You, Me and Dupree

Movie review by Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
You, Me and Dupree Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Dumb, obnoxious comedy about immature men.

PG-13 2006 108 minutes
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 5 reviews

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 9 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 this movie is full of sexual references and quick cuts away from naked body parts to warrant the PG-13 rating... barely. There are verbal and visual references to masturbation, vasectomies (with a brochure diagramming the procedure), a porn video collection, emasculation, and a librarian at an elementary school who's apparently a "slut." We see a husband's paranoid fantasy about his wife (in a teeny bikini) making out with his best friend. The language includes one f-word plus other profanities, as well as the derogatory use of "homo." Characters smoke cigars and do a lot of social drinking (on occasion to the point of drunkenness), and one worries that he might "smell like weed" (you don't see him smoke). Adult male characters are rude, competitive, and juvenile.

Community Reviews

MovieLover4Lyfe
MovieLover4Lyfe Adult
June 2, 2010
age 14+
CS said this is a dumb, obnoxious comedy about immature men. I disagree on the fact that it's obnoxious. The comedy made me laugh, and while some of the antics are deffinately immature, there's a sweet spot in the movie. That said, there is a lot that children and younger teens shouldn't see.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
libramsw
libramsw Adult
April 9, 2008
not rated for age
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Feeling left out when his best friend Carl (Matt Dillon) marries the beautiful and sensible elementary school teacher Molly (Kate Hudson), Dupree (Owen Wilson) moves in, "for a week at the most." He sleeps in the nude on their couch, eats their food, leaves messes, and generally expects the newlyweds to play his parents, while he hangs out with the neighborhood kids and doesn't try very hard to get a job. While Molly resents Dupree's childishness (and the fact that Carl behaves badly around him), she soon comes to see him as a sensitive spirit in need of looking after. By the same token, Carl is tired of Dupree's unreliability, but admires his "free spirit." Molly's father Mr. Thompson (Michael Douglas) is Carl's primary adversary. Working for Thompson's real estate development company, Carl feels belittled and emasculated. Molly and Carl head toward conflict that will be resolved by the "intuitive" Dupree.

Is It Any Good?

Obnoxious and monotonous, YOU, ME AND DUPREE is yet another movie making fun of immature men and the women who put up with them. Following the path laid down by the R-rated hits, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Wedding Crashers, this movie uses sexual activity and wild physical violence (as well as some crude language) to showcase Dupree's disruptiveness.

Painfully formulaic, this is one of those movies where, if only the couple would have one honest conversation within the first half-hour, the rest of it would be unnecessary. Dupree looks blissful compared to his married friends, who feel hemmed in and humiliated. Lack of logic typifies the film, as Molly comes to care for Dupree and Dupree provides earnest life lessons for Carl. In the end, Dupree pronounces the moral about "believing in yourself," first for Molly's young students, and then for Carl, drunk and depressed in a bar. While it might seem sweet, it also feels cynical.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about "buddy comedies." How many other movies can you think of that feature juvenile male friendships? What makes this formula successful? Do you actually like these guys? What kind of values and stereotypes do these movies promote?

Movie Details

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