Unlike the MPAA we do not assign one inscrutable rating based on age, but 3 objective ratings for SEX/NUDITY, VIOLENCE/GORE and PROFANITY on a scale of 0 to 10, from lowest to highest, depending on quantity and context.
Cultures clash when a slick and
urbane urbanite (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), travels from New York City to
his small and rural Georgia hometown to claim the inheritance a
great-aunt left him. But there's one condition he must first
fulfill: he has to put together a successful gospel choir, in a town
not noted for musicality. A nightclub singer with a wondrous voice
enters the scene (Beyonce Knowles) but she's shunned by the
congregation who assume her virtue is questionable. Also with Mike
Epps, Faith Evans and Steve Harvey. Directed by Jonathan Lynn. [2:03]
SEX/NUDITY 5 - A woman kisses a man and transfers gum
to him, mouth-to-mouth. A man and a woman kiss a few times, and a
man kisses a woman on the cheek. A man tries to make a pass at a
woman. A man analyzes different sexual attributes of women from
various parts of the South. A man and a woman sing on stage and they
nuzzle and dance together. A woman sings and dances seductively on
stage, then caresses a man and dances around him (she wears a
low-cut top and a skirt with a slit to the hip exposing cleavage,
bare shoulders and a bare thigh). There are many references to women
being of questionable virtue and having children out of wedlock. A
boy asks a girl if she will be his girlfriend. A woman makes a
remark about wearing protection during sex. People talk about R&B
being "sex music." A man talks about sewing his oats then settling
down with a virgin. People talk about sexually suggestive music
titles, and people dance at a night club. A woman wears very short
shorts that reveal the lower part of her buttocks. Women dance on
stage wearing low-cut dresses that reveal cleavage. A woman wears a
low-cut dress that reveals cleavage.
VIOLENCE/GORE 2 - We hear that a woman has died and we
see her funeral, with her in an open casket. We hear that another
woman was killed in a hit and run accident and that a man was killed
in Vietnam. A car speeds toward a man and nearly hits him. A man
talks about having beaten a man down. A man on-stage is pummeled by
fruit thrown by the audience. Armed guards follow three prisoners
wherever they go. A man threatens a man. A man walks into a door
frame, and a woman trips over another woman and they both fall on
the floor. People grieve at a funeral. A man talks about a dead
person becoming maggot food.
the review continues below...
PROFANITY 4 - 16 sexual references, 2 scatological
terms, 3 anatomical terms, 8 mild obscenities, 2 religious
exclamations, 1 derogatory term for African-Americans. [profanity glossary]
DISCUSSION TOPICS - The rural American South,
exploitation of groups of people, the advertising industry,
deception, fraud, cynicism, faith, hypocrisy, gospel music, children
out of wedlock.
MESSAGE - Without rules society breaks down, but some
rules are made to be broken.
(Note: People are shown drinking alcohol and smoking cigars.
There are a few conversations about the liquor industry.)
A CAVEAT: We've gone through several editorial changes since we started covering films in 1992 and some of our early standards were not as stringent as they are now. We therefore need to revisit many older reviews, especially those written prior to 1998 or so; please keep this in mind if you're consulting a review from that period. While we plan to revisit and correct older reviews our resources are limited and it is a slow, time-consuming process.
Become a member: You can subscribe for as little as $1 per month and gain access to our premium site, which contains no ads whatsoever. Think about it: You'll be helping support our site and guarantee that we will continue to publish, and you will be able to browse without any commercial interruptions.
2.
Tell all your friends: Please recommend kids-in-mind.com to your friends and acquaintances; you'll be helping them by letting them know how useful our site is, while helping us by increasing our readership. Since we do not advertise, the best and most reliable way to spread the word is by word-of-mouth.
3.
Alert local & national media: Let major media know why you trust our ratings. Call or e-mail a local newspaper, radio station or TV channel and encourage them to do a story about our site. Since we do not have a PR firm working for us, you can be our media ambassadors.
"This is an excellent resource for families. Merits two thumbs up...[Finally] movie ratings that actually work"
