Story

Themes

Blended families; family breakdown; teenage rebellion

Violence

Are We Done Yet? contains some slapstick cartoon-like violence with little harm caused. There are also many accidents depicted which, in real life, could cause serious injury, but don't seem to cause any harm in the movie. Examples of violence include the following:

• Nick chases Chuck with a piece of wood in a threatening manner. Chuck sweeps Nick’s feet from under him and then jumps on top of him stabbing him between the legs in a threatening manner: no-one is hurt.
• While fishing, Kevin is pulled into a lake by a giant fish. Nick jumps in after him and wrestles with the giant fish.
• A man slaps his younger brother across the head.
• Nick faints when he looks between his wife’s legs as she is about to give birth. Hot chili sauce is then poured onto Nick’s face to revive him.
• Nick has food thrown over him.

Sexual references

This movie contains some sexual references, including the following examples:

• When Suzanne tells Nick she is pregnant, he responds, ‘By whom?’
• Teenage children talk about fish giving birth to baby fish.
• Nick and Suzanne talk about how there are lots of rooms in their new house that are in need of being ‘broken in’.
• Plastic footwear is described as ‘nice booty’.
• A reference is made to ‘coupling is participation’.
• Nick chases off a squirrel eating nuts, stating that it ‘shouldn’t mess with a man’s nuts’.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Nick is drinking beer in a bar when he finds out that his wife is having twins. He quickly drinks a couple of shots of vodka.

Nudity and sexual activity

This movie contains some nudity and sexual activity, including the following examples:

• Suzanne is depicted in a number of scenes wearing low cut tops exposing her cleavage.
• Nick and Suzanne are seen in bed, with Suzanne wearing low cut tops.
• On a couple of occasions, Chuck places his ear next to Suzanne’s stomach to listen to her unborn babies.
• The 13-year old daughter (Lindsey) sneaks off to a party and dances with a young man with their arms wrapped around each other. Later they hug together.

Product placement

A 13-year-old girl owns and uses a mobile phone. She is also seen in a state of panic when denied the use of her phone.

Coarse language

This movie contains some very occasional low-level coarse language and verbal putdowns.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Are We Done Yet? is a slapstick family comedy with mediocre humour but will appeal to preteens and teenagers. The movie is based on the value of family and friends and shows that a house is not necessarily a home but has to be made into one.

You might like to discuss other values explored in this movie such as the care we need to take when assessing someone’s character, as with Nick’s assessment and re-assessment of Chuck Mitchell.

The movie presents an opportunity to discuss with your children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences. For example:

• Lindsey’s attitude towards boys and how this attitude could result in dangerous real-life consequences
• the manner in which the film presents Lindsey’s defiant and at times selfish and thoughtless attitude as ‘cool’ and acceptable
• family breakdown and resolution.