Envy

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Entertainment: +2 1/2

Content: -2

Envy is a comic fable about best friends, Tim Dingman (Ben Stiller) and Nick Vanderpark (Jack Black). Sharing everything in common, the pair lives across the street from each other, works in the same factory and spends most of their free time together. So naturally, when Nick comes up with an idea for a new product a spray can that will vaporize feces and eliminate dog-walk cleanups he asks Tim to be his partner. Tim, however, is skeptical of Nicks wild ideas and refuses to share the research costs, hoping that Nick will think twice and save his money. But Nick presses on and, as it turns out, makes a breakthrough. Before he knows it, Va-poo-rize is wildly successful and making Nick filthy rich. Meanwhile, Tim can only watch from afar, kicking himself for missing out on a great opportunity and wallowing in his growing Envy. His jealousy is stirred up even more by an oddball drifter (Christopher Walken).

Envy has a lot of commendable content, but unfortunately packages it in a poorly written film that is filled with objectionable language. It does make an attempt to explore human nature and the evils that can consume a person. While the obvious topic at hand is envy, the film also deals with the integrity of Stillers character who is influenced by bitterness, alcohol and dishonest companions to deceive his best friend. This culminates in a rare and moving scene of confession and forgiveness that was probably meant to be funny but does a better job of expressing what sincere and loving friendship is all about. Still, poor writing plagues the film, which is slow in places and not consistently funny. Instead, it seems to shift between its commendable moral message and cheap comedic gags. Worse still, the s-word flows freely along with some crude and profane language. Preview recommends that you avoid Envy.

Preview Reviewer: Shaun Daugherty
Distributor:
Dreamworks

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 (15) times mild (hell 6); moderate (bastard 2); strong (ass 6, bitch 1)

Obscene Language: Many (40+) times mild (other 8); moderate (screw 2); strong (f-word 1, s-word 30+)

Profanity: Many (13) times moderate (OMG 5, OG 1, G 5); strong (GD 1, C-sake 1)

Violence: Several times mild (man is angry and yells at his boss, man falls down a hill, men fall off merry-go-round, man threatens another man with violence, man accidentally shoots and kills horse with arrow, man accidentally shoots and injures man with arrow)

Sex: None

Nudity: None

Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: One time moderate (aroused woman kisses her husband and asks him to have sex)

Drugs: Once moderate (man goes to bar and gets drunk)

Other: Portrayal of envy and bitterness destroying friendship, portrayal of greed, portrayal of confession and forgiveness.

Running Time: 109 minutes.
Intended Audience: Teens and Adults


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