20 Dates MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +1/2 Content: -2 1/2

Myles Berkowitz (playing himself), a Los Angeles film maker, is tired of love as it's portrayed in the movies. He decides to make a documentary about love in the "real world." The question is, though, will real love sell to the public. His producer doesn't think so and wants to see beautiful actresses and lots of sex in the movie. Myles, however, wants a true account of his search for a soul mate. He begins to film his own dates, with the goal of dating 20 different women on film. After a series of disastrous evenings and a couple of not-so-bad dates, he finds Elisabeth Wagner (also playing herself). Myles finds his true love in Elisabeth but not the movie kind of love - it's a love that "sneaks up on you" and easy to miss if you're not paying attention. But Myles still has five dates to go to finish 20 DATES, and Elisabeth doesn't like him dating other women. Ultimately, Myles makes some artistic sacrifices regarding the film to keep Elisabeth, please his producer, and finish the movie.

Myles' conversations with his producer are a major part of the film' objectionable elements. Most of the 72 f- and s-words and 6 profanities come from the producer's foul mouth. And his comments about women and sex in movies are demeaning to women and film-making. Myles, to his credit, believes that love is more than sex, while his producer does not even believe love exists. Myles' search for dates takes him, against his better judgment, into some night clubs where he sees two women kiss and some kinky activity with breast nudity and leather in a "fetish" club. Other sexual activity and dialogue includes lewd comments about female breasts, implied unconventional sex, women in skimpy bikinis, a reference to porno films, and several comments about sleeping around. Despite its genuine attempt to cast dating, romance, and love in a real world context, 20 DATES has real problems with inappropriate sexual content and offensive language.

Preview Reviewer: Cliff McNeely
Distributor: 20th Century Fox