Jack and Sarah MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +1 1/2 Content: -2

JACK AND SARAH is a dark and deeply sad story set in England. Jack (Richard E. Grant), whose wife dies in childbirth, is afraid to face his responsibilities as a father and leaves town for several weeks. His family becomes dismayed over his departure and realize they will have to force him to realize that he must raise his daughter. So on his return, he wakes up one morning to find baby Sarah naked, hungry and vulnerable on the bed beside him. Soon the single father, also a busy lawyer, starts to grow up and begins to care deeply for his child. But he desperately needs a day-time baby sitter. Much to his family's chagrin, he hires an American waitress, Amy (Samantha Mathis), instead of a typical no-nonsense English nanny. Amy misunderstands Jack's need for a daytime nanny only and moves in, and Jack discovers there may be more to their relationship than just boss and employee. Some comical scenes involving Jack's parents and mother-in-law provide a few laughs, but JACK AND SARAH is like peering into a private world of hurt and grief that is more painful than entertaining.

Unfortunately, considerable alcohol drinking is one of the ways Jack copes with his grief. He even pals around with an alcoholic bum, William (Ian McKellen), whom he meets shortly after his wife's death. Jack hires William as a butler, but William continues to get drunk occasionally. After one such episode, he completely trashes out Jack's house. As Jack accepts his responsibilities, however, his excessive drinking stops. Commendable is the film's rather sparse sexual content and the fact that Jack and Amy do not become sexually involved. Jack does make a crude comment about wanting sex, however. Sex is implied once when Amy walks in on her friend in bed with a lover, and brief breast nudity is shown in that scene. Amy also wears some revealing jogging outfits in Jack's presence. But the foul language continues throughout as we hear many obscenities and profanities used to express emotion. Except for this, JACK AND SARAH is rather subdued for an R-rated film.

Preview Reviewer: Sherry Oswald
Distributor: Gramercy Pictures, 9247 Alden Drive, Beverly Hills CA 90210