotypes. There's the no-good, hustlin' cousin, the big and loud sister, the patient and loving Mamma, and even the morbidly overweight kids. With a lesser cast, the comedy would have been unwatchable, but the able actors do what they can with the surprisingly limited script. By the time two dogs start going at it, there's nothing that even Oscar nominees like Jones and Avery can do to elevate the movie from forgettable mediocrity.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the stereotypes depicted in the film. What parts of the movie do you think play up/reinforce stereotypes? How? Is it more OK for someone from a particular group to play up stereotypes of the same group than it is for someone outside the group to do the same thing? Why or why not?

Movie Details

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