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Common sense media reviewers.

Enjoyable Will Smith romcom has some cursing,

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Love conquers all. While some would say that the t

Characters go through most of the movie as cynics

Comic peril. A sleazy guy is kicked in the crotch

Talk of an unpleasant one-night stand. References

Occasional strong language, including "f--k." "A--

Altoids, Benadryl, Krispy Kreme, and Grey Goose vo

Drinking in bars. A woman chugs a bottle of wine w

Parents need to know that Hitch is a 2005 romantic comedy in which Will Smith plays a "date doctor" who falls in love with a gossip columnist. Hitch starts out the movie as a suave "pick-up artist" who teaches socially awkward guys how to meet and woo the girl of their dreams. As the movie goes on, it debates…

Positive Messages

Love conquers all. While some would say that the techniques and methods that Hitch teaches to socially awkward men as a "date doctor" is manipulative and creepy, Hitch makes the argument that what he's doing is giving nice guys a chance to find love in the cruel world of dating, and he has the thank you cards and wedding pictures to prove it.

Positive Role Models

Characters go through most of the movie as cynics who don't believe in enduring love, or are too one-dimensional to be role models.

Violence & Scariness

Comic peril. A sleazy guy is kicked in the crotch by the lead female character. The lead character jumps on the roof of his love interest's car to try and win her love -- he's thrown off the car and rolls off the hood and onto the street -- no serious injuries. One character tries choking the other during a misunderstanding.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Talk of an unpleasant one-night stand. References made to lead character's prowess with seducing women. A sleazy character openly admits that he just wants to use a woman for sex.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Occasional strong language, including "f--k." "A--hole," "s--t," "pissing," "ass," "goddamn." Sleazy guy talks to lead character about how he just wants to "bang" a girl he's attracted to.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Altoids, Benadryl, Krispy Kreme, and Grey Goose vodka mentioned by name or shown in some of the scenes.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Drinking in bars. A woman chugs a bottle of wine while in the middle of an argument with a potential romantic interest.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Hitch is a 2005 romantic comedy in which Will Smith plays a "date doctor" who falls in love with a gossip columnist. Hitch starts out the movie as a suave "pick-up artist" who teaches socially awkward guys how to meet and woo the girl of their dreams. As the movie goes on, it debates whether "date doctors" like him are manipulative creeps teaching underhanded techniques to lonely guys, or if what he's offering is a chance for nice guys who never seem to "get the girl" to overcome their shyness and lack of self-confidence and get dates. The answer to this debate, borne out of the direct experiences of the characters in the movie, suggests that love and attraction can't be won with formulas and guidelines. There's one male character who is very sleazy and tries to enlist Hitch to help him "bang" a woman for a one-night stand. There is some profanity, including "f--k." A woman chugs a bottle of wine while in the middle of an argument with a potential romantic interest. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (8)
• Kids say (13)

Based on 8 parent reviews

Cute Romcom Has Heart

What's the story.

This romantic comedy centers on date doctor Alex "Hitch" Hitchens ( Will Smith ), who advises men on how to appeal to the women of their dreams. He gives them tips on grooming and attire, reminds them to listen and respond, coaching them on just about everything. Hitch has it all figured out -- for other guys. His heart was broken once and he's never risked it again. Hitch's current assignment is a nebbishy accountant ( Kevin James ) who is in love with a beautiful heiress ( Amber Valetta ), whose love life is constantly documented by cynical, dubious gossip columnist Sarah ( Eva Mendes ). Meanwhile, unaware of Hitch's connection to the couple, Sarah goes on two dates with him, both of which develop serious, uh, hitches along the way.

Is It Any Good?

It's all familiar, and enjoyable, romantic comedy territory -- evasions, followed by complications, humiliations, the course of true love not running smoothly, and then a bit more smoothly. And then not smoothly again. Kevin James is wonderfully sweet and funny. His uninhibited dance is sublime, but so is the look on his face when he hands the heiress a pen, almost overcome by the thrill of giving her something.

The movie's biggest asset is Smith, who has everything it takes to be a romantic comedy superstar. His timing is perfection and he masters all kinds of comedy -- physical and verbal, high and low. No one is better at talking to the camera than he is. Mendes' lackluster performance is the result of a faulty script that leaves promising set-ups unfinished to pursue less interesting ideas. If it does not knock it out of the park, it at least qualifies as a triple, a pleasant date movie with one great performer, several laughs, and a couple of smiles.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the idea of a "date doctor." Do you think it's OK for people to have help finding love, or should love happen on its own terms?

How does Hitch change during the course of the movie? Who are some of the other characters who change? Who doesn't seem to change?

What are some of the ways in which this movie meets the criteria of being a "romantic comedy?"

Movie Details

• In theaters : February 11, 2005
• On DVD or streaming : June 14, 2005
• Cast : Eva Mendes , Kevin James , Will Smith
• Director : Andy Tennant
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Latino actors, Black actors
• Studio : Sony Pictures
• Genre : Comedy
• Run time : 115 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : language and some strong sexual references
• Last updated : September 1, 2023

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Hitch | 2005 | PG-13 | - 5.3.5

SEX/NUDITY 5 - A man and a woman kiss passionately in a car, while another man watches and pounds on the window. A man and a woman kiss several times while standing in darkened library stacks, a man and a woman kiss and hug, and men and women kiss in numerous scenes (several passionate and others tender and romantic). A man teaches another man about "first kissing": the two men get very close to each other, one kisses the other on the lips, and the man who was kissed yells and storms off. A woman kisses another woman on the forehead -- in a friendly way. A man and a woman hug. ►  A man and a woman wake up in bed together; it is implied that they have had sex (the man is bare chested and we see the woman's bare shoulders as she turns over and caresses the man's chest). A man and a woman sleep on a sofa together (at opposite ends). A woman sits on a man's lap and wraps her arms around his neck in a photo booth. ►  A man talks, in very crude terms, about wanting to have sex with a woman in order to get her off his mind. A woman talks about not having "been ridden in months," and another woman complains that she has not had sex in a year. Men talk about what attracts them to a particular woman in several scenes. A man talks to a woman in a bar and appears to be trying to seduce her. A man and a woman flirt in several scenes. A man and a woman talk about being jaded by disingenuous people who feign interest in romance. A man talks about his partner being another man. A man asks a woman if another man is gay. Two men compare their lives; one is married and talks about what a wonderful feeling it is to be in a stable relationship while the other talks about liking the excitement of being with different women every night. A man talks about "first kisses" in several scenes. ►  A man takes off his pants to dry them and we see him in his jockey shorts, with bare legs. Women wear low-cut tops and dresses that reveal cleavage, bare shoulders and backs in several scenes and in one scene a dress is cut down to the woman's abdomen. Also women wear short skirts that reveal bare thighs. A man bends over to pick something up and his buttocks are near another man's face. A man admires a woman's bare legs as she walks toward him in a short skirt. Two men admire two women from a distance. Men and women dance together. ►  A man makes a sexual gesture with his arm.

VIOLENCE/GORE 3 - A man grabs another man's arm, who then twists him around, slams him onto a table and threatens him. A woman knees a man in the groin, he bends over and leans against a huge statue of a bull (the man's head rests between the buttocks cheeks of the statue). A man tackles a man, pushes him onto a couch and begins strangling him. A man kicks a woman in the face knocking her off a skidoo into a river (we see her later with a bruise on her forehead). A man slaps a man in the face twice. ►  A man grabs another man who tries to leave a room, they struggle knocking into furniture and breaking things. A man tears up a newsstand and is arrested. A man presses down on a sink breaking it free from the wall; water sprays on him and wets his pants. A man knocks over a vase that breaks, spilling marbles on the floor, he slips on the marbles and falls hard on the floor. ►  A man jumps on top of a moving car and falls hard onto the street when the car stops (he does not appear injured). A man's shirt gets caught in a taxi door and is ripped off as the taxi drives away. ►  A man faints and slips down a wall onto the floor. A man uses an inhaler a few times when he appears to have trouble breathing. A man lies in a street holding a dog in front of a taxi, pretending that he has been hit. ►  A man has an allergic reaction to seafood, his face and ears swell up and we see sores on his face. A man has his back waxed and he screams when the strips are torn off. A man spills food and soda on himself in a few scenes. ►  A woman throws vegetables at a man, he throws a salad on her and they argue bitterly. A man yells at his boss and quits his job. A man and a woman yell at each other. ►  We hear that a man's name was "the butcher" and that he was wanted by the police for murder. A woman talks about her younger sister having almost died when she fell through a hole in an ice-covered pond.

LANGUAGE 5 - 2 F-words, 14 sexual references, 4 scatological terms, 8 anatomical terms, 15 mild obscenities, 1 religious profanity, 11 religious exclamations.

SUBSTANCE USE - People are shown drinking alcohol. A man drinks large quantities of Benadryl after suffering from an allergic reaction and he acts as if he is drunk.

DISCUSSION TOPICS - Dating, first impressions, fear of refusal, fear of commitment, ego, hopelessness, first kisses, tabloid journalism, weight issues, marriage, cynicism, homosexuality, metaphors, infidelity, urban legends, women as sex objects, daydreaming, Ellis Island.

MESSAGE - Finding the right person isn't easy but when you do don't let anything stand in your way of letting them know how you feel.

Be aware that while we do our best to avoid spoilers it is impossible to disguise all details and some may reveal crucial plot elements.

We've gone through several editorial changes since we started covering films in 1992 and older reviews are not as complete & accurate as recent ones; we plan to revisit and correct older reviews as resources and time permits.

Our ratings and reviews are based on the theatrically-released versions of films; on video there are often Unrated , Special , Director's Cut or Extended versions, (usually accurately labelled but sometimes mislabeled) released that contain additional content, which we did not review.

REVIEWS See ratings & reviews at Critics.com

WEB LINKS Official Site    IMDb

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THE ASSIGNED NUMBERS Unlike the MPAA we do not assign one inscrutable rating based on age but 3 objective ratings for SEX/NUDITY , VIOLENCE/GORE & LANGUAGE on a scale of 0 to 10, from lowest to highest depending on quantity & context | more |

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• DVD & Streaming
• Comedy , Romance

Content Caution

In Theaters

• Will Smith as Alex “Hitch” Hitchens; Eva Mendes as Sara Melas; Kevin James as Albert Brennaman; Amber Valletta as Allegra Cole; Julie Ann Emery as Casey; Adam Arkin as Max Trundle

Home Release Date

• Andy Tennant

Distributor

• Columbia Pictures

Movie Review

Alex “Hitch” Hitchens is a professional “date doctor” who teaches guys with low self-esteem how to get the girl of their dreams. He’s made a science of studying women, tracing the hidden meanings behind their every word and act. He insists that his methods aren’t deceptive; they merely “create opportunities.” And, so far, he’s created a lot of good ones for his clients.

So Hitch is on the job and raring to go when Albert Brennaman shows up. The goofy, good-hearted accountant wants to date the beautiful, famous and filthy rich Allegra Cole. (She hardly knows he exists.) But in the process of trying to set up Albert and Allegra, Hitch discovers his own dream woman: Sara, a gossip columnist for a local tabloid whose assignment is to follow Allegra’s every move.

Hitch soon finds that he needs his own services. Sara’s been burned by a relationship one too many times and is now a cynic when it comes to men. Can the smooth-talking love expert dismantle her protective wall?

Positive Elements

Hitch makes a point to build up the self-esteem of his clients. At various times, he encourages insecure and lonely men by telling them they’re unique and have something no other man can offer. He also urges them to keep a positive outlook.

Albert risks his job by standing up for Allegra’s rights. He encourages her to follow her dreams and take control rather than allow others to tell her what to do.

Sara talks about her deep love for her younger sister. She also helps Hitch as he battles a food allergy. (Although he ends up at her apartment, he sleeps fully clothed on her sofa). Later, she apologizes to him for prejudging him and jumping to conclusions.

Spiritual Elements

When Hitch asks Sara out on a Sunday morning date, her boss comments that she obviously won’t be attending church that day. Allegra compares Hitch to the devil, and a potential client sarcastically calls him a rabbi.

Sexual Content

Hitch advises men to listen to women when they talk rather than simply picturing them naked. But Sara tells Hitch to go to a “t-tty bar.” From Sara to female bar-hoppers, women show lots of skin (at least once, the camera goes in for a close-up of cleavage). Albert is shown in his underwear.

While Hitch stresses chivalry to his clients and specifically dumps one when he finds out all the man wants is sex, the movie itself assumes that a series of “good” dates will eventually end in the bedroom. Slang terms for intercourse (“screw,” “bang,” “lay,” etc.) get used frequently. Sara complains, “What is it about guys that makes them want to screw everything that walks?”

Hitch tries to teach Albert the smooth way to kiss a woman goodnight. Albert takes to the lesson a bit too enthusiastically and ends up kissing Hitch. Sara’s friend asks her if Hitch is gay. Hitch’s gay doorman asks if Hitch can help his situation. Couples make out in a library and in a car. Sara’s best friend reveals that she slept with a notorious womanizer. We see an after-the-fact shot of an unmarried man and woman in bed (no nudity). A sidewalk shop owner makes a suggestive joke about Albert bedding Allegra.

Despite his wife sitting at home pregnant, Hitch’s brother-in-law ogles women at a bar, even as he preaches to Hitch about the unconditional love found in marriage. Hitch doesn’t help; he offers to bring the women over, bragging about how they’ll end up at his apartment.

Violent Content

All the violence is slapstick and played for laughs. Hitch jumps on a moving car and is then thrown from it when the driver stomps on the brake. Hitch wrestles Albert, slaps him in the face and puts him in headlock. Albert returns the favor by later trying to strangle Hitch. Albert also vents his frustration over a mishap by tearing up a newsstand. (He’s arrested for his outburst.) The love doctor shows his aggressive side when he slams a jerk’s face into a table. Hitch accidentally kicks his date in the head. Taking revenge on a guy who’s treated her best friend badly, Sara knees him in the groin.

Crude or Profane Language

An f-word and a couple of s-words. God’s name is misused at least a dozen times (once with “d–n”); Jesus’ name gets tossed around twice. Around 20 other milder profanities (including “a–hole”).

Drug and Alcohol Content

Hitch does much of his work in nightclubs, and there are frequent mentions of various alcoholic drinks. Wine is consumed with meals. Sara downs a Grey Goose martini, and Hitch orders her another. The couple shares a bottle of wine as Hitch makes an eloquent toast, but Sara soon begins guzzling straight from the bottle.

After Hitch’s face begins to swell from a food allergy, he downs a bottle of Benadryl, then staggers around under the influence of the drug.

Other Negative Elements

Though Hitch romanticizes its main character’s job, manipulation and lying are sometimes at the core of Hitch’s matchmaking. He gets paid to set up situations to make men look like heroes and ultimately deceive women into thinking they’re something they’re not. His motto: “With no guile and no game, there’s no girl.”

Everyone loves Will Smith. His name is synonymous with summer blockbuster. It could be argued that the actor breaks new ground here by lending his talents to a romantic comedy (released in February , not July) instead of another action romp, and the film does have its moments. But a plodding pace and predictable story severely undermine the effort.

Hitch tries to make an admirable statement about true love, stressing that it can’t be manufactured. Indeed, traces of a 1 Corinthians 13 love can be found in some of the characters’ willingness to overlook the flaws of their significant others. Nonetheless, the quest for love isn’t an excuse to bypass moral flaws—most noticeably the underlying role of manipulation and deception in Hitch’s job and the flippant treatment of sex, not to mention the harsh language. Hitch may be smooth, but his movie isn’t.

Marcus Yoars

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"A Wholesome Heart with a Hitch"

What You Need To Know:

(RoRo, BB, LLL, V, SS, N, A, DD, M) Strong Romantic worldview which focuses on the moral end of commitment in a relationship and rebukes one-night stands as well as using women or men, with a conflicting message from a married man who lectures Hitch on the benefits of marriage until he sees a sexy woman; 26 obscenities (including “f” words), 11 profanities and some scatological humor; some intense comedic violence such as man kicks woman accidentally, man jumps on car, man gets thrown off car, man throttles other man, man slaps another man, man almost breaks another man’s arm, and a couple other scuffles; some passionate kissing, unmarried couple in bed together the morning after, homosexual character, and many racy references to sex; upper male nudity, man walks off without pants on, some scatological body humor, provocatively dressed women, and provocative shots; alcohol use; smoking and man shown getting high on anti-histamines to cure allergic reaction; and, lying and manipulation all rebuked.

More Detail:

HITCH is a very, very, very funny movie with a wholesome heart looking for long-lasting relationships, but set in a non-Christian world. Will Smith plays Alex “Hitch” Hitchens, a suave, wise, commanding “date doctor” who developed his skills at helping men woo the woman of their dreams after his own true love rebuked him. Now, Hitch guards his own heart while he helps unlikely men do the impossible.

After some very funny scenes of Hitch instructing different types of hopeless men in winning over their true love, the story focuses on the most impossible situation of all. Fat, klutzy, sloppy accountant Albert is in love at a distance with the glamorous, wealthy celebrity Allegra Cole. In helping Albert change his image while he tries to woo Allegra, Hitch meets his own match in a street-smart, cynical reporter Sara Melas. All of Hitch’s skills and savior faire disappear when he is around Sara. He becomes the klutzy person that he teaches others not to be. He even kicks her in the head accidentally on their first date and has a great difficulty talking to her, although he is usually a commanding, persuasive speaker.

Sara herself has closed herself off to relationships, but she falls for the bumbling Hitch until she finds out that he’s THE famous date doctor. Then, she puts out a column on the front page of the newspaper exposing his guidance of Albert. Albert is embarrassed, Allegra is furious, Hitch is found out and can no longer get any clients, and Sara won’t talk to Hitch anymore. At this point, Hitch, has to dig deep into himself to find out who he really is.

There are many moral virtues expounded in this movie. Hitch tells one playboy in no uncertain terms that he will not help him have a one-night stand. He is trying to help people have permanent relationships. Hitch learns something about honesty, integrity and being yourself in order to truly have a permanent relationship.

That said, very regrettably, the movie has some “f” words and profanities which did not need to be there. Furthermore, there are some racy discussions of sex and a morning-after scene in bed. There are also some homosexual allusions and a homosexual character. Also, some of the women in the date bars are very provocatively dressed.

Underneath this thin veneer of the 21st Century lies a great movie trying to get out. If this movie had been toned down just a little bit, it would have been suitable for teenagers because it delivers a good message. Although it is a Romantic story, it communicates that you have to work at a relationship. The follow-your-heart message is balanced with the understanding that you need to develop some moral virtues to do just that.

Regarding the production values, Will Smith’s timing and delivery are impeccable in this movie. The direction by Andy Tennant is sharp. The music is terrific. And, the dialogue is hilarious.

It should be noted that neither Will Smith nor Eva Mendes are matinee idols. This may work for the movie, although often audiences just don’t show up unless there is a higher degree of glamour. That may be okay because of the hedonism on the surface of this movie, but, underneath, the heart and humor are terrific.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, 'hitch' writes tame prescription for valentine's.

Now streaming on:

Ninety percent of what you're saying isn't coming out of your mouth.

So says the Date Doctor. You communicate with your body language, your posture, your mood, your attitude about yourself. Nothing a guy can say will impress a woman nearly as much as the nonverbal messages she receives. So stand up straight, Fat Albert, and stop slumping around as if your tummy can be hidden in the shadows.

"Hitch" is a romantic comedy, timed for Valentine's Day, starring Will Smith as Alex "Hitch" Hitchens, professional dating consultant. In the cutthroat world of New York romance, where fates are decided in an instant, your average Lonely Guy needs skilled counseling. Hitch is your man. He understands women: how to get their attention, how to seem heroic in their eyes, what to tell them and what definitely not to tell them.

Some of his strategies would be right at home in a silent comedy, such as an opening Meet Cute in which a babe's beloved pet dog is apparently saved from instant death by a guy who wants to get to know her. Others are more subtle, involving inside intelligence so that you seem able to read her mind. Then there are the grand dramatic gestures.

For Hitch's client Albert ( Kevin James ), the romantic quarry seems forever beyond his reach. He is in love with the rich, powerful and beautiful Allegra ( Amber Valletta ), and surely she would not date a shy and pudgy accountant -- would she? But at a board meeting he is outraged by investment advice she is being given, and in a Grand Dramatic, etc., he resigns. That gets her attention. She's touched that the guy would care so much.

Yes, but how can Albert follow up? He's one of those guys whose shirts seem to come back from the laundry with the mustard already on them. Hitch works desperately to smooth him out, clean him up and give him some class. Meanwhile, his own romantic life is in a shambles. He's fallen in love with a really hot babe who is also smart and cynical. This is Sara ( Eva Mendes ), who writes for a gossip column not a million miles apart from Page Six. None of his advice seems to work for Hitch, maybe because in the game of romantic chess Sara can see more moves ahead, maybe because -- can this be possible? -- he is losing his cool by trying too hard.

"Hitch," you will have perceived, is not a great cinematic breakthrough. It depends for its appeal on the performances, and gets a certain undeserved mileage because of the likability of Will Smith and Kevin James, who are both seen with sympathy. Allegra (Valletta) is a sweetheart, too, and not as unapoproachable as she seems. But Sara is a real challenge, played by Eva Mendes as the kind of woman who seems more desireable the more she seems unattainable.

There is a purpose for a movie like "Hitch," and that purpose is to supply a pleasant and undemanding romantic comedy that you can rent next Valentine's Day. It's not a first-run destination, especially with " Bride and Prejudice " and " The Wedding Date " playing in the same multiplex. It's not that I dislike it; it's that it just doesn't seem entirely necessary.

The premise is intriguing, and for a time it seems that the Date Doctor may indeed know things about women that most men in the movies are not allowed to know, but the third act goes on autopilot just when the Doctor should be in.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Hitch (2005)

Rated PG-13 for language and some strong sexual references

118 minutes

Will Smith as Hitch

Eva Mendes as Sara

Kevin James as Albert

Amber Valletta as Allegra

Julie Ann Emery as Casey

Robinne Lee as Cressida

Nathan Lee Graham as Geoff

Michael Rapaport as Ben

Adam Arkin as Max

Directed by

• Andy Tennant
• Kevin Bisch

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A review of Hitch

Will Smith is effervescent—of course. Smith seemed to sacrifice his vitality for seriousness in Six Degrees of Separation, and he seemed to walk through his other early roles in search of the obviously comic and dramatic moments, almost until the film Ali, which suggested maturity and commitment to craft. He is still Mr. Instant Transcendence, but that only means that he is the kind of personality for which movies exist: for pure charisma, few can compare.

Reviewed by Daniel Garrett

Hitch 2005, Starring: Will Smith, Eva Mendes, et al. Director: Andy Tennant Rated PG13

Willard Christopher Smith Jr., a child of middle-class West Philadelphia, was brought to mainstream American attention as Will Smith by his music partnership with DJ Jazzy Jeff and Smith’s television series, 1990’s “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which lasted six years. Smith’s demeanor is boyish, friendly, happy; and he is a glowingly handsome presence. Will Smith’s films, most of them great successes, include Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Bad Boys (1995), Independence Day (1996), Men in Black (1997), Enemy of the State (1998), The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), Ali (2001), and I, Robot (2004). Will Smith’s film Hitch, directed by Andy Tennant (and written by Ken Bisch), is full of high energy and its scenes are fluid and persuasive, and its Manhattan setting is part of its charm. Often, a real world atmosphere is created—in clubs, offices, and recognizable locations (the cinematographer is Andrew Dunn, Jane Musky the production designer). Hitch begins with the sounds of a Sam Cooke song, appropriate as Cooke was another African-American icon whose image—sweet, suave, smart—while he lived was utterly positive. The film’s narrator, Smith’s character Alex Hitchens, says that women don’t wake up saying they don’t want to be swept off their feet, but that often men do not know how to approach them. We see scenes of various women—on the street, on stage, in apartment buildings—and some of the women are brushing men off them. Smith’s Hitchens gives advice to men about love: Be who you are. He helps the men make a first impression on women (actually, a first, second, and third impression)—and then they’re on their own, and it’s their job not to mess things up. After being introduced to Hitchens or Hitch, we are introduced to Eva Mendes’s character, Sara Melas, a gossip columnist. Mendes was previously in Training Day (2001), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Out of Time (2003), and Stuck on You (2003); and her character here is single, smart, successful, and somewhat suspicious of men. We see her coming back to her newspaper office early from vacation with a scoop of news about a philandering celebrity, establishing her devotion to work. Hitch, who advises men on love, and Sara, who writes about the love lives of the famous, are on a collision course.

Hitch’s friend, played by Michael Rapaport, tells him that he has short-term vision and goals and doesn’t see the long run; and the long run might include a woman he wants to make a commitment to be with. Meanwhile, Sara and her woman friend meet and talk about the difficulties of dating and about a date doctor who gives advice to men (Mendes says the doctor is an urban myth).

We see a flashback of Hitch when he was less smooth—at college, where and when he was a sensitive, talkative nerd, a loser with women, and hurt by the girl he loved. (The young Hitch is an African-American type we haven’t seen much of—it would have been interesting to see more of him.) Then and there Hitch learned what not to do: and he transformed himself from someone saturated with feeling to someone who analyzes relationships and develops effective and self-protective strategies: intelligence.

Hitch moves on to a new client, a stocky accountant, Albert, played by Kevin James, a man without game, a man who has been hurt a lot. Hitch calls Albert his Sistine Chapel, his most significant project. Albert is interested in Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta), a rich beauty who wants to invest half a million dollars in her designer friend’s business. Albert’s firm, which advises her, prefers that its staff identify investment opportunities for her; and though disappointed, she accepts that, until Albert speaks up for her—and in the ensuing disagreement quits his job. This becomes a weak point in the film: after he quits he’s still preoccupied with Allegra, apparently both professionally and personally, and we don’t see him worrying about career or money. Is she paying him, and paying him enough not to worry; and, if so, why doesn’t that affect their developing friendship and romance? Sara and her woman friend talk. When Sara’s friend steps away, Sara is first approached rather predictably by a man whom she rebuffs, then by Hitch, who seems very intelligent—he deconstructs the mating game for her, and leaves her without asking for anything, and that peaks her interest. Hitch, unknown to all, meets with a man who is infatuated with Sara’s friend—a man who only wants sex, who only wants to hit it and quit it. Hitch rejects the job, and when the man tries to intimidate him, Hitch twists his arm and sweetly—yes sweetly—threatens him. Hitch has a messenger deliver a package to Sara, and it contains a cell phone, to which Hitch calls, and he asks Sara for a date. He has sent her a scuba suit; and they go water skiing. His jet ski’s engine fails, and while trying to get on her jet ski he knocks her into the water. They visit Ellis Island, where he has identified one of Sara’s relatives who entered there years ago, but that doesn’t make the impression he expected. Saying goodbye, his shirt gets caught in the door of the taxi she is taking. Sara, however, thinks Hitch failed the date with flair.

Albert (Kevin James) invites Allegra and her designer friend to attend a fashion event; and after Hitch advises Albert to be attentive to both Allegra and her friend, Albert impresses them both. Albert gets training in handling kisses from Hitch; and Albert’s eagerness—when told to imagine that Hitch is Allegra, he kisses Hitch passionately—is funny. (Hitch, before wiping his own mouth, calls Albert overzealous.) Sara Melas, trying to track down Allegra’s new companion, finds out that the fashion event invitation for Albert’s date went to Hitch. Sara invites Hitch to a cooking demonstration (to return his shirt; and get more information out of him); and her editor Max (Adam Arkin) is there. There is a nicely self-conscious (thoroughly intelligent) scene involving their discussion of social and romantic expectations: that is not only awareness of the clichés of social life, but also awareness of the expectations born of cinema. Sara’s boss asks about Hitch’s work, before Hitch begins to itch: he has a food allergy to shellfish, which Sara has fed him, and Sara helps him find off-the-shelf medicine, which he gets drunk on. In her casually chic apartment, each tells a little about his/her family, and they fall asleep on the couch together. The next day, Hitch says, Begin every day as if it were a purpose, one of his little mantras. They kiss goodbye (I wrote in my notebook, This works!); and by now the lead actors, their characters, and the movie have manifested enormous charm

Will Smith is effervescent—of course. Smith seemed to sacrifice his vitality for seriousness in Six Degrees of Separation, and he seemed to walk through his other early roles in search of the obviously comic and dramatic moments, almost until the film Ali, which suggested maturity and commitment to craft. He is still Mr. Instant Transcendence, but that only means that he is the kind of personality for which movies exist: for pure charisma, few can compare. Eva Mendes as Sara is not dwarfed by him, and is a pleasure to see, but I don’t have a full grasp of her range, despite there being a scene that moved me to think, She is intense. I want to call her sultry, but fear the use of cliché. Amber Valletta projects a delicate apprehension, and seems shy, thoughtful—and subtle, as Allegra, a woman who feels trepidation about her movements though all doors are open to her. Kevin James as Albert gives a full-hearted performance as a loving, bumbling, big guy. Will Smith has an easy rapport with all his co-stars, as he has become a good listener and looks as if he’s thinking about—and responding to—what he hears; and to say that is to say he is not only a personality but an actor, possibly an artist. The film creates a world in which the actors and their characters are able to breathe and strut.

Happiness and hope inevitably presage trouble: and Sara’s woman friend sleeps with the wrong man (the insensitive man who wanted to hire Hitch to help him seduce a woman for sex), the client Hitch rejected. Meanwhile, Allegra and Albert attend a Knicks basketball game, and are seen by Sara and a photographer. Sara, having got the date doctor’s phone number from her friend’s wrong man, has her co-worker Jeff, an African-American male, call for advice and she and her photographer have Jeff’s meeting with the doctor under surveillance: and Sara is surprised to see the man is Hitch. (Jeff, like one other character in the film is gay, which is presented as nothing more than a perceptible fact, adding to the cosmopolitan tone of the film, which stars African-American Smith, Latina Mendes—she’s Cuban, and features other actors of diverse origins and orientations. I regret that one does not have a stronger impression of the striving—of the struggle and support—beneath all that apparent success, and that the success is not shown to be meaningful in more than individual or personal terms. Theirs is a beautiful private utopia.) Sara is angry with Hitch when she gets to his place for dinner, as she now thinks Hitch gives men advice that makes it easier for them to trick women into bed rather than form relationships with women. The next day, Hitch is exposed and Allegra and Albert’s relationship held up to ridicule in Sara’s newspaper.

Hitch tracks Sara down in a restaurant, where she and her friend are attending a speed-dating session (people have brief chats with a bunch of possible dates); and Hitch explains himself. Sara will later visit Hitch to apologize, though Hitch is too hurt to reconcile. Albert is unhappy with Allegra’s absence from his life. Hitch meets with Allegra to explain his methods—that he helps men to be comfortable and make favorable impressions on women they genuinely like—and Allegra makes it plain that she liked Albert not for his smoothness but for his awkwardness, for his vulnerability: for himself. (I do have reservations about the genuine self, the lovable self, being seen as the uncultivated self.) Allegra and Albert reconcile, but Hitch’s attempts to communicate with Sara are difficult, as his complicated feelings sabotage his eloquence: he admits he loves her and that of course is key. Allegra and Albert get married and everyone dances.

About the Reviewer:  Daniel Garrett, born in Louisiana and a longtime resident of New York, is a graduate of the New School for Social Research. His work has appeared in The African, AIM/America’s Intercultural Magazine, AllAboutJazz.com, American Book Review, Art & Antiques, The Audubon Activist, Black American Literature Forum, Changing Men, The City Sun, Frictionmagazine.com, The Humanist, Hyphen, Identity Theory.com, Illuminations, Muse-Apprentice-Guild.com, Option, PopMatters.com, Red River Review, The Review of Contemporary Fiction, TechnologyReports.net, 24FramesPerSecond.com, UnlikelyStories.org, and World Literature Today.

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Movie Review: Hitch (2005)

• General Disdain
• Movie Reviews
• One response
• --> March 13, 2005

Every once in a while a movie comes along starring Will Smith that has the look of being good. Every once in a while that movie will actually be good. I am pleased to say that Hitch falls into the latter category.

As you can tell I’m not a big fan of Will Smith. He thinks he is larger than life. Coupled with the fact that he has an asshole wife just solidifies my opinion of him. Granted I could be wrong about the man, but you’ve got to agree that Jada Pinkett is a fake. But back to the point. Hitch was a pleasant surprise. Although there have been similar comedies in the past, I found Hitch to put a refreshing take on the whole dating perspective.

Will Smith plays Hitch, also known as the Dating Doctor. He coaches men with low self-esteem on how to successfully meet the women of their dreams. It just so happens that the main character he is helping is portrayed by Kevin James. If you haven’t ever seen the “King of Queens” on the television, I encourage you to do so. This guy is fucking funny. And his fat overly white guy looks contrast perfectly against Smiths’ suave, street persona.

The movie has quite a few moments that you will find yourself laughing out loud. Watching Kevin James try to dance will cause you to have an aneurysm. Seeing Will Smith’s face explode due to an allergic reaction is just classic comedy. Most every joke in the movie works.

Of course Hitch wouldn’t be complete if there wasn’t a love interest for the Dating Doctor, who makes him realize the error of his ways and yadda yadda yadda . . .

Personally, I think they could have cast a woman better than Eva Mendes. Hell, I also think they could have broken the tried and true, cookie cutter ending of the movie lesson altogether too. But as the majority of Hollywood movies go, there always has to be something predictable and safe to end a flick with.

But in the end, I would recommend people to go to see Hitch . If not for the funny shit Kevin James does, then for the pick up lines and pick up scenarios Will Smith lays out for his clients. Let me know if any of them actually work for you.

Tagged: New York City , relationship , tutor

I'm an old, miserable fart set in his ways. Some of the things that bring a smile to my face are (in no particular order): Teenage back acne, the rain on my face, long walks on the beach and redneck women named Francis. Oh yeah, I like to watch and criticize movies.

Movie Review: Ghosted (2023) Movie Review: Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020) Movie Review: Fantasy Island (2020) Movie Review: Snatched (2017) Movie Review: Horrible Bosses 2 (2014) Movie Review: ABCs of Death 2 (2014) Movie Review: Life After Beth (2014)

'Movie Review: Hitch (2005)' has 1 comment

December 18, 2007 @ 4:15 am Tammy

The only problem is that Hitch draws heavily on content that predates the film by nearly a decade. Much of the dialogue comes from a usenet group dedicated to seduction.

That scene with the keys? The advice came from someone on usenet. The scene where he pretends to be the girl’s boyfriend when to get rid of the other dude? Ditto.

I watched the entire film with a sense of Deja-Vu. The writers obviously skimmed the net for content and reworded what they found.

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Hitch Reviews

In the 17 years since (and the 10 or so before) the release of Hitch, websites and apps, which were geared to those looking for love or something like it, make what takes place throughout this film appear quaint, arcane, and more than a bit dated.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 7, 2022

It's witty, full of romantic wisdom and makes up for in laughs what it lacks in substance.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 10, 2020

Will Smith's first-ever rom-com. Needless to say, the versatile star was up to the job at the first time of asking.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 11, 2020

An enjoyable cast and a couple of charming relationships are enough to make this a surprise.

Full Review | Nov 18, 2019

In the end, our arrogant hero is humbled and must face the fact that he has cut himself off from real feeling, the same with our heroine. Meeting each other has rendered all their tactics useless, and they stumble blind and grateful into each others arms.

Full Review | Aug 24, 2017

Under- whelming, and predictable cookie cutter romantic comedy fluff...

Full Review | Nov 22, 2014

Will Smith charms again; best for teens and up.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 24, 2010

In a movie where the film's trailer has spoiled all its best scenes, and the onscreen chemistry between our primary lovebirds is a failed experiment, it's refreshing that "Hitch" still provides that rare buoyant romantic lift that the genre promises.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Apr 18, 2009

Considerably heavier on romance than comedy, "Hitch" stitches together relatively few laughs but generates enough goodwill and energy to keep much of the audience in its corner.

Full Review | Jul 28, 2008

Does everyone fall in love after the third date? In his world, they do.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 19, 2008

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Dec 27, 2007

It's a fantasy that will fill box-office coffers, but it makes for a movie that's a little too innocuous for its own good.

Full Review | Nov 1, 2007

full review in Greek

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 3, 2006

Fans of movies like The Wedding Planner and You've Got Mail looking for a charming date movie with lots of laughs will fall in love with Hitch.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 28, 2006

Tennant loses tempo towards the end as he tries to shoehorn in sufficient rom to temper the com, but by then we've seen enough from Smith to know he can - and will - milk this genre for all it's worth.

Full Review | Jun 24, 2006

As a Will Smith movie, this isn't likely to blow either minds or the box office, but as romantic comedies go it's certainly better than the average.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 1, 2006

For what it is, Hitch gets the job done.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 6, 2005

Does a fine job of staying away from an overage of boredom and sentimentality while providing a good mix of laughter along the way.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Dec 6, 2005

Will Smith can play a matchmaker, too!

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 28, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 5, 2005

Find Family Movies, Movie Ratings and Movie Reviews

One Small Hitch Parent Guide

For viewers who suspect many sowers of wild oats are likely to return to their former habits, the believability of this happy ending comes with one small hitch..

Josh's (Shane McRae) dying father has one last wish -- to see his son married. So Josh announces his engagement to his childhood friend Molly (Aubrey Dollar). The hitch is, it isn't true. But the lie becomes harder to undo as more and more family and friends hear about the news.

Release date February 6, 2015

Run Time: 105 minutes

Official Movie Site

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by donna gustafson.

Have you ever said you’d do anything to help a friend who is going through a difficult time? Molly Mahone (Aubrey Dollar) makes such an offer to Josh Shiffman (Shane McRae), a family friend, when he tells her his father has just been diagnosed with cancer. And Josh does cash in—asking a favor that turns out to be bigger than anything Molly had bargained on.

Apparently the dying wish of Josh’s dad (Daniel J. Travanti) is to meet the woman his son will one day marry. Not wanting to disappoint him, Josh says the lucky lady is Molly, who conveniently just happens to be flying home with him to Chicago to attend a wedding. He knows living the deception during their short stay in the windy city will be asking a lot of their friendship, yet he is hoping Molly’s compassion will persuade her to play along with the phony engagement.

Despite all skepticism, the couple carries on the ruse, even when it means sharing the same apartment, wearing an heirloom engagement ring and trying on dresses at a bridal shop. But the little white lie that was supposed to last only a few days turns into a longer proposition when Josh promises his mother (Janet Ulrich Brooks) he will postpone his return to LA in order to help her run the family business. Surprisingly (and for no reason she’s prepared to confess even to herself), Molly also agrees to extend her stay.

This film features the usual plot elements of a romantic comedy, yet what might not be unexpected is the amount of sexual content in this production. Josh’s character has several sexual encounters with various women—even while he is supposedly engaged—which are depicted with shots of him passionately caressing, fondling, kissing, undressing and laying with his lovers. Some of these scenes include sexual sounds and motions. Male and female characters are shown stripping down to their underwear and in lingerie. Nudity is implied (but not seen) at a spa, and when a man walks in on a woman taking a bath. Discussions about sex, adultery, infidelity and the use of crass terms and slang names for body parts occur with some frequency. As well, the possibility of an unwed pregnancy is gossiped about.

Also abundant is alcohol use. Characters drink at alone, at home, in bars and during social gatherings. Many of them get totally intoxicated at a wedding. One character even gets “high” after taking medication recommended by a stranger. Exclamations using names of deity, along with mild and moderate profanities are regularly toss about too.

Eventually (and predictably) the nice, loyal girl tames the unfaithful, bad boy. For viewers who suspect many sowers of wild oats are likely to return to their former habits, the believability of this happy ending comes with one small hitch.

About author

Donna Gustafson

One small hitch rating & content info.

Why is One Small Hitch rated Not Rated? One Small Hitch is rated Not Rated by the MPAA

Violence: An angry woman punches a man. Characters argue.

Sexual Content: A man, who brags about getting his way with women, is shown passionately embracing, kissing, fondling and undressing various lovers (no nudity is shown). Some of his sexual encounters include moaning and partners laying on one another. A woman discovers her supposedly single boyfriend is actually married. Women’s menstrual cycles are briefly discussed. Characters speculate about the possibility of an unmarried woman being pregnant. Characters are shown in their underwear and in lingerie. Partial nudity (bare backs and shoulders) is seen when women receive spa treatments, and when a woman takes a bubble bath. (In the latter scene, a man walks in and sees the woman naked—we just see his reaction.) Unmarried couples live together. Adultery and infidelity are briefly discussed. Crude sexual terms, and slang names for body parts are used.

Language: The script includes frequent use of moderate and mild profanity, scatological slang terms and use of names of deity as exclamations. Some derogatory racial remarks are made.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters drink frequently, at home, at bars, at social gatherings and sometimes alone. Characters at a wedding drink to excess and pass out/fall asleep. A man chews on a cigar. A sad woman takes medication intended to make her feel happier, on the advice of a stranger. It makes her behave like she is high.

Other: A woman vomits. Characters discuss a terminal illness. A man is hospitalized due to a medical emergency. Religious differences in a marriage are discussed. The birth of a baby is depicted.

Page last updated July 17, 2017

One Small Hitch Parents' Guide

One Small Hitch is opening in limited theaters,, as well as on VOD (Video-On-Demand) on February 6, 2015.

From the Studio: On a flight home to Chicago for a family wedding, childhood friends Josh and Molly innocently agree to fake a wedding engagement to make Josh’s dying father happy. Things quickly get out of hand with their two boisterous families, and a series of events causes them to pretend to be a couple and start planning a phony wedding. - Freestyle Releasing

Talk about the movie with your family… What criteria does Josh use when selecting women? Is he at all concerned about long-term commitment? What advice does his father give him about choosing a spouse? Why would the ability to “be yourself” around someone increase the chances of a lasting relationship? Why has this thought never crossed Josh’s mind before?

Molly agrees to pretend to be engaged because she loves Josh’s father and wants him to be happy. Does the lie actually accomplish that goal? Why do deceptions, even well intentioned ones, often have the opposite effect of the desired reaction?

Romance stories often depict nice girls falling for naughty men. Do you believe the notion that the love of a good woman can cure a bad boy’s wandering eye?

The most recent home video release of One Small Hitch movie is February 15, 2015. Here are some details…

One Small Hitch releases to home video on February 10, 2015.

Related home video titles:

Other couples fake the nature of their relationships (with comedic and romantic results) in While You Were Sleeping and It Happened One Night .

Review: Stuffed with in-jokes for parents, 'The Garfield Movie' isn't a cat-astrophe

S ince 1978, cartoonist Jim Davis has explored the quotidian dramas of pet ownership via the daily travails of beleaguered Jon Arbuckle, his eager dog, Odie, and the titular tubby orange tabby, Garfield. If the comic strip (the most widely syndicated in the world) is the weekly sitcom version of their story, then “The Garfield Movie,” the latest effort to bring Garfield to the big screen, is the oversized action-adventure film, replete with references and comparisons to Tom Cruise.

Those Cruise-inspired Easter eggs are laid not necessarily for kids but for the adults who have accompanied them to the theater, such as when the score references “Mission: Impossible” while an ox named Otto, voiced by Ving Rhames (who plays Cruise’s techie Luther in the action franchise), lays out the plan for a heist. Later, a triumphant climax featuring airborne food-delivery drones offers the chance for a bit of the “Top Gun” theme while Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt) brags that he does his own stunts , “just like Tom Cruise.”

The line is a bit of over-emphasis that this is the big, thrilling version of Garfield, not a “Jeanne Dielman” -style study of domestic life. In fact, after a quick framing device that shows us Garfield’s heartstring-tugging history as a starving stray kitten who encounters Jon at an Italian restaurant, the film speeds through a quick montage of our favorite Garfield tropes: He loves lasagna, hates Mondays, torments Jon and manipulates Odie.

We know him, we love him: Garfield’s unique characteristics have been printed on coffee mugs for years. Now, on to the high-stakes and highly contrived plot. Garfield and Odie are kidnapped by a couple of thuggish pups, Nolan ( Bowen Yang ) and Roland (Brett Goldstein), who are working for a Persian cat named Jinx (Hannah Waddingham). She wants them to collaborate with Garfield’s deadbeat dad, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), on a milk heist as revenge for the time she did in the pound after a scheme she and Vic pulled.

The heist plot allows for the action, adventure and suspense to come into play, as well as the aforementioned Tom Cruise references, along with nods to film noir and early silent films (there are a lot of sequences set on trains). There’s even a “Rashomon”-like flashback as we see Garfield’s childhood abandonment from Vic’s perspective, changing the way we understand how Garfield found himself alone in that alley that night. The heist may make up the majority of the story, but it’s merely a means by which an estranged father and son can escape the emotional prison of masculinity and express their feelings to each other.

“The Garfield Movie,” directed by Mark Dindal and written by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove and David Reynolds, may sport a deep knowledge of film history to delight cinephile parents, but it is still a kiddie movie and comes with the same zany, harried energy one might expect from such a project. The aesthetic hews closer to the look of the comic strip than the CGI/live-action abomination of the two Garfield movies of the early aughts, which is on trend with other animated films that embrace an illustrated style, though this is less edgy than some recent examples (the “Spider-verse” movies, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” ).

Bill Murray voiced the rusty, rotund feline in “Garfield: The Movie” (2004) and “Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties” (2006) in his dry, laconic manner, and Pratt does a fine job taking over vocal duties. Harvey Guillén offers his voice for Odie’s noises and the rest of the voice cast (Nicholas Hoult as Jon, Cecily Strong as a Midwestern security guard named Marge) round out their world.

Though the film is formulaic and somewhat annoyingly energetic, it’s cute and irreverent enough, and manages to bridge the generation gap, offering up a kid-friendly flick that can keep adults somewhat entertained for the duration, proving that even after all these years, Garfield’s still got it.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .

‘Ezra’ Review: Bobby Cannavale Lets It Rip as a Dad Who Kidnaps His Autistic Son in Tony Goldwyn’s Not-Bad Hearttugger

Robert De Niro is the crusty grandfather in a film that has some formula twists but taps into the turmoil parents of special-needs children can feel.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

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And that’s the least of his bad decisions. Slapped with a restraining order, which forbids him from seeing his son for three months, Max sneaks into Jenna’s house in the middle of the night and kidnaps Ezra, taking him on an impromptu road trip to Michigan. When the plan — not that it’s a plan, more of a desperation move from hell — is discovered, everyone from Jenna to Max’s crusty hellion of a father ( Robert De Niro ), whose home he’s been staying at, thinks what he’s doing is insane. And the audience isn’t given much of a reason to disagree.

There are a lot of issues to debate here (some are culture-war issues), and it’s to the credit of Tony Goldwyn, the director of “Ezra,” and the screenwriter, Tony Spiridakis, that the movie doesn’t approach those issues with a chip on its shoulder. It’s not saying that Max is right or Max is wrong. It’s saying that when you have a special-needs child, these sorts of feelings might rise up in you, and the fact that Max cultivates them into a decision that seems like a disaster is what seizes our interest. The burden of proof is now on him.

Bobby Cannavale is the kind of actor who can do “mouthy hothead” in his sleep, but in “Ezra” he gives a canny and layered performance. Max, with his burning eyes (in his standup act, he cultivates the aura of an assassin), looks out and sees a world of full of Karens, like the nightclub owner who tells him he shouldn’t be plopping his kid on a barstool to watch his midnight set (something she’s probably right about). And he keeps lashing out at them. But what’s driving him is the tangle of agony he feels at everything about his son: the fact of his autism, the impossibility of knowing how to make him feel more well-adjusted, and his frustration at dealing with an institutionalized system that’s far from perfect — though when have our society’s public education protocols ever been perfect? (And how could they be?)

As the film sees it, there’s no “right answer,” but the answer that Max has come up with is a trigger reaction from the heart and the gut: He needs to be with his son. Not just to exist with him but to be with him. The movie is about Max and Ezra figuring out what that is, and newcomer William A. Fitzgerald, with his shy gopher grin, gives a performance that’s alive with discovery. He shows you Ezra’s blinkered reactions, the savant-like overawareness that shines through them, and the soul of affection that’s buried beneath them.

I wish I could say that these two found redemption in an awesomely organic and spontaneous way. But where a film like “Rain Man,” while a big studio blockbuster, presented the interaction between Dustin Hoffman’s gnarled, solipsistic, numbers-fixated Raymond and Tom Cruise’s smooth yuppie Charlie as a slow-growing exploration of human connection, the plot of “Ezra” is actually far more dependent on Hollywood devices.

They’re all headed to Los Angeles and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” which has booked Max for a spot (after Jimmy saw a tape of Max having a meltdown over Ezra in the middle of a set). The film itself seems to be heading for a hearttugger of an ending, and it is, though not the one you’re expecting. I guess today that passes for indie integrity. But the underlying integrity of “Ezra,” what makes it an honest film despite some formula devices, is that its message about how to help children with special needs is that there’s no magic way. Beyond celebrating them for who they are and showing them who you are.

Reviewed online, May 28, 2024. MPA rating: R. Running time: 100 MIN.

• Production: A Bleecker Street Media release of a Closer Media, Wayfarer Studios production. Producers: William Horberg, Jon Kilik, Tony Goldwyn, Tony Spiridakis. Executive producers: Zhang Xin, Justin Baldoni, Steve Sarowitz, Andrew Calof, Jamey Heath, Manu Gargi, Robert De Niro, Bobby Cannavale, Carla Raij, Richard Lewis, Bob Xu, Lois Robbins.
• Crew: Director: Tony Goldwyn. Screenplay: Tony Spiridakis. Camera: Danny Moder. Editor: Sabine Hoffman. Music: Carlos Rafael Rivera.
• With: Bobby Cannavale, William A. Fitzgerald, Rose Byrne, Robert De Niro, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson, Tony Goldwyn.

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Critic’s Notebook

An Extraordinary Documentary About the Most Precious of Lives

Margreth Olin’s “Songs of Earth” works almost like a poem as she records her parents and the Norwegian landscape.

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By Alissa Wilkinson

It’s rare to see a film that feels not just poetic in nature, but like actual poetry. The rhythm and cadence, the imagery and metaphor, even the sense of movement and time that often accompany a great poem don’t translate easily to the screen. Filmmakers need a light touch and trust in the viewer to lean in and let their work wash over them, rather than trying to decode everything.

Margreth Olin somehow pulled it off — and in a documentary, no less. Her “Songs of Earth” (in theaters) is tough to categorize as anything other than poetry, though there are elements of nature photography and personal narrative woven throughout.

At the center of “Songs of Earth” are the relationship between Olin’s parents, Jorgen and Magnhild Mykloen, as they age, and the spectacular landscapes of her native Norway. The film moves through a cycle of seasons, during which the terrain changes from green to brown to white and back again. At the center of that terrain is Olin’s 84-year-old father, who returns repeatedly to the Oldedalen valley, in the western part of the country.

Olin’s father tells her stories of his life and their ancestors. She learns about tragedies, about surgery he underwent when he was young, about the way the world has shaped him and his life. Both of her parents — who have been married for 55 years — talk about their relationship and what the future may hold for them, with grief inevitably on the horizon.

The gentle stories are marked by periods of silence that are never silent: The earth produces its own noises of ripples and blusters and crackling, melting ice, sometimes harmonizing with a gorgeous score by Rebekka Karijord. It’s really quite an experience to watch, and what might tie it all together is Olin’s decision to film her father’s skin at very close range. There’s a point being made there: His wrinkles and crevasses echo the landscape, which has also been shaped by time and forces of nature. In the span of the earth’s life, an individual human’s time is minuscule, yet precious — we are the planet in microcosm.

It’s an altogether extraordinary film, one I’ve thought about often since I first saw it, and I’m delighted that it’s playing in theaters — the immersive nature of the sounds, music and landscapes are worth experiencing with the full concentration a cinema affords. But even if you can’t see it that way, it’s worth watching whenever it’s available digitally. Just make sure you close the door, dim the lights and give yourself the gift of being immersed in it fully.

Bonus Review: ‘Queen of the Deuce’

“ Queen of the Deuce ” (in theaters and available to rent or buy on most major platforms ) is a curiously flat recounting of the life and titillating times of the adult-theater entrepreneur Chelly Wilson, one of the most vividly eccentric characters in the history of New York City.

A Greek Jew who snagged one of the last boats to New York in 1939, a whisker ahead of the Nazi occupation, Wilson wasted no time transforming her hot-dog stand into a thriving pornography empire. From the late 1960s to the ’80s, she played a pivotal role as the owner of multiple theaters, an importer of pornographic films and, eventually, a founder of her own production company.

Ensconced in her apartment above the all-male Adonis Theater, Wilson, who died in 1994, held court among entertainers, Mafia dons, a roster of possible female lovers and shopping bags stuffed with cash. (Her Mob connections are as politely glossed over as her intriguing private life.) Cozy interviews with her children and grandchildren reveal a woman who rarely spoke of her past, including an arranged marriage to a man who repulsed her.

Tastefully directed by Valerie Kontakos, “Queen of the Deuce” is the story of a shape-shifter: a twice-married gay woman, a Sephardic Jew who celebrated Christmas. The style is stilted, the look rudimentary, with Abhilasha Dewan’s cheeky animation supplying an occasional visual lift. — JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

Alissa Wilkinson is a Times movie critic. She’s been writing about movies since 2005. More about Alissa Wilkinson

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Ryan's World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure

Ryan's twin sisters Emma and Kate get trapped in a comic book world. Ryan enters this realm to rescue them, facing adventures, battles, and mishaps while attempting to bring them back before... Read all Ryan's twin sisters Emma and Kate get trapped in a comic book world. Ryan enters this realm to rescue them, facing adventures, battles, and mishaps while attempting to bring them back before his parents discover their disappearance. Ryan's twin sisters Emma and Kate get trapped in a comic book world. Ryan enters this realm to rescue them, facing adventures, battles, and mishaps while attempting to bring them back before his parents discover their disappearance.

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• August 16, 2024 (United States)
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