Man of the Year parents guide

Man of the Year Parent Guide

The scriptwriters throw this comedian (and the audience) a curve ball by having his character try to run a serious campaign and attempt to turn the movie's plot into a political thriller.

Overall C

Robin Williams appears to be cast in the perfect role -- a politically irreverent talk show host named Tom Dobbs who succumbs to his fans' requests to run for president of the United States.

Release date October 12, 2006

Violence B-
Sexual Content C+
Profanity C-
Substance Use C

Why is Man of the Year rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Man of the Year PG-13 for language including some crude sexual references, drug related material, and brief violence

Run Time: 115 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Universal Studios was reluctant to offer critics many pre-screenings of this movie, so I did what many online moviegoers do… I watched the trailer. Based on what I saw, I was optimistic this film could prove to be a humorous and intelligent look at how media and celebrities affect the political arena. Expecting a good laugh, I headed to the theater. Before you do the same, read on…

Robin Williams is cast in what appears to be a perfect role—a politically irreverent talk show host named Tom Dobbs. While firing off incessant jabs in his trademark stand-up comic format, an audience member asks the late-show headliner why he isn’t running for president in the next election. Three weeks and a few million emails later, he succumbs to his fans’ requests and signs up on the ballot.

At this point we (the audience) are anticipating a parade of political pranks and parodies from a man who has made a bid for the Oval Office on a whim. His management team—namely Jack (Christopher Walken) and Eddie (Lewis Black)—expects the same. Instead, the scriptwriters throw all of us a curve ball and put Dobbs into a serious campaign. That’s not to say Williams doesn’t get a crack at any funny business. Still, when the infrequent opportunity does present itself, the satirical political humor is usually dished up with sexual quips, some scatological profanities and the use of a sexual expletive.

Wooing the people with his up front confessions of past marijuana use, sex with a prostitute, and a laundry list of other sins, Tom Dobbs makes a spectacular win and claims the presidency. However, the Independent candidate doesn’t know about the film’s other subplot: A bug in the new computerized voting system has skewed the results, and he is not really the new Chief elect.

The errant computer code storyline, featuring costars Laura Linney and Jeff Goldblum, is a major distraction that turns this movie into more of a political thriller than a political comedy. The inclusion of a late night attack upon a woman who is injected with a potent mix of dangerous drugs and later stalked by men determined to prevent her from revealing the glitch in the program, suddenly makes the few jokes delivered seem strangely out of place.

Sadly, this reuniting of Good Morning Vietnam director Barry Levinson with actor Robin Williams, results in what will be a far less memorable film. Although the movie tries hard to speak to the importance of honesty and awaken a recognition of how media commentators can help us think critically (yet rarely positively) about our political leaders, the production’s poor construction and genre mixing aren’t likely inspire parents or teens to put their vote behind this Man of the Year.

Directed by Barry Levinson. Starring Robin Williams, Christopher Walken, Laura Linney. Running time: 115 minutes. Theatrical release October 12, 2006. Updated

Man of the Year
Rating & Content Info

Why is Man of the Year rated PG-13? Man of the Year is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for language including some crude sexual references, drug related material, and brief violence

It takes a celebrity to set the political system straight—or at least that’s the Hollywood point of view in this film about a comedian who decides to run for the White House… and wins. This satirical movie’s script uses many sexual and religious (mainly Jewish and Catholic) jokes to make light of serious topics. It also delves into a more serious subplot about a woman attacked in her home and injected with a mix of potent drugs. Later, she is stalked by men wanting to keep her quiet. Some mild and moderate profanities are included along with one use of a sexual expletive. A main character frequently smokes and says he has done so since he was seven, however his health suffers because of this habit. Social drinking is depicted.

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Man of the Year Parents' Guide

What advantages do prominent media personalities have over political leaders? What are some of the responsibilities and challenges of holding a political office that the public may overlook?

Do celebrities’ opinions alter your political perspective? Even though we don’t elect media commentators and movie stars, how do we indirectly put them into positions of power? Do you think they ever have had an affect on the outcome of a political race?

News About "Man of the Year"

One celebrity who has moved from the silver screen to a political career is Arnold Schwarzenegger, now Governor of California. His movie roles have ranged from the violent Terminator franchise to the child-targeted Christmas film Jingle All the Way.

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Man of the Year movie is February 19, 2007. Here are some details…

Although the scanty bonus extras would hardly win any awards for quantity of material, the DVD release of Man of the Year does provide two featurettes: Commander and Chief and Robin Williams - A “Stand Up” Guy. Available in either wide or full screen presentations, both versions offer audio tracks in English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1) and Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), with subtitles in English, Spanish and French.

Related home video titles:

A man’s dream of a political career is chronicled in the classic Citizen Kane. Robin Williams took on a serious role as a teacher in the movie Dead Poets Society. Barry Levinson, who directed this film, also dabbled with the effects of media on the family in the film Avalon.

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