Hitch

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details about Hitch's classification and consumer advice lines
• a review of Hitch completed by Young Media Australia (YMA) on 22 March 05

Overall comments and recommendations

Hitch is a romantic comedy of errors told from a male point of view. The story is based upon a series of coincidences and misunderstandings, and contains some clever slapstick. While the film contains some very funny scenes, it is also predictable and contains no surprises. The film's greatest strengths lie in the talents of Will Smith (Hitch) and Kevin James (Albert) who are both charismatic and likeable. Hitch contains adult themes, strong sexual references, sexual situations, coarse language and some violence and is suited to older adolescents and adult viewers.

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) and the associated consumer advice lines.

YMA review

This review of the movie Hitch contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• use of violence
• material that may scare children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie's message

A synopsis of the story

Alex Hitchens “Hitch” (Will Smith) is Manhattan 's legendary “Date Doctor” who makes a lucrative living out of consulting to clumsy try-hard males in methods of dating the women of their dreams. Hitch identifies what is wrong with the male suitor, suggests changes to dress and demeanour, and provides dance and kissing lessons. Hitch also provides his male clients with extensive background information on their dates, which enables the client to subtly manipulate their date by having prior insight into their wants, needs and desires.

The film has two main story lines. One revolves around Hitch's newest client Albert Brennaman (Kevin James), an overweight accountant lacking self-confidence who can't eat a hot dog without covering his shirt with mustard. Albert has a desperate desire to catch the eye of wealthy celebrity Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta) and seeks the assistance of the Date Doctor. The Date Doctor manages not only to provide Albert with the necessary skills to attract Allegra's attention, but also to date her. The second storyline revolves around Hitch falling for a cynical new paper gossip columnist Sara Melas (Eva Mendes). Hitch tries to implement his own dating strategies in an attempt to woo the date game sceptical Sara, however Hitch's own dating abilities prove disastrous.

The final third of the film follows Albert and Hitch's relationships with the two women, including Sara's attempts to uncover the identity of the Date Doctor and the impact her discovery has on all four people involved.

Use of violence

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

Hitch contains three scenes of low level physical violence:

• a man verbally intimidates Hitch, then lays his hands on him. In response Hitch twists the Man's arm behind his back and slams his face into a table telling him “I'll break your shit off if you ever touch me again”.
• Sara knees the same man in the groin causing him to double over with pain.
• a mild domestic dispute between Hitch and Sara. Sara and Hitch shout at each other, which is portrayed as serious drama, but they then start throwing lettuce leaves at each other which provides a mild comic slant.

Material that may scare children

Under eight

Children under eight are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations, the death of a parent or child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

Hitch contains no particularly scary images; however some younger children may find the above-mentioned scenes threatening or scary.

Also there is a scene in which Hitch suffers an allergic reaction to some food, resulting in grotesque facial swelling. This image may disturb very young children.

Aged eight to thirteen

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

Younger children in this age group may also find some of the above-mentioned scenes disturbing.

Over the age of thirteen

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

Children over the age of thirteen would not be threatened or scared by anything in this movie.

Product placement

Research shows that children, particularly children under the age of eight, are vulnerable to product placement in movies. Even if the child doesn't recall seeing a particular brand in the movie, they will choose that brand in preference to another, if they have just seen it used or displayed in a movie. This effect may be exacerbated if the product is highlighted as part of the story or if an actor or character they admire is seen to endorse or enjoy the product.

While specific brand names were not overtly displayed, expensive designer type clothing, footwear and sunglasses were displayed and featured throughout the film, mobile phones were frequently used, and a can of Coke was featured in one scene.

Sexual references

Strong sexual references were used continuously throughout the film, both explicitly and implicitly, including:

• Makes them want to screw anything that walks
• I haven't been ridden in months
• This ain't gunna snap back unless I bang her
• Too high I just want to be friends, too low, just want some ass (about touching a woman on her back)
• I haven't been laid for a year.
• If he's stupid enough to cheat, he's stupid enough to get caught.
• I've never seen anybody get dressed that fast (about a man's behaviour after a one-night stand)

Nudity and sexual activity

Hitch contained no nudity. However a number of scenes contained women wearing sensual clothing such as tight fitting tops with very low cleavage, very short skirts and tight fitting pants. Also:

• one scene showed “morning after” images of several of Hitch's clients waking up in bed next to their date. Both client and date were covered to the shoulder by bedding. The implied inference was that they were naked under the bedding and had woken up contented after engaging in sexual activity during the night; the images were more of a snap shot.
• there were two scenes involving Hitch and Sara kissing each other passionately on the lips.

Use of substances

There where several scenes involving light to moderate consumption of alcohol in a nightclub atmosphere, with no abuse or nasty consequences resulting. In one scene Sara partially sculled a bottle of wine in Hitch's apartment.

One scene contained images of Hitch becoming intoxicated from the consumption of be Benadryl, which he consumed to counter the effects of the food allergy. The scene presented the effects of the intoxication as pleasant with Hitch becoming loose mouthed.

Coarse language

The film contains some use of coarse language and profanity, including:

• Hey asshole
• fuck off stamped on your forehead
• Break your shit off
• Kick your ass
• When this shit hits the fan
• What the hell was that
• Date Doctor my ass
• Say what's really pissing you off
• Jerks like him.

The movie's message

Hitch has two main messages. The first relates to the male underdog triumphing by gaining a date that under normal circumstances would be far beyond their reach. The second message implies that it is ok to manipulate their date if the ends justify the means. The film tries to justify the manipulation on the grounds that the manipulation is done with the best of intensions and not in an effort to gain an unfair advantage. Hitch only takes on clients who seek love and an honest relationship “My job is not to deceive, it's to create opportunity”.

A further message is that dating is a form of seduction, which involves saying and doing what you think your date wants to see and hear, and where waking up in bed with your date the following morning is a gallant conquest.

Parents may wish to discuss with adolescents what their own family's values are, and what the real life consequences can be of dating solely with a view to making sexual conquests.