Dove Review

This is a funny movie for the family for the holidays! Billy Crystal will have you in stitches as Artie, the grandfather, along with his wife Diane (Bette Midler).

After Artie loses his job as a minor league baseball announcer for the Grizzlies, he and Diane receive a call to babysit their three grandchildren while their daughter, Alice (Marisa Tomei), is scheduled to be out of town for a few days with her husband. Alice and her husband have a different way of raising the kids, which includes never using the word “no” in addition to only allowing healthy eating choices. Artie struggles with this when, for example, his grandson strikes out a kid in a baseball game but it is the kind of league that there is no competition, no outs, and everyone reaches base. Artie winds up in an argument with a kid who uses a baseball bat to hit Artie in the crotch. Although there are some moments of disrespect toward the grandfather, the kids change and warm up to him and a great relationship follows.

The film is funny with scenes like Artie’s boss in the beginning talking to him about modern technology and tweeting. Artie replies, “I’ll tweet or make whatever noise you want.” This movie will leave you feeling great and it features a nice ending. Artie makes a significant contribution to one grandson who stutters and it features the great baseball call of the Giants winning the pennant in 1951 when Bobby Thomson hit the “shot heard round the world.” The movie contains a few innuendos and moments of disrespect toward adults but again, this is reconciled by film’s end. Everyone is changed for the better by the time the credits roll. We are recommending the movie for ages twelve plus and encourage parents to consult the content listing to make informed decisions. In other words, we recommend “parental guidance” for “Parental Guidance”. It is rated PG to boot. Laugh your way through this one soon.

Dove Rating Details

0

Faith

None

0

Integrity

A kid hits a man in the crotch with a baseball bat; boys get in a fight.

2

Sex

A few kissing scenes between couples including a "kissing cam" at a ball game; a man acts seductive for his wife on a video camera; a few women exercise on stripper poles.

1

Language

Frickin'-1; Shut up-1

1

Violence

A kid hits a man in the crotch with a baseball bat; boys get in a fight.

2

Drugs

A few drinking scenes including wine and beer; a man says he needs a martini; a man is seen with a cigar in archived footage.

2

Nudity

Cleavage; a young boy is seen on a scooter riding in his underwear.

2

Other

A few kids show disrespect toward adults including a kid calling his grandfather Artie "Fartie" but this changes by film's end; a girl tells her mother she hates her but later apologizes; a grandfather starts to watch a "Saw" movie with his grandson but is stopped; kids make fun of a boy stuttering but this changes later in the film; kid picks nose; tension between a couple a few times in movie; a kid has an imaginary friend in the film but comes to terms with it.