 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Sitter
- Review Date: December 9, 2011
- R
- Genre: Comedy
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Hard-R misadventures are crazy and crass but still funny.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while this "babysitter gone wild" comedy may target teens -- especially those who are already Jonah Hill fans -- it has so many hard-R references to sex, drugs, and violence that it's not age appropriate for young teens. There's near-constant use of expletives (from the ubiquitous "motherf--ker" to "bitch" and everything in between), jokes about sex, a guy-on-girl oral sex scene, overt cocaine buying and use, references to a young teen's homosexuality, and plenty of sketchy and/or criminal behavior. Adoptive families may not appreciate the way the subject of adoption is depicted. It's all intended for laughs (what kind of college-aged student would really take three kids to a drug dealer's lair?), but that doesn't mean it's OK for younger viewers, so be prepared to stick to your guns if you have tweens and young teens who want to see it.
What's the story?
Noah Griffith (Jonah Hill) is a slacker college dropout living with his divorced mom (Jessica Hecht) in the New York suburbs. When not engaged in his one-sided pseudo relationship with the manipulative Marisa (Ari Graynor), he usually lazes about and watches TV. But when his mom's blind date falls through because her friend's sitter cancels, Noah begrudgingly accepts the job. His charges include Slater (Max Records), a 13-year-old with severe anxiety issues; Blithe (Landry Bender), a first grader who fancies herself a "celebutante" reality star in the making; and Rodrigo (Kevin Hernandez), a tween Central American adoptee who lashes out without warning. When Marisa calls promising Noah sex if he buys cocaine and brings it to a house party, he agrees -- and takes the kids on a crazy, dangerous trip through Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Is it any good?
If you crossed the '80s classics Adventures in Babysitting and Uncle Buck and added a healthy wallop of Superbad humor, the end result would be this simultaneously cringe-worthy and entertaining comedy. THE SITTER's plot is definitely, as the kids say, "off the hook." Between a dangerous misunderstanding with the eccentric coke dealer Karl (played by Sam Rockwell, who seems to be having the time of his life), an ill-fated attempt to secure $10,000 cash from a pile of bat mitzvah gifts, and a heartbreaking confrontation with Noah's rich but uncaring father, the movie's adventures are illegal and immoral ... but also life-altering for both the sitter and the kids.
Through all the antics, Hill reminds viewers how even the least improbable protagonists can win over audiences. It's not an easy movie to watch, particularly when you've left your own children in the care of babysitters time and time again, but with its old-school hip-hop soundtrack, some brilliant one-liners, and -- as strange as it may seem -- a positive message about the staying true to yourself and finding your place in a family, The Sitter is a surprisingly amusing, albeit quite naughty, cautionary tale about what happens when parents are away for the night.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether The Sitter is intended to have positive take-aways, or if it's just meant to be funny. Does learning life lessons justify the craziness?
Bullying is mentioned as a part of both Noah's background and Slater's future. Teens: What's the best way to handle bullying?
What's the appeal of "raunchy" comedies? Do they cross the line? Who determines where that line falls?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
please read my warning
I for one want to see this movie so badly and think it looks hilariously funny but parents with children of any age need to keep in mind that this movie is rated R and though it may have a cute story and cute kids 'a little girl is just too adorable for words' that it will certanly not be a wise choice for a family outing to the movies unless you have an older family
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Over the top and very raunchy comedy is still funny for adults
The Sitter is a funny-enough little comedy, but it is not the kind of movie that you would put time in to watch more than two or three times (even so, if you're bored and there is absolutely nothing left to watch, what so ever), and I do think that it is a tad underrated as well with such the harsh critical reception that it immediately got during it's intital theatrical release just last Friday. Still, Jonah Hill, Sam Rockwell, several supporting characters and one or two of the kids kept me laughing throughout, all though this is the kind of movie that has something to offend just about everybody in the audience, with drug dealers, sexually confused children, adoptive children from El Salvador being called Mexican, and more. But, despite all of this, I was actually quiet surprised at how positive the messages were, but mostly towards the children. Still, this movie is Rated R and is very much deserved: There is frequent strong profanity with about 62 F-words and other assorted profanities, crude and sexual humor including a very explicit opening scene of Hill performing oral sex on a woman who moans loudly, frequent drug use and images of drug labs, and finally, some strong violence including some gunshots and blood. Well, this may not be as harmful to kids as the usual raunchy comedy is, but it is still very raunchy, indeed.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
hahahahaha what
hahahahahahah im sorry i mean i havent seen this movie and it sounds like something that my parents would kill me for watching. but it just strikes me that they list TONS of innapropriate sexual stuff in the commonsense review and at the end they say that a girl calls stuff hot.
i mean it just strikes me funny that movies with 5 stars of language also include at the bottom that someone says crap in the movie...
i mean what parent is going to say:
well it has 35 uses of F*** and about 100 uses of S*** ... well thats fine im shure that you can handle that... oh wait they say crap, no you cannot see it i think that that word is to innapropriate:)
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Read
Rated R: Slapstick Violence, Strong Sexuality, Very Graphic Language, and Very Moderate Drug Use
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Not for kids (or anyone for that matter)
This movie spends a lot of time promoting teen sex, drugs, homosexuality, violence, disrespect for others property, etc, etc.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
The Sitter 2011
Harsh tale about exploring the back streets of New York, But Still lots of laughs
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Sitter2011
hill sitter comedy is full of runch and humar
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Funny, kind of crude movie
Besides a scene in the beginning, this isn't a very inappropriate movie. It's still funny.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
it's not that bad
when your 13 you commonly hear that from your friends and even your family members i know that other parents don't want to be bad parents and let them see this stuff but they hear swearing every day and if they don't watch it with you guys they will watch it with thee friends so then you guys wont be able to talk to them about the content in the film
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 11 years old
March 25, 2012
AGE
The Sitter
This was a funny remake. It had some very inappropriate content. Some action violence. 1 sex scene, and some scattered references. Frequent strong language, and the whole plot is that Noah is going to get cocaine for his girlfriend. This was an iffy, but funny movie. Though I expected better.
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Studio: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Director: | David Gordon Green |
| Cast: | Jonah Hill, Max Records, Sam Rockwell |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 81 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 9, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | March 20, 2012 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | crude and sexual content, pervasive language, drug material and some violence |
Review It
Video review
Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
