MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN (2014) ** Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Timothee Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Katilyn Deve, Ansel Elgort, Kathernie C. Hughes, Elena Kampouris, Will Peltz, Travis Tope, David Denman, Dennis Haysbert, JK Simmons, Phil LaMarr; (Narration: Emma Thompson) Jason Reitman's awkward attempt to dramatize the effect of 'plugging in' to the tech savvy world of interpersonal communication (texting, social media etc.) fumbles with its overkill screenplay by his collaborators, Chad Kultgen and Erin Cressida Wilson with borderline caricature characters (to wit: prudish momma bear Garner is a laughing-stock scold who monitors her poor teenage daughter Deve to the point of fascist madness and the flip-side of Greer as the enabling mother of sexually advancing offspring Crocicchia by taking provocative photographs for their website) and eye-rolling dialogue and teeth-grinding unnecessarily distant (literally) narration by snooty Thompson nearly capsizes this otherwise well-acted cautionary tale of porn addiction, affairs, and bullying in high school that the similar DISCONNECT did two years earlier with similar half-hearted effect.
Men, Women & Children
2014
Action / Comedy / Drama
Men, Women & Children
2014
Action / Comedy / Drama
Plot summary
This movie follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-images, and their love lives. This movie attempts to stare down social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the proliferation of illicit material on the internet. As each character and each relationship is tested, we are shown the variety of roads people choose - some tragic, some hopeful - as it becomes clear that no one is immune to this enormous social change that has come through our phones, our tablets, and our computers.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
Awkward attempt to dramatize 'plugging in' and 'zoning out'
sad and cold
It's the modern world for a group of Texas high school teens and their parents. Celebrity obsessed Donna Clint (Judy Greer) is the mother of mean girl Hannah (Olivia Crocicchia) who puts her on a website. Patricia Beltmeyer (Jennifer Garner) is the over-protective mother of Brandy (Kaitlyn Dever). Don Truby (Adam Sandler) and Helen Truby (Rosemarie DeWitt) are parents struggling with two boys and internet porn. Allison Doss is struggling with body issues and anorexia. Kent Mooney (Dean Norris)'s son Tim (Ansel Elgort) quits football.
It's all very sad and tiring. The cold narration from Emma Thompson does not help. Jason Reitman dresses up this jumble of Lifetime scary stories into a tapestry of modern isolation and sadness. I'm not invested in any of these characters. The whole movie leaves me cold and uncaring.
Zeitgeist
It's not easy making a movie about modern society. About what not only the young ones are going through, but also their parents. Of course some things may feel like cliché (though I'd never go as far as call anything in here as cardboard cut outs of people, far from it). But the acting power at hand (yes even Adam Sandler, who can act, if he's allowed to and agrees to do something different than his usual shtick) is just superb and carries the movie.
We don't get easy answers to how to handle situations and all the stories are connected on some level or will be during the course of the movie. I like how it evolves and how it is able to play with emotions, when most of the time emotions are hidden or at least underplayed. Which is a rather big theme of the movie (the inability to connect with each other directly without a screen to touch). Not everyones cup of tea obviously, but if you like your drama to be "real" than this could be for you (with all its flaws and good things)