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HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE

What You Need To Know:

The British comedy HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE stars Simon Pegg as Sidney Young, an iconoclastic, profane celebrity reporter. In England, Sidney has trouble getting into celebrity events because all he writes is tabloid journalism. He and his pig make a mess of a celebrity party by a New York publisher, Clayton Harding. Harding brings Sidney to New York anyway, to work on his staff. Sidney has trouble fitting in, however, because he is so uncouth. Even so, he manages to befriend another writer, Alison. Alison has been having a troubled affair with their married supervisor. When the supervisor leaves his wife and quits his job, Alison goes off with him. Chagrined, Sidney decides to play the game of kissing up to the celebrities and their publicists. As he climbs the ladder of success, he begins to learn how shallow it is.

Although Sidney rejects fame and fortune for true love with Alison, the movie’s crude moments outweigh the good ones. They aren’t very funny, either. Besides abundant crude language, an office strip scene played for laughs and the movie’s apparent endorsement of cocaine use are particularly offensive.

Content:

(B, PaPaPa, LLL, VV, SS, NN, AA, DD, MM) Light moral worldview about an iconoclastic, profane celebrity journalist who realizes that fame and fortune is not all it’s cracked up to be, but with very strong pagan behavior that undermines the moral premise, including an acceptance of cocaine use and sexual immorality; at least 42 mostly strong obscenities, three strong profanities and two light profanities, plus pig urinates on lady’s high heel and other vulgar language; strong comic violence such as wrecking a party, implied crushing of tiny dog, and man causes commotion wrestling something away from a woman at a celebrity event; married people having affairs, woman offers sex to journalist, man hires stripper to embarrass his rival at work when the two daughters of the boss come into the room with their mother, and other sexual references; upper and rear female nudity in office strip scene played for laughs, plus female cleavage and upper male nudity; alcohol use and drunkenness; smoking and implied cocaine high by protagonist and acceptance of cocaine use when protagonist fetches small bag of cocaine for a starlet he plans to seduce; and, rude behavior.

More Detail:

Though it has a positive moral premise, the British comedy HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE goes a little too far with its edgy pagan comedy, which includes abundant crude language, an office strip scene played for laughs and an acceptance of cocaine use.

Comic actor Simon Pegg stars as iconoclastic, profane celebrity reporter Sidney Young. In England, Sidney has immense trouble getting into celebrity events because all he wants to do is tabloid journalism. He and his pig make a mess of a celebrity party by a New York publisher, Clayton Harding, played by Jeff Bridges. Harding decides to bring Sidney to New York anyway, to work on his staff.

Sidney has trouble fitting in, however, because he is so inept and uncouth. Even so, he eventually manages to break down the defenses of another writer, Alison, played by Kirsten Dunst. Alison, however, has been having a troubled affair with their married supervisor. When the supervisor leaves his wife and quits his job, Alison goes off with him.

Chagrined about this, Sidney finally decides to play the game of kissing up to the celebrities and their publicists. As he climbs the ladder of success, he begins to learn how shallow it happens to be.

This movie tries to play opposite sides of the comedy scales by being crude, then heartwarming. Although the protagonist eventually rejects fame and fortune, the crude moments are more abundant. They are not very pleasing, either. Particularly objectionable are a nude strip scene played for laughs and the movie’s apparent endorsement of cocaine use.

Media-wise viewers will not rush out to see this movie, even on DVD, but neither will other moviegoers.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.