Story
Jack and Jill Sadelstein (both played by Adam Sandler) are completely opposite twins. Jack is a successful television commercial director. He has a wife, Erin (Katie Holmes), and two children, Sofia and Gary. Jill is a single no-hoper from the Bronx. Her sole aim in life seems to be embarrassing everyone around her.
Jack dreads Jill’s Thanksgiving visit and is horrified when this visit turns into an extended stay. Although Jill’s single and lonely, she still manages to attract men, including a widowed Mexican called Felipe. When Al Pacino (playing himself) also mysteriously becomes interested in Jill, Jack sees a chance of using the situation to his own advantage.
Themes
Violence
This movie has a lot of slapstick violence and accidental harm. For example:
- Gary punches Jill.
- Jack and Jill push and shove each other.
- Jack threatens to kill himself.
- Jill knocks Felipe’s grandmother out with a cricket ball.
- Jill hits Grandma with a piñata stick.
- Jack, pretending to be Jill, knocks out Al Pacino and threatens him with a broken bottle. Al then knocks out Jack.
- Jill knocks out a cloakroom attendant.
- Jill and Erin get involved in a pub brawl.
- In a computer game, people are shot and blasted over the screen.
- A fight breaks about God and atheism.
Content that may disturb children
Under 8
In addition to the violent scenes mentioned above, this movie has some scenes that could scare or disturb children under eight. For example:
- Gary is a strange child who likes to strap objects to his body. These objects include a chicken leg, a hamster, a pet bird and a lobster.
- Felipe’s Grandma looks quite scary – she has no teeth and big bulging eyes.
- Otto almost eats Jill’s bird, Poopsie.
- Jill eats Mexican food and then rushes to the toilet to do some ‘chocolate squirties’. She makes lots of loud noises.
- Jack dresses up as Jill to go out with Al – this could confuse younger children.
- A homeless man called Otto is invited to Thanksgiving. Otto is very messy and dirty, has holes in his clothes and sleeps in a tree.
- Jill gets on to a pony, which collapses under her weight.
From 8-13
Younger children in this age group might also be worried by some of the scenes mentioned above.
Over 13
Nothing of concern
Sexual references
This movie has some sexual references. For example:
- Jill calls some girls ‘hookers’.
- A cloakroom attendant adjusts Jack’s false breasts when Jack dresses as Jill.
- Girls in a bar wear very revealing clothes. They mention that they’re not wearing knickers.
- Jill calls a girl a ‘cheese tray’ because she gets passed around at all the parties.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
This movie shows some use of substances. For example:
- Characters drink socially at parties, in pubs and so on.
- Poopsie the bird drinks from a Jack Daniels bottle.
- Jill drinks out of a bottle.
Nudity and sexual activity
This movie has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- Both Felipe and Al Pacino show sexual interest in Jill.
- There are scenes featuring Jill’s large underwear. These scenes are played for comedy.
Product placement
This movie has a lot of product placement. Products shown include Coke, American Airlines, Sony Vaio, Dunkin Donuts and Jack Daniels.
Coarse language
This movie has some coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Jack and Jill is a mean-spirited comedy, which even Al Pacino can’t rescue. The crude, sexually suggestive and slapstick humour might appeal to adolescent children, but it overshadows the movie’s positive message about the importance of family.
This movie could give you the chance to talk to your children about:
- whether it’s funny to see people being hurt physically and emotionally
- how safe it is to go out people you meet on the internet
- how the movie uses gender and racial stereotypes.