Men, Women & Children (2014) User Reviews

An excellent movie, but perhaps a bit misunderstood.

[tophatfab · 8/10 · 18 October 2014]

I read the book when it came out, and absolutely loved it. I won't go too in depth into the differences between the book and the movie. Some characters were cut, some stories were shortened and rearranged, and the ending is somewhat less dark. However, I would say that all of these changes are understandable when making a two hour movie. The soul of the book is still there though. If you liked the book, you will like the movie. The directing and acting are great, and I have zero complaints in this department.

I do have a few complaints, starting with some parts of the plot seem like they would be hard to follow if you haven't read the book. There were segments of the story that would have benefited from a little more time spent on them for clarity. I am a fan of long movies, and understand that a lot of people are not, but I think an extra 15 minutes could have made a big difference.

The narration seems to be a sore subject among the other reviews I've read, and I have to say I have mixed feelings. I like the idea of narration in a book-turned-movie. There's a certain amount of context and motive behind characters' actions that can get glossed over in a movie if there's no narration, but it was too inconsistent in this case. It either needed more narration, or it needed to be limited to just the intro and outro.

I think the major issue with the movie is that people are focusing on the wrong parts of it. Everyone wants to talk about the blunt sexual content, and the excessive use of technology in the movie. To me, those are the things that make it a realistic story. Perhaps that's just because I'm in my twenties, and blunt sexual content and excessive technology use are a large percentage of my life. People call this a movie about how technology is ruining and/or changing relationships. I disagree. This movie is about growing up, relationships, and miscommunication. Affairs aren't new. Questionable parenting isn't new. Body image issues aren't new. Sexual frustration isn't new. Depression isn't new. The movie shows technology not as a cause or effect of any of these things, but as being intertwined with them the exact way technology is intertwined with modern life. People are looking to MWC as a comment on technology in modern life, and finding it wishy- washy. But that's because it's not taking any sides, it's just showing how things are.

If you go in to this movie expecting an interesting story, rather than an editorial about technology, you'll probably enjoy it. Just don't bring your kids or your parents.

A sobering and uncomfortably accurate portrait of the digital age.

[BrentHankins · 8/10 · 9 October 2014]

Jason Reitman's Men, Women and Children takes aim at communication in the digital age, offering a sobering and uncomfortably accurate portrait of the way we connect - or rather, fail to connect - with each other when there's a wealth of technology at our fingertips. Take Don (Adam Sandler) for example: a quiet schlub whose sexless marriage to Helen (Rosemarie DeWitt) finds him sneaking into his son's room to feed his internet porn addiction, while his wife struggles with the temptation of using a cheating website to start an extramarital affair. This is the kind of issue that an open dialogue and honest communication could likely overcome - but that would require both of them to put down their iPads or look away from the television.

There's also Hannah (Olivia Crocicchia), a fame-obsessed cheerleader who force-feeds her sexuality to everyone around her in hopes of blazing a path to stardom, Kardashian style. It doesn't help that she's enabled by her mom, Donna (Judy Greer), a failed actress who constantly snaps photos of her daughter for a "modeling" website that happens to include a private section reserved for paying members. Hannah has a thing for Chris (Travis Tope), Don's football player son whose own internet porn habits would not only put his dad's to shame, but have also left him unable to become aroused by anything but the images on his monitor.

Most tragic and heartbreaking of all is Allison (Elena Kampouris), so desperate to catch the eye of her crush that she developed an eating disorder after overhearing him make a disparaging comment about her weight. Now pale and waifish, she maintains her figure by seeking "support" from an online forum dedicated to staying thin at any cost, offering such helpful hunger-battling hints as "drink water and wait five minutes." Their slogan? "Pretty bitches never eat."

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Patricia (Jennifer Garner), a suburban parent who redefines the term "overprotecrive" as she demands that daughter Brandy (Kaitlyn Dever) surrender her cell phone on a regular basis so that she can read her emails and text messages, in addition to poring over pages of chat logs and using a GPS locator app to monitor her daughter's movements whenever she leaves the house. Patricia is convinced that she's keeping Brandy safely out of harm's way, yet remains oblivious to the fact that she's stifling any chance of her having a normal teenage existence.

And then there's Tim (Ansel Elgort), a star running back who elected to quit the football team in favor of investing his time in online role-playing games. Tim's interpretation of Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot (a recurring theme throughout the film) is that nothing matters in the grand scheme of things, so why bother investing in a "pointless" activity like football? He's much more content to form connections with other like-minded individuals in a virtual world, while growing increasingly distant from his father (Dean Norris), who continues to cope with the sudden departure of Tim's mother the previous year.

If that sounds like a lot to keep track of, you're correct. As the film progresses, each character is faced with their own individual conflicts, while simultaneously crossing paths with other characters and creating new conflicts along the way. It's not only gut- wrenching to see how commonplace cruelty has become in today's digital world, but terrifying to see how broadly we can all be affected by it. Seemingly innocuous decisions turn out to have major, far-reaching consequences, with actions affecting other characters in surprising ways. It's unapologetically reminiscent of Crash, which admittedly pulled off the same trick in a much more organic fashion that was far more believable.

But that's not to say that Men, Women and Children doesn't feel authentic. Having been acquainted with people that have struggled with eating disorders, depression, or poor self esteem, every performance in the film is pitch perfect, and it's almost frightening how expertly Reitman nails some of these issues. If you're looking for a film that will send you home with a smile on your face, this one isn't it. But if you want a thoughtful, genuine depiction of the how far our communication skills and regard for our fellow humans have fallen, look no further.

As a coming of age story, this wasn't bad at all

[dskywalker0 · 8/10 · 28 February 2021]

From my perspective, the point of the entire film was to show us how complex human behaviour and communication really is, especially after the internet. It shows briefly how our actions have consequences and it's a film for both parents and teenagers to watch and relate to, and maybe comprehend that we all struggle sometimes, making it important to ask for help. It screams at the audience that communication is key, therefore getting its message across, but it could have explored some plotlines a little bit more, making it a bit clearer.

A tiny bit sexy, a smidge funny, often good, very unnerving but heavy-handed.

[TheSquiss · 6/10 · 11 December 2014]

It's very easy to get carried away by Men, Women & Children. From Emma Thompson's sincere, opening narration of doom and foreboding we are led to believe we are in for an emotional ride that will open our eyes, drop our jaws and force us to reassess our obsession with mobile phones, technology and social media.

But step back to consider for a moment after the event and we see Jason Reitman has delivered just a very simple, clear message: Internet bad, parents worse. Men, Women & Children is an affecting and engaging film, but it doesn't really tell the truth and opts instead for shock and disgust over reason and discussion. Sometimes, though, we do need to hear the worst news in order to reevaluate.

Men, Women & Children is a dip into the world of a group of high school teenagers, their families, their relationships and their angst played out through texts, Facebook, Twitter and every other online forum that offers as much privacy as a damp tissue over the nether regions in a hurricane. Beyond, or perhaps central to, the teenagers' own problems are those of their parents and, no matter how bad it is for the kids, the adults are in a far deeper quagmire of their own making.

The principal subject matter of Men, Women & Children is the danger of social media but Reitman merely uses it as a spoon to stir a thick, coagulating mixture of isolation, self-obsession, anorexia, infidelity, lust, pornography, mental health, bereavement, divorce, anger, abandonment, oppression and a hint of rape. Ouch! So much subject matter in so little time? That just about sums it up.

Writer/director Reitman has tried to shoehorn so much into his two hours of screen time that there is little opportunity to reflect. Indeed, as the final credits faded, I found myself sitting, static, trying to absorb the impact and information with which I had been bludgeoned. Initially, I felt numbed by the subject matter although my overriding feeling was positive about the film itself. It is a worthy attempt to highlight a worrying trend in our society; I'm just not sure it was well executed.

Billed as a comedy drama, there is little to laugh at in Men, Women & Children. It is a film of extremes that shows the worst of our fears and depicts the darkest of our social media nightmares and you'll need to step back a bit and realize that the world isn't quite this bad (is it?). Reitman it makes plenty of valid points but he nails them firmly to your heart. I'd urge parents and those who live their lives through Facebook to see it, but regard it as a wake up call and not a factual reflection of your impending doom.

Men, Women & Children is a tiny bit sexy, a smidgen funny, often good, very unnerving and frequently thought provoking but it isn't necessarily entirely accurate and it certainly couldn't be accused of being understated.

Adam Sandler is more restrained than we have seen him for a good long while as Don, one half of a bored, unloved married couple. On the flip side, Jennifer Garner is so extreme, so, um, psychotic as the overbearing, paranoid, dictatorial Patricia that you hope Quentin Tarantino is going to appear as a guest director in the final third and wipe her out in a glorious hail of gunfire and swishing Samurai swords. Needless to say, that is not on the cards.

There is actually plenty to enjoy about Men, Women & Children in spite of the heavy-handed delivery. While the adults are busy screwing up their own live and the lives of their children, Brandy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Tim (Ansel Elgort) are quietly, imperfectly attempting to find their own paths through the emotional mayhem. After trying too hard and missing much of the time in The Fault in Our Stars, Elgort brings some much-needed calm and thoughtfulness to the table and the friendship between Tim and Brandy is the calmest but most powerful aspect of Men, Women & Children.

Men, Women & Children could have done with being filtered to make a greater impact but Reitman has shunned subtlety; why be suggestive when you can make your point with a sledgehammer? Be warned, be concerned, be aware, but don't live in fear of your teenagers and Reitman's prediction that their world is going to hell in a handcart.

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Smartphones, Social Media, Surveillance

[briand6465 · 7/10 · 18 October 2014]

Smartphones, Social Media, Surveillance, Spying: Saw Men, Women & Children starring Adam Sandler, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jennifer Garner, and Ansel Elgort at AMC Theatres. The film basically depicts the times we live in; and what I mean by that is how the Internet and technology has changed our lives.

The main characters including high school students and their parents are followed throughout the movie which focuses on how the Internet impacts their relationships, communication, self-image, and love lives.

Several societal social issues are explored including, video games behavioral impact on teenage boys, the emotional impact of spreading rumors, per-marital sex, teen pregnancy, eating disorders, drug use, divorce, infidelity, Internet safety, fame-hunting, and pornography.

Each character/relationship is tested throughout the movie; which shows us, the audience, a variety of roads people choose in their lives; some negative, some positive; but no matter the road taken, the one thing that is very noticeably clear; immunity to the significant societal social change through the use of our smartphones, tablets, and computers in our society is unavoidable.

I found the film somewhat difficult to follow, but the narration by Emma Thompson did make that easier to do. Not the most entertaining film, but most definitely one that comes with many life lesson messages. Not a must see, but if you are looking for a different kind of film which delves in to societal social issues, go see it. My cinema score 7/10. ‪#‎maverickradio‬™

An Excellent Jason Reitman Film

[Joshsports60 · 10/10 · 6 September 2014]

I recently got to see Men, Women, and Children, the newest feature from Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) and co-writing partner Erin Cressida Wilson (Chloe) based on the novel of the same name by Chad Kultgen.

The film is an ensemble drama, about the effect the internet and technology has had on relationships, intimate or otherwise. They're no groundbreaking original story lines. There is a Romeo (Ansel Elgort) and his Juliet (Kaitlyn Dever). A marriage is on the rocks (Adam Sandler and Rosemarie Dewitt). An overbearing mother trying to control her daughter (Jennifer Garner). An unwitting parent trying to live through her child (Judy Greer and Olivia Crocicchia). A newly single parent trying to connect with his video game addicted son (Dean Norris and Ansel Elgort). An impressionable teenage girl dealing with severe body image issues.

All of the actors did a proficient job. Adam Sandler was excellent, in his first straight drama role since Reign Over Me (or Funny People, if you'd count that). Ansel Elgort and Kaitlyn Dever had both breakout performances. Each of their characters plights will your break your heart, and leave you rooting for them. And most of all, Jennifer Garner was as good as I've seen her in years. She did such an incredible job to make me hate her character as much as I did.

It's a linear story from a big studio with an independent feel. Emotional fireworks are few in this movie. Some of the quieter moments feel the loudest.

This story is timeless. Nobody understands technology in this world. Not the teenagers who superficially know how to use it, and not the parents who are mostly right to be afraid of it. No one understands it. Every character in this story believes the internet can solve their problems. They are searching for a way to mask their wounds. It's ironic that the internet provides anonymity, but those who search for it most crave human connection.

Interesting film about the Internet

[bbickley13-921-58664 · 7/10 · 27 October 2014]

The movie seems to be about everything that is wrong with the Internet.

It goes over how distant and desensitized the internet can make us. It points out a generation gap between adults and children as the title suggest. For the most part he's suggesting we have a problem, He maybe right, but Ironically the format of the film with displaying text and websites on the screen which is starting to become common in movies, only adjust us to the problem versus resolving it.

But the movie is not fully negative as it does point how being able to communicate easier with one another is helpful.

Overall I like the movie. It has a great ensemble cast with the likes of Adam Sandler proving he can do drama. The small stories blended together well, but I must admit the filmmaker was trying to show us a bigger picture which I did not get.

It was humorous and it's the type of film that makes you think. worth sitting through.

Awesome

[jackboblee99 · 9/10 · 6 December 2014]

Men, women and children is an intriguing movie about how the internet can influence our lives and what it can do to us if we stay in that 'world' for too long. There were multiple different stories in this film, all were great. Also the characters were all well developed and all have secrets that will make you question whether your own best friends have secrets and even your partner! The soundtrack was also very good and i really want to listen to it right now! The acting is great! Ansel Elgort is amazing, Jennifer Garner is also great. Jennifer Garner's character is all about protecting her daughter on the internet. She is paranoid that her daughter will come across a predator and she is just over protective. Adam Sandler is also great, he is addicted to pornography and has forgotten what it is like to be loved again. This film is great, I think it is a very under rated film which will be more appreciated as it ages.

An ensemble drama dealing with overbearing parents, porn addiction, marital issues, and abandonment.

[Amari-Sali · 7/10 · 4 October 2014]

When it comes to comedians like Adam Sandler, as I mentioned in the Hateship, Loveship review, often their dramatic roles, especially after they have peaked, are far superior to their comedic roles. If just because most comedians have one sole shtick and they pretty much beat that into the ground until all that is left is the person behind the clown makeup. But, while I like Adam Sandler in dramatic roles, honestly he was not the draw here. More so it was Ansel Elgort, from The Fault In Our Stars & Divergent, as well as Kaitlyn Dever, who is in one of my favorite movies: Short Term 12. Also, though only in a voice over role, the film has Emma Thompson and despite The Love Punch, I still am very much in love with her work. Now, as for whether you should see this film, look below.

Characters & Story

There are four families which are the focus of the film: The Truby family: featuring Don (Adam Sandler), Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt), and Chris (Travis Tope), in which there is a loveless marriage and porn addiction issues; The Clint family, Joan (Judy Greer) and Hannah (Olivia Crocicchia), which has the main issue of how Joan is guiding her daughter's dreams of becoming a Hollywood actress; The Beltmeyer family: which is composed of Patricia (Jennifer Garner) and Brandy (Kaitlyn Dever), and an irrelevant dad, who are dealing with Patricia being a severely overbearing parent, to the point of putting a tracker on Brandy's phone, getting transcripts of every text sent, and requiring all of Brandy's passwords; and lastly there are the Mooneys: Tim (Ansel Elgort) & Kent (Dean Norris), who are dealing with Tim's mother, and Kent's wife, leaving for another man, on top of Tim quitting football.

Praise

Like most ensemble dramas, there are the stories which were either good, you wished were given more focus, or had potential unrealized. Something which can be said for nearly every family in this film. Such as the Truby family issues. For, focusing specifically on Don and Rachel's marriage, it felt like it deserved to be a movie within itself. For with their marriage losing its spark, and then them seeking people outside the marriage, you see enough drama there for a totally separate movie.

Leading to the idea that the film should have solely focused on the Mooney and Beltmeyer family. If just because Dever and Elgort both had enough meat as individuals, and came off as such a cute couple, that I think between exploring the effects of Tim's mom leaving, combined with why Patricia was so obsessively protective over Brandy, we could have gotten a really good movie which could have given us excellent dramatic performances. If just because enough time and depth could have been dedicated to the characters involved.

And before I forget, also the character Allison (Elena Kampouris) had a really good storyline dealing with her eating disorder and her crush on this guy named Brandon (Will Peltz). Which, to me, felt like an odd storyline to include in the film, but is good enough to warrant either an indie film or maybe even a TV show. One which could utilize the Clint family, with Hannah as a villain.

Criticism

When it comes to criticism, first off I felt that the Truby and Clint families wasted valuable time. For one, The Truby family felt out of place in a film which largely focused on the relationships between parents and children since Don barely interacts with Chris, and I can't remember if Rachel spoke to Chris once. Then, when it comes to the Clint family, I found it so weird that Donna would put her daughter through the same issues she went through when she tried to be an actress. Much less, I was unsure why she was unable to see she was basically photographing her daughter and then making a soft- core pornography site.

Leaving Emma Thompson role. She is simply a narrator for the film, and honestly I am unsure what the point of her narration is. For, with all the overlays of what people are doing on their phone, I think we get the point about how communication between people is breaking down and how, in Chris' case, too much porn has made having sex with a real woman difficult. After all, most of what she talks about you can put together yourself. Making her narration, especially when it comes to these parts when we are looking at a satellite and she is talking about its history, completely unnecessary.

Overall: TV Viewing

Recognizing Men, Women & Children is based off a book, I'm inclined to say they should have focused on only the Beltmeyer and Mooney families and called it a day. Maybe add in Donna for a love interest so Kent could move on from his wife, and maybe replace Hannah with Allison for her daughter. For truly, in my opinion, Hannah, the Truby family, and the role Emma Thompson plays in the film, that should have been cut from the film, or not even considered in the planning stages. However, since it is there, I'm labeling this as TV Viewing. For with there being too many stories, of which a handful seem they deserve their own film or show about, and then the terribly weak story of the Clint family, Men, Women & Children feels a bit lopsided to the point I find it hard to recommend to watch this for 2 hours in a likely uncomfortable movie theater seat.

Infantilized...

[Howlin Wolf · 3/10 · 24 August 2015]

The Internet in itself is neither good nor bad; it's how it's used that matters… Reitman tries to tackle the matter of how technology is retarding the way we relate to one another by… OBSESSING over the way technology is retarding the way we relate to one another! He's the same type of shut-in; he's just stressing over the negatives rather than using the benefits to his advantage. By focusing so intently on little issues, he's making these problems out to be much worse than they are in reality, and demonizing and legitimising outlying cases.

He's just a little more sensible than Garner's 'overprotective mum' character, in that he understands that you can't put the genie back in the bottle and guard against EVERYTHING - but disappointingly, he seems just as pessimistic about future consequences.

It's hysterical paranoia from someone who usually strives to be such a balanced film-maker… "Reefer Madness" for the digital age. A work that can only be viewed as laughable is the end result.

Not one of the characters in the film has a positive outcome from their dealings with technology… It's a depressingly Luddite and reactionary film for something that was released in 2014, no matter how much he tries to jazz it up and make it feel modern by getting the Interfaces right and representing 'movement' through text in little tiny boxes! (annoying for those with poor eyesight, BTW - you constantly need to keep a look out for website addresses and abbreviated texts materialising all over the screen!)

It devolves a sophisticated and complex world, into so much alarmist shrieking. Reitman's previous work led me to expect something much more assured - and darn it, perceptive - than what we're left with.

It's a freakishly good movie

[Garcwrites · 8/10 · 2 December 2014]

The film Men, Women & Children is another societal exploration of American / western culture by Jason Reitman. It is a freakishly good movie. I didn't really know what to expect, to be honest the trailers were not that engaging, but this character driven movie captivated me. It's a little long and the slow pace is not helping but every minutes were worth the cramp I got on my ass from sitting too long in the movie theater.

Every character had their kinks and quirks, a singularity about them that some people might call one dimensional, I disagree. The message wouldn't have been so loud and clear if the characters didn't have a stereotypical aspect to them. By the way what was the message? It sure feels like there's one but the at the same time it doesn't feel like it's patronizing message. I think it is whatever you feel it is, you will definitely leave with something, but it might not be the same as the people who sat next to you. In that sense the movie feels neutral, showing you how it is and how it can affect lives.

The movie is not as heavy as the trailers suggest, well it is heavy but there were light and funny moments that helped not making the film a drag. The way Reitman opened his subject made sense and it was tastefully done. Unlike the web he left some things to the imagination or implied them. The film goes to "scary" places, revealing some heavy uncomfortable things about teenagers, parents, couples, and society. You go to these places because it's done every so slightly, tastefully, step by step.

It was a great assemble of a cast, there is not a bad performance in this movie. Each of the actors play their part on this beautiful movie that is Men, Women & Children.

If you haven't seen this movie, please check it out, and I would like to know if the movie resonated with you? Tweet me @wornoutspines

Well made drama about the internet and us supplies wrong message

[agsteribbe · 7/10 · 28 September 2015]

This is a well made and reasonably well played drama about how the usage of the internet affects our actions and daily live in the real world.

It shows porn consumption, bullying with messages, extramarital affairs, teen sexual pressure, game addiction and parents stalking their kids. Unexpected for this kind of movie.

However it does this all in a negative fashion, there is hardly anything positive to be found in using the net in the entire movie. Yes people want affection, sex, entertainment and social contacts and yes they will use any means possible to get what they want, and yes the internet makes that easier, but it does not turn all of us into something we do not want.

We decide if we want to have an affair, we decide if we like gaming, we decide to bully someone, and in the end we decide to start having sex, the internet did not chance that, it just is a "new" way to do old things and as such it is not evil or good, it just is.

Side-note : Why is gaming always depicted as negative ? If our kids read 6 hours a day it's "just look at her/him how much he likes reading, isn't it great ?" . But if you spend the same amount of time having fun on the net with a couple of other people, it is evil ?

Reitman's film about the dangers of social media

[estebangonzalez10 · 4/10 · 5 January 2015]

"Like it or not, for the moment The Earth is where we make our stand."

Jason Reitman's latest film, Men, Women & Children, left me speechless but I don't mean that in a good way. I was a huge fan of Reitman's first three films: Thank You for Smoking, Juno, and Up in the Air so I went into this movie with high expectations despite his recent misses with Young Adult and Labor Day. Juno is one of my favorite films so I still look forward to what Reitman is working on next, but I sure hope he teams up with Diablo Cody soon because his scripts lack that sharp and witty dialogue. The greatest problem with this film (which failed to connect with audiences in the theater making less than 1 million at the box office) is that it feels too preachy. Reitman screams out his message about the dangers of social media in the most clichéd ways. First, he establishes several familiar characters that play a certain stereotype with the purpose of getting his message across. For instance you have the over protective mother who is highly exaggerated in the way she controls what her daughter is doing and who she is chatting with, then you have the other extreme where a mother is managing her daughter's life in order for her to become famous by uploading sexy pictures of her in a website, and finally you have a father who has trouble communicating with his son and basically lays off of him after his wife has abandoned them. These characters all play certain stereotypes and have no personality whatsoever. Reitman also tries to tackle other familiar social issues like porn addiction, unfaithfulness, anorexia, and video gaming by portraying how social media has changed the way we live our lives. The message is heavy handed and we've seen it portrayed many times in the past in better films. Another issue I had with Men, Women, and Children is that it lacks subtlety in the way the message should be delivered. It is also heavily one-sided and never tries to portray the positive side of social media. My final complaint has to do with Reitman's decision of including a voice narration from Emma Thompson with scenes of a satellite traveling across the galaxy showing how small our planet is in the vastness of our universe. It was too ambitious for a film that never feels authentic or groundbreaking.

Perhaps the greatest thing about Men, Women, and Children are the performances from the impressive cast. Adam Sandler and Rosemarie DeWitt play a struggling married couple very well. Sandler gives a very restrained performance as he has done in past dramas and once again proves that he has a range when it comes to acting. Reitman could have taken a similar approach with this film and been more subtle and restrained in the way he was trying to deliver the message. Jennifer Garner and Judy Greer are given perhaps the most exaggerated characters in the film so many people might have a problem with their performances, but I thought they delivered strong roles despite the poor material they had to work with. Breaking Bad fans will also be delighted to see Dean Norris on screen again as he delivers in his supporting role. The teens in this film also give convincing performances beginning with Ansel Elgort who is the football star of his High School, but decides to give up on playing the sport and becomes addicted with online video gaming. Kaitlyn Dever, who was great in Short Term 12, delivers once again as the teen whose interactions are overseen by her overprotective mother. Olivia Crocicchia plays the sexy teen who is encouraged by her mother and dreams of becoming famous. Elena Kampouris plays the anorexic teen who is searching for acceptance from her crush. The performances are all solid and despite the fact that there are many different story lines they all get sufficient screen time. The only problem is that they all play familiar stereotypes and I didn't find a distinct personality in anyone of these characters. They all seem to be playing a specific role in order to deliver a message. J.K. Simmons, who frequently collaborates with Reitman, also has a small role in this film but he is underused. This drama failed to connect with me perhaps because the timing of the film was a bit off and it also lacked subtlety.

Though a social downer, Jason Reitman's latest offers up some interesting ideas...

[ClaytonDavis · 6/10 · 16 September 2014]

A singularity of depressing feelings fills Jason Reitman's latest drama Men, Women & Children and doesn't let up in its 116 minute runtime. There's no way to start talking about the film without putting that out there from the jump. I've never experience such a social downer probably since Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream, and at that time I was a young adult who had no experience with drug addiction. In Reitman's adaptation of the Chad Kultgen novel of the same name, it brings to the forefront, the current social climate of our children and adults. For some, it may feel as if you're brow beaten into submission the entire time. At times, that would be completely accurate however, there's no denying that Reitman's cinematic aesthetic has been risen to an impeccable height. Not to mention, Men, Women & Children features one of the year's best ensembles, all delivering noble and honest work.

Centering around our entire culture, and even the different ideals that surround our existence and universe, the film tells the story of several high school students and their parents and how sexuality frustrates them in their everyday life.

I was surprised, perhaps even shocked about how much I enjoyed the film by the end credits. The film successfully manages to have you fixated on its story and its characters for the entire duration. Though you are pulled through the ringer with little breaks, Reitman amazingly builds several stories, full of aggressive tension that is reminiscent of films like Paul Haggis' Crash. That may already keep you at an arm's distance with that comparison but the two directors both have similar styles in bringing their points to the surface. What does Men, Women & Children teach me? To keep my daughter Sophia at home for as long as I can and don't buy her a cell phone until she's 50. Is the film innovative or groundbreaking? absolutely not. In a discussion with my staff writers, we were discussing the film's trailer after it premiered. One of them astutely said, "this feels like one movie too early for Jason Reitman." I agreed at the time however, I'm of the mind that it's about two movies too late. If this had been released around the time of The Social Network or immediately following Reitman's Oscar- nominated Up in the Air, I would feel as if we would be looking at our winner for Best Picture. Unfortunately, in 2014, I feel we all know this. We know technology is keeping us apart, we know our children are being buried under the cloud of our family's issues whether it be sex, lies, or divorce. It's still a fascinating look at the interpretation.

One thing that can't be denied is the cast is simply superb in every forms of the word. With no real standout, there are no weak links. I'm most fond of young Ansel Elgort, likely playing a character you may have interacted with more times than you'd like to. Perhaps even a vivid representation of yourself at one point. This will be a great plateau for him to leap from to show he's not just the "YA cute boy" from The Fault in our Stars. He's firmly a part of the next generation of young, gifted actors. Next in line is the multi- talented Dean Norris. Sensitive, furious, and truly heartbreaking, Norris extends himself to a new limit we never really thought he had in him.

It's so refreshing to see Adam Sandler doing something so stoic and reserved. No Sandler-isms are shown, just glimpses of a man with so much more left to prove and say. While its nowhere near his work in Punch Drunk Love, it's something I hope that will be the beginning of a new wave of work for him.

Jennifer Garner, though very good in her limited time, as just pigeon-holed herself into a role that she's played way too often. It's time to break out something new. Judy Greer is quite staggering, involved in a character that's richly despicable yet surprisingly sympathetic. Same goes for the amazing Rosemarie DeWitt, who challenges herself in new realms of sex appeal and ferocity.

Kaitlyn Dever is also the next wave of sought after talent just one year after Short Term 12. She will also likely be joined by Olivia Crocicchia and/or Elena Kampouris in that regard.

Men, Women & Children moves Jason Reitman into a new chapter for filmmaking. One year after Labor Day crashed and burned, he's feeling himself out and may have something huge up his sleeve in the near future. All the crafts from music, to cinematography, and especially editing were very impressive. I think paired with the right material, timely subject matter, and another outstanding cast, we should soon see that he will be here to stay. The film is a somber but emotionally resonate experience. Though there are times that it can come off a bit "try hard" such as a completely unneeded narration by Emma Thompson, the film is definitely a base hit for Reitman and the studio. I'm in.

Very relevant to our modern lives

[Gordon-11 · 22 November 2015]

This film tells the story of several men, women and children, who are lost in the modern world that is made easy by the internet, but also succumb to the perils of the internet.

I must say I can really relate to this plot, because it's so relevant to our lives. I just have to cast my memories to a few years back, before internet and smartphones dominate people's lives. There was no texting and posting selfies on Facebook! Nowadays, people adjust and maladjust to this new lifestyle. And the film is about that. Though the pacing is slow, it beautifully portrays the disruption and dangers of our behaviours we would otherwise not do without the internet. It exposes our need for attachment, recognition and love. I find the plot very engaging and touching.

The Earth is where we make our stand....

[FlashCallahan · 7/10 · 17 August 2015]

The film follows a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives.

Social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the ease of access of illicit material on the internet, are scrutinised with each characters narrative.

As each character and each relationship is tested, the variety of roads people choose are analysed, some tragic, some hopeful, and it soon becomes clear that no one is immune to this social change that has come through our phones, our computers, and fundamentally, our lives......

It's a difficult one to recommend this one. It's way too dark and depressing to be a comedy, and too silly silly and incoherent in places to be a damning commentary on the state of youth, demographic, and class in today's society, thanks to the the advent of the internet and social media.

The film tells us we can be who we want to be on-line, we can have who we want if we have the money, the looks, and the status, but in doing so, we lose the most important thing in our life, realisation into who we really are and who are important to us in the real world.

Sandler proves he can put in a good performance when he wants to, but his character is such an unlikable one, you really couldn't care less about what happens to him. He's a cheat, and when he finds out his wife is just the same, we are supposed to feel sorry for him? That's not how it works my friend.

The film comes and goes with its different threads of narratives and different plot lines, but it's never really resolves each story it delves into.

It's an interesting film for sure, but it's message is the same message that my mum used to say to me when I was growing up.......'turn it off and go and do something useful'

Really enjoyed it!

[Matthew-WH · 9/10 · 2 December 2014]

From the minute the film started i was hooked right in. This film deals with some really heavy subject matter and while we may not all relate to each individual characters story, we can all relate to how consuming technology has become and the internet. It was confronting at times but it was for good reason, it wasn't about shock factor, it was a genuine portrayal of a story. I felt for every character even when it was hard too. Ansel Elgort has a knack for ripping my heart out (Fault In Our Stars and this film). I was pleasantly surprised at how engaging and interesting this film was. While is seems to have been critiqued harshly by critics, i don't hold a film to any particular rating, i watch it for what it is and for me, not for others. I found the movie interesting, i enjoyed each character and learning their stories. Highly suggest this film but go in without a movie critic state of mind and take it for what it is.

Awkward attempt to dramatize 'plugging in' and 'zoning out'

[george.schmidt · 6/10 · 12 October 2014]

MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN (2014) ** Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Timothee Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Katilyn Deve, Ansel Elgort, Kathernie C. Hughes, Elena Kampouris, Will Peltz, Travis Tope, David Denman, Dennis Haysbert, JK Simmons, Phil LaMarr; (Narration: Emma Thompson) Jason Reitman's awkward attempt to dramatize the effect of 'plugging in' to the tech savvy world of interpersonal communication (texting, social media etc.) fumbles with its overkill screenplay by his collaborators, Chad Kultgen and Erin Cressida Wilson with borderline caricature characters (to wit: prudish momma bear Garner is a laughing-stock scold who monitors her poor teenage daughter Deve to the point of fascist madness and the flip-side of Greer as the enabling mother of sexually advancing offspring Crocicchia by taking provocative photographs for their website) and eye-rolling dialogue and teeth-grinding unnecessarily distant (literally) narration by snooty Thompson nearly capsizes this otherwise well-acted cautionary tale of porn addiction, affairs, and bullying in high school that the similar DISCONNECT did two years earlier with similar half-hearted effect.

Deep film and not a 'light' watch but a must watch!

[ArchonCinemaReviews · 8/10 · 2 January 2015]

Men, Women & Children is an introspection to the human isolation of modern life despite increased technical connections.

It is through the Men, Women & Children's characters, specifically high school teens and their parents, that writer/director Jason Reitman explores human communication and interaction and the changes caused by the internet.

It is through these relationships that Reitman then puts a mirror to the impact of the internet on communication, self-image, parenting, love and sexuality and other topics.

From this description, the film could sound like the audience might be in for a PBS special or history channel episode on the digital age. Men, Women & Children is a thought provoking film with interesting but increasingly faulted but well-developed characters. The well conceived plot and dynamic characters are thanks in part to author of synonymously titled novel in which the film is based, Chad Kultgen.

The subject matter of the film is quite heavy for a feature film of this magnitude and yet, it feels ultimately successful at being an accurate but dramatized portrait of modern American life. Though some archetypes are exaggerated slightly, such as the overprotective mom who has a support group that hands out pamphlets titled "The Dangers of Selfies", there is substantial justifiable honesty to this reality. It helps that Reitman chose to make the film more scathingly honest and therefore indie than superficial box office behemoth.

Since Men, Women & Children is an ensemble piece, the film was able to be stacked with notable actors and promising young actors: Adam Sandler, Rosemarie Dewitt, Jennifer Garner, Dean Norris, Judy Greer, Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever, Olivia Crocicchia, and Elena Kampouris. There is no weak performance from any actor or actress in the film, all are strong and believable. Men, Women & Children should have a character that resonates with you, either because you are that person, have been in that situation or know someone who has.

To top it all off, the movie has a complementary soundtrack that is appropriately disassociated and hauntingly airy. Ideally this film should be watched by parents and children simultaneously but preferably they should watch the film on their own for the ultimate message to hit home.

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This movies caught me off guard

[UsernameHype · 7/10 · 19 September 2015]

This movies caught me off guard. At first I thought it was just a typical teen movie, but it turned into so much more.

Men, Women & Children is a very unique study of how different situations and lifestyle choices can effect you and everyone around you.

The movie follows different characters and have just that, different lifestyles. The movie catalogs how everyone around them reacts and how this effects these characters.

I would suggest this movie to anyone who is a parent, or any teens going through tough times. It isn't the happiest movie, but it will definitely make you rethink life and what you are going through.

Either a parody of or an homage to 1970s after school specials

[tarchon · 4/10 · 31 October 2015]

If you like cautionary melodrama laid on so thick that you aren't sure if it's supposed to be a joke, this movie is for you. It reminds me a little of Crash and (if you go way back) Mazes and Monsters. It seems to want to be an exploration of how the internet collides with teen angst, but it weirdly seems to have been written by someone who was never a teen and only knows what the internet is from 2nd hand descriptions. Aliens maybe? I really don't know who could have come up with this script in earnest. It's full of weird misconceptions about things that I previously assumed were part of commonplace experience. I'm pretty sure the actors were taking it seriously though. Wow, is there a lot of Serious Acting being Acted here.

Seriously underrated

[serfwax · 9/10 · 22 June 2019]

How is this not at least an 8? This must be the most underrated movie of 2014. Perhaps, in hindsight, it's become more meaningful to we users of technology over the 5 years since it was released.

Adults and Teens Should Watch Together

[bonniebonniebanks · 7/10 · 18 October 2014]

I think this is going to be one of those movies that nobody hears about until it's finished with the theatres but will be sought after on disc. It's a brilliant way that MIGHT open dialogue between parents and teens if they watch it together. It has so much value - and shows where the parents can really mess up when they try to take total control of situations for their kids. A few of the parents do what many people would like to do and maybe this will stop them from going through with it when they see what it can cause.

This is a valuable film that I heard nothing about until I went to the theatre.

A Soap Opera with Sticky Fingers

[tigerfish50 · 1/10 · 20 October 2014]

After director Jason Reitman drowned his audience in the syrupy conclusion of 'Labor Day', the opening minutes of his new film suggest he might have got his his hands on some gritty material and his feet back on solid ground. 'Men, Women and Children' kicks off portraying how social media affects American suburban communities. Almost all of the issues are connected to sex and the internet - teenage romance, extra-marital hook-ups, divorcée dating, obsessive masturbation, porn-induced impotence, hyper-controlling parents, anorexia, video game addiction, child exploitation and high school cyber-bullying. Unfortunately the script just skates over these dilemmas, leaving its collection of characters with far too many narrative arcs.

The fine cast turns in sound performances, but they're little more than cardboard cut-outs enmeshed in soap opera melodramas. Reitman attempts to give this middle-class stew some extra weight with irrelevant footage of a 1970's space probe departing the solar system, but the device fails to give the film any gravity. The plot-lines with the 'decent' people are happily tied up with pink ribbon, while the masturbators, fornicators and sexually-repressed snoops are left dangling in the void. 'Men, Women and Children' shows Reitman is still stuck in the treacly traditions of commercial cinema - with a cynical eye coldly calculating sweet box-office returns.

Oh, that naughty Internet!

[JohnDeSando · 19 October 2014]

"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love." Carl Sagan

Although the disquieting Men, Women, and Children is about the social problems wrought by the internet as experienced by a large cast of teens and adults, the real subject is human relationships. The topic-filled film does a credible job laying out challenges, of which there are too many, but little remedy for almost all. I guess the net is so relatively new, say in reference to Carl Sagan's globe represented by the pale blue dot of the famous Voyager picture, that we'll not expunge its demons until much later in our future, if ever.

Don Truby (Adam Sandler—an understated but effective performance), in a limping marriage, seeks a prostitute on line; his wife, Helen (Rosemary DeWitt), seeks adulterous companionship through the Ashley Madison site. While they have the deepest emotional problems in the film (most others involve teens going through a litany of difficulties, as to be expected), they effectively represent a thesis that the real problem is not the internet but the people.

The vehicles are the mobile device and the laptop/PC, but the conflict usually comes between parents and teens, often about freedom. Director Jason Reitman skillfully shows that real, direct communication is at a premium and lack of it at the heart of dysfunction. For instance, a mother (Jennifer Garner) who monitors too closely her daughter's communications to protect her misses the fact that the monster she is protecting her from is herself. This film also touches on the existential concerns about individual responsibility and character, which for Carl Sagan would be set against the vast cosmos.

If you want to catalog the challenges the internet has brought, then see the conversation-provoking Men, Women, and Children. If you want to remedy the problems,pray.

"The universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent." Carl Sagan