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(CC, BBB, Ro, L, V, D, M) Strong implied Christian worldview with very strong moral elements, marred by light Romantic elements; one light obscenity and two light exclamatory profanities; image of World Trade Center Towers falling but no other violence; no sex; no nudity; no alcohol use; brief smoking; and, grieving woman asks God to turn back time.
GENRE: Drama
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BBB
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More Detail:
THE GUYS is a powerful tribute to the fallen New York firefighters who gave their lives on 911 to help others when the Islamic terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center. Though it displays the staged aspects of the original theatrical play on which it’s based, the movie is totally absorbing, dramatic and heartfelt.
Sigourney Weaver stars in the movie as Joan, a middle-class writer who’s employed to help Nick, a fire captain who must deliver eulogies for four of the eight men he lost in the tragedy. Slowly, but in a thoroughly compelling fashion, the movie shows Joan drawing Nick out to describe each of the four men and tell her what each one meant to him. Though Nick is skeptical, he learns that he knew more about the men than he realized, even though he was close to only one of the men and even though one of the men was a new, young guy who had been with Nick’s ladder company only a few weeks. Joan reads three of the final eulogies back to Nick; Nick reads the fourth eulogy at the Christian memorial of the last firefighter.
THE GUYS works wonderfully well whenever it shows Joan and Nick working together on the eulogies of the four dedicated firemen. As Joan probingly questions Nick about each man, viewers gain delightful and poignant insights into both the personalities of each man and the inner workings of Nick’s personal grief as he comes to terms with the facts of his tragic loss. Of course, one of the strongest portraits turns out to be Nick’s best friend, Patrick. Unexpectedly, Patrick turns out to be a natural-born leader to whom all the men looked up, even Nick. Also unexpectedly, Patrick turns out to be a highly-principled man of faith, a thoroughly professional fireman who values God, church and family. As Nick describes his friend, viewers learn that Patrick’s values affected all of the men, even those who seemed to be fun loving troublemakers.
Thus, THE GUYS is not just a powerful tribute to the valiant, but average, men who gave their lives that fateful morning on 911. It’s also a powerful tribute to the impact that a strong Christian faith can have on those around us. THE GUYS goes even deeper than that, however, because it also shows that the other firefighters also had an effect on Nick, on his comrades, and eventually on Joan herself. Thus, every one of us, even those who don’t have a strong Christian faith, can affect the lives of those around us, in life as well as in death. In the end, therefore, THE GUYS represents a tribute not only to Christ but also to the human condition, which, as all Christians should know, reflects the Image of God.
MOVIEGUIDE® highly recommends this clean, uplifting movie, which contains excellent performances by Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia. It is an extraordinary American film that reminds us all of the dignity and value of each and every human life. THE GUYS clearly shows moviegoers that how we die is not the only important thing to remember, but how we lived.
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