"Family Is More Important than Fame"
None | Light | Moderate | Heavy | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Language | ||||
Violence | ||||
Sex | ||||
Nudity |
What You Need To Know:
THE TRIP is thoughtful and funny, with its rich charms rooted in the genuine humanity of its characters. Coogan is revealed in a different light than usual, showing how miserable he still is after his casual sexual escapades. He also clearly wishes for a stronger connection to other people, especially his own son. The movie shows that show business is illusory and that families matter more than any career. All that said, extreme caution is advised for THE TRIP, due to foul language, some lewd content and a brief drug scene.
Content:
(RoRo, B, LLL, S, A, DD, M) Strong Romantic worldview with some moral elements in whimsical, improvised comedy based on British TV comedy series in which Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play themselves as Coogan is hired by a magazine to review Northern England’s finest restaurants and takes his best friend, fellow comic Rob Brydon, so characters appear to enjoy the high life, but a sense of melancholy prevails under the surface as it becomes clear that Coogan is miserable being single after age 40 and, thus, having family is extolled, as Brydon is shown to be lonely without his wife and children in contrast to Coogan; at least 16 obscenities (including several “f” and “s” words) and 10 profanities; no violence; two scenes imply Coogan has had casual fornication the night before, as the respective women sneak out of his hotel room, leaving him looking miserable; alcohol use; smoking and one woman offers Coogan cocaine, which he declines, but she proceeds to snort a lot of it; and, rivalry and jealousy.
More Detail:
THE TRIP is a whimsical, impressively improvised comedy starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in a mockumentary-style that depicts the pair of British comics traveling the roads of Northern England for a week to review fine dining restaurants for a magazine.
Coogan is the bigger star and invites Brydon along for the ride when Coogan’s girlfriend declines. They comically discuss and argue an endless array of topics, with particular focus on celebrity tales since both men are excellent impersonators who love to one-up each other.
However, under the surface lies a melancholy undertone, largely due to the fact Coogan is over age 40 and still hopelessly single after a nasty breakup with his last girlfriend. Meanwhile, Brydon is constantly talking about his wife and children and is experiencing loneliness as well. Brydon’s marriage and its stability are seen as ideal, especially when compared to what Coogan is going through as a single man.
Along the way, Coogan engages in implied one-night stands with women working in hotels where he stays. Nothing is shown other than bare shoulders on his part, but the women leave looking awkward, and he looks miserable as he wakes up. One woman he meets, a former conquest, offers him cocaine, which he turns down, but then she uses a mountain of it herself. Coogan and Bryson drink alcohol in restaurants throughout (but not to excess), and Coogan smokes cigarettes a few times to calm his nerves.
THE TRIP is quiet and thoughtful compared to most major comedies, but its rich charms are rooted in the genuine humanity of its characters. In it, Coogan is revealed in a different light than usual, showing how miserable he is after his casual sex adventures and clearly wishing for a stronger connection to other human beings, including the son to whom he was largely an absentee father. What the movie shows is that show business is illusory and that it’s families that matter more than any career.
All that said, extreme caution is advised due to the movie’s lewd content, foul language and brief drug scene.