- Content: “Sweet, Predictable, and Problematic”
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What You Need To Know:
The movie is well-directed, written, and acted, and portrays a sweet romance. However, there is foul language, sexual content, partial nudity, and one drinking scene. Women wear crop tops, and it appears that they do not wear a bra. People make fun of prayer, which clashes with one character saying to have trust and faith during a difficult time. The movie presents a strong Romantic worldview, emphasizing the importance of following one’s heart and dreams, and doing what makes one happy, which conflicts with a very light Christian worldview. MOVIEGUIDE® recommends extreme caution for older teenagers and sensitive adults.
Content:
A strong Romantic worldview when certain characters talk about following your heart and dreams and do what makes you happy. This conflicts with a very light Christian worldview when a character says to have trust and faith while another says that her dad up there is looking out for her, implying heaven, but there is no mention of God. One character says she has something to offer that is better than prayer. One character refuses to sell her dad’s car to save her auto shop. One of the characters is homosexual and talks about his experiences with men and flirts with a male bartender, but there is nothing explicit. There is also talk of a mom and mom shop;
One shut up, one “little sh” word, three “d” words. , eight “sh” words, three “OMG” words, one h*ll yeah, one shot to “sh” word, A character gives another the middle finger, eight uses of God, , one “f” word, one shi*tty, one scr*w it, one “f-ing” word;
No vioelnce;
A woman jumps on a man as she wraps arms and legs around him and go out the door fully-clothed. There is talk about “hitting it with an eighty-year-old. There is an aftermath of a sex scene with male and female bare shoulders shown. A woman wears a shirt with nothing underneath and gets changed off-screen. A man carries a woman away at a restaurant, but nothing is shown. Several kissing scenes. Kiss on cheek. A mention of an STD and getting laid. Man touches a woman from behind and kisses her on the neck, they make out and take their clothes off in the kitchen. There is talk of reaching out and touching a man. A character says to another that she can show off her assets while looking at another character’s breasts while another character talks about showing off rotation skills;
Upper male nudity. A woman shows her bra with her blouse open after making out with a man. You can see skin above a woman’s waist. Women wear crop tops showing skin multiple times. A woman wears a blouse with no bra. Women show cleavage. A woman wears blouses that show outline of her breasts;
A woman drinks alcohol from a glass at a fancy restaurant. Women hold alcohol glass and bottle at a restaurant bar. A woman drinks at that same bar;
None; and,
A bad boss fires a man for wanting to support his wife and prays to destroy competition. A man and woman lie several times, because of romantic tension and creating an excuse to not be around each other out of nervousness.
More Detail:
It would be a stretch to state that this movie lacks quality, because it doesn’t. Everyone, from the director to the writer, to the two leads, and the supporting actors, does a great job. Madelaine Petsch as Charlie crushes the role as the girl who wants to do right by his dad. Jacob Scipio, who plays Beau, definitely has charm and charisma to spare.
Madison Bailey and Katy O’Brien portray likeable performances as Izzy and Kam, respectively, as they not only tease Charlie during the more light-hearted, fun moments, but also comfort her during her tough times. Jim Gaffigan portrays Beau’s boss, where he gets to show off his obvious comedic chops for better or for worse. The cinematographer also did a great job with the dynamic shots in this movie. The opening shot of San Francisco stands out in particular.
All the things mentioned up to this point involve the technical aspects of MAINTENANCE REQUIRED. Unfortunately, although the movie presents a sweet, romantic story, and audiences will develop a deep appreciation and affection for the main characters, it has a predictable plot; however, the main issue lies in something much more problematic.
If a movie has a predictable storyline, certain people can look past that if the filmmakers deliver on the payoff. MAINTENANCE REQUIRED gets a stamp of disapproval because it contains sexual content and partial nudity. Also, women wear crop tops, and, in some scenes, it looks like a woman does not wear a bra underneath. People often make fun of prayer, which contradicts the advice of one character to another to have trust and faith during a difficult time.
The movie has a strong Romantic worldview, as certain characters advocate for following one’s heart and dreams, and doing what makes one happy. This aspect conflicts with a very light Christian worldview when a character advises having trust and faith, while another suggests that her dad is watching over her, implying heaven, but there is no mention of God. Because of its sexual content and nudity, MOVIEGUIDE® recommends extreme caution for older teenagers and/or adults.
MAINTENANCE REQUIRED begins with Charlie driving across the Golden Gate Bridge towards her auto shop. She sits down at her desk, opens her laptop, and messages a man on the car forum. They have been texting each other for a while now, and her friends are wondering if they will ever reveal their names to each other. Meanwhile, a Miller Boys auto shop opens across the street from O’Malley’s, which concerns Charlie until Izzy has the idea of turning her nail polish business into something official at the auto shop. Then, Beau visits the shop, and Charlie falls in love with him, which Beau reciprocates.
Unbeknownst to the women, Beau had moved to the area where Charlie lives because he works as the closer for Miller Boys and had opened a new shop across the street. Another encounter between Charlie and Beau solidifies their mutual infatuation towards each other, but Charlie is conflicted, because she has feelings for the car forum guy she has been texting with. At the same time, Beau wrestles with the fact that he works for Miller Boys and keeps that a secret from Charlie, but Beau hesitates to tell her an even bigger thing. Because of these two secrets, Beau fears what will happen if Charlie figures everything out and how it will affect their new relationship.
