Newton Boys, The MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -2 1/2

THE NEWTON BOYS is the true story of America's most successful bank robbers. Beginning in 1919, its the saga of four brothers, Willis, Jess, Doc and Joe (Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Skeet Ulrich) who are poor farmers and cowboys in Texas. To alleviate their poverty, they go on a bank robbing spree, robbing over 80 banks from Texas to Canada and capping their career with a three million dollar mail train heist outside Chicago. The team is headed by Willis Newton who plans the robberies and marries a woman (Julianna Margulies) in Missouri who accompanies him on their travels. Eventually, though, she becomes unhappy with the way the brothers are becoming more violent and reckless. Scenes of a number of bank robberies, some shootouts and fights, and the interaction of the brothers who have very different personalities add interest to this docudrama. This slice of early American history is rather unique and interesting and will hold audience interest well.

True to their aims, the Newton brothers shoot, but never kill anyone in their robberies in spite of the mayhem they cause. They even believe that their bank robberies are justified because the banks are insured by the government. And the brothers are very loyal to each other and protective. Some of the shootouts, fights and views of bloody shooting victims are intense, but not excessive or gory. But there is no sexual content in the film, although some suggestive scenes of scantily clad dancing women in a Chicago speak-easy are included. Undoubtedly in an effort to be realistic, the dialogue is crammed full of foul language, with over 100 mild and moderate crudities, 14 obscenities and 24 profanities. If it were not for its incessant foul language, THE NEWTON BOYS would be an acceptable dramatization of a distinctive American story.

Preview Reviewer: John Evans
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035