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King of the Corner
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MPAA Rating: R
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Entertainment: +1
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Content: -1
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King of the Corner is a somewhat comical look into the life of Leo Spivak (Peter Riegert). As a boy, Leo would play a water game called “King of the Corner” where he and his brothers would try to pull their dad away from the corner of the pool while he hung on. Now middle-aged, Leo feels that he is hanging on to the corner of a figurative pool as people try to yank him off. Ed (Jake Hoffman), his young assistant, seems to be after his job. Leo’s father, Sol (Eli Wallach), is half way across the country in a nursing home, which Leo visits every two weeks because it is the right thing to do. Leo’s daughter Elena (Ashley Johnson) is becoming a young woman too fast. After years of marriage to Rachel (Isabella Rossellini), he finds his grip slipping on their relationship as he has a fling with an old high-school crush (Beverly D’Angelo). Being Jewish, but not “religious,” he holds on to his cultural heritage in his quest to be King of the Corner.
This story is a somewhat ordinary account of a person’s journey through life. As a man seeks direction, purpose and fulfillment, all three are close to slipping away. King of the Corner touches on themes of corporate politics, cultural and religious tradition, using the mind that God has given you, and respect for self and others. A few conversations between Leo and Ed cover lustful thoughts and actions involving a female coworker. And women in a product promotion seminar talk about male sexual inadequacy in fairly blunt terms. To Leo’s credit, although he has an adulterous sexual encounter, he is genuinely remorseful and confesses the incident to his wife and to the woman’s husband. While Preview cannot give King of the Corner a positive rating due to the sexual dialog and foul language, there are many worthwhile messages.
Preview Reviewer: Brian Hughes
Distributor: Elevation Filmworks
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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 (22) times – mild (hell 9, damn 1); moderate (b-stard 1, t-ts 2); strong (-ss 6, b-ner 1, SOB 1, other 1)
Obscene Language: Many (24) times – moderate (p-ssed 7, cr-p 4, scr-w 4); strong (f-word 2, s-word 4, pr-ck 3)
Profanity: Many (11) times – moderate (MG 5, G 1, G-sake 1); strong (GD 3, C 1)
Violence: Few times – mild (a recorded argument between a husband and wife); moderate (two men get into a minor fistfight)
Sex: Few times – mild (extramarital affair implied between president of corporation and a much younger secretary, implied extramarital encounter between a married man and an old high-school crush)
Nudity: None
Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: Several times – mild (father and daughter have conversation about sexual relationship with a boy); moderate (man confesses to having sex with another man’s wife, man shows husband panties left by his wife at his hotel room, man tells his wife that he has been unfaithful sexually); strong (young man talks about being lustful when he sees a particular woman and gets an erection, graphic conversation about a man and woman having sex on the boardroom table, women talk about the myth that men with small hands have a large anatomy)
Drugs: Few times – mild (limited drinking of beer)
Other: Hispanic woman is called a wetback
Running Time: 93 minutes
Intended Audience: Adults
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