Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Entertainment: +1/2

Content: -2 1/2

This comedy shows what adulthood is like for has-been, child celebrity Dickie Roberts (David Spade), now 35 years old, who was the star of an enormously popular television sitcom. But since his show was canceled, his mother left him, he cannot pay his bills, and nobody treats him like a star. When he hears of a unique acting role in a Rob Reiner film, Dickie believes this part could put him back on top. But Reiner rejects him because his childhood wasnt normal enough for him to understand the part, so Dickie decides to pay a normal family $20,000 to treat him as one of their own children for a month. Dickie discovers that he has missed out on many good experiences, especially receiving love for being himself. A change begins to occur in Dickie Roberts that gives his whole life new meaning. Alyssa Milano, formerly of Whos the Boss, plays his girlfriend. Other child actors of the past make cameo appearances: Leif Garrett, Danny Bonaduce, Corey Feldman, Dustin Diamond (Screech) and Barry Williams (Greg Brady).

The movie has a surprisingly positive theme. The main character learns what it is like to be known, cared for and loved, and he finds that to be better than the superficial adoration a celebrity receives from the public. He discovers that what has been missing in his life is a family. Being part of a normal family is portrayed as better than fooling around with drugs, chasing brash women and having an abundance of money. The main character exhibits loyalty to those who have befriended him even when that loyalty does not appear financially advantageous. The difficulty with this movie is that the wonderful moral themes are lost among vulgar language and lewd, sex-related humor. Before his transformation, the main character severely and regularly insults people. He makes multiple obscene gestures and attempts to corrupt young children. Although the message is wholesome, Preview cannot recommend this one because some of its content is not.

Preview Reviewer: Blaine Butcher
Distributor:
Paramount Pictures

Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.

Crude Language: Many (44) times (mild 11, strong 33)

Obscene Language: Many (15) times (gestures 5, F-word 7, S-word 3)

Profanity: Regular few (4) times (G 2, GD2); exclamatory many (23) times (G 20, JC 3)

Violence: Mild several times (man gets thrown around cartoonishly by a water hose, numerous bicycle crashes, water bed explodes causing damage to house, man falls down from camera with many loud crashes); severe once (off camera, a man get so beat up that he has to have a kidney transplant to survive)

Sex: None

Nudity: Near Nudity: Few (camera pans to the behinds of a woman in tight clothing, elementary age girl dresses lewdly)

Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: Many times (man talks about womans body to her own kids, elementary girl dances in a disturbingly sexual manner, man takes pictures of his genitals to give to another man, woman tries to get man to have sex with her, flight attendant tries to convince man to have sex with them)

Drugs: Many (cigars, beer, cigarettes and wine use, and illegal drugs referred to multiple times in conversation with children)

Other: Dad doesnt spend time with his family, dad runs off with another woman, man dials 911 to report a fake fire so he can find an address, mom cusses out neighbors, gay monkeys are a part of a joke, man talks about sticking things up his rear end)

Running Time: 95 minutes
Intended Audience: Older children, teens and adults


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