Saving Silverman Parent Guide
Parent Movie Review
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When Darren Silverman (Jason Biggs) begins devoting his life to Judith (Amanda Peet), his two buddies Wayne (Steve Zahn) and J.D. (Jack Black) bemoan the fact that their fun has dropped to an all-time low. For many years, Wayne and J.D. have used the more socially capable Darren as a chick magnet, without whom they would have no hope of attracting girls. Now Darren’s incredibly controlling girlfriend is ruining their lives.
But their attempts to interfere with the relationship only lead Judith to demand that Darren abandon his friends. So Wayne and J.D. decide to kidnap her and find Darren a replacement girl—cute blonde Sandy (Amanda Detmer), one of Darren’s former high school flames. Forgetting that Judith is a psychologist with kick boxing experience, capable of putting up a good fight both mentally and physically, the twosome have not reckoned with the challenge of keeping her locked in their basement prison.
No doubt teens will be lured by star Jason Biggs, who was launched into big box office grosses (in more ways than one) after appearing in the R-rated adolescent sex comedy American Pie . Playing the chief masturbator in that film, the Silverman script again provides Biggs and his male cohorts with many situations involving solitary sex and other hetero- and homosexual activities. These scenes include partial male nudity and female near-nudity as the three main men try to find sexual gratification any way they can.
Judith’s feisty character presents opportunities for violence, often between men and women. (She is able to toss the Meaty J.D. out a window, for instance.) Such confrontations come into play frequently, with many punches, electric shocks, and three non-explicit deaths—all played for laughs.
Directed by Dennis Dugan, Saving Silverman’s often rude and crass content follows in the footsteps of his other films: Adam Sandler’s Big Daddy and Happy Gilmore. Parents who have teens wanting to run out and view this “comedy” may want to coolly suggest that they, “Save their silver, man.”
Starring Jason Biggs, Amanda Peet. Running time: 92 minutes. Theatrical release February 12, 2001. Updated July 17, 2017About author
Saving Silverman
Rating & Content Info
Why is Saving Silverman rated PG-13? Saving Silverman is rated PG-13 by the MPAA
The violence and sex in this movie are intended to generate comedy, and the characters realize few consequences for their actions and decisions. If you’ve seen this movie, try to list the realistic repercussions of some of the situations depicted in this movie. For example, what prediction would you make for someone thrown out of a second-storey window? (You may need a large piece of paper!)
The Kaiser Foundation has released a study about the amount of sex shown on television. Their data identifies portrayals that are similar to those found in theatrical movies. Check out this report on our Big Picture page.
Page last updated July 17, 2017
Saving Silverman Parents' Guide
Overall: D
This PG-13 with star appeal, teaches teens that crime, sex, violence, and alcohol use have no consequences and that getting what you want in life is most important.
Violence: C-
Presented as comedic: Raccoon attacks man prior to being tranquilized with dart-gun. Blurry picture of child being dropped on head. Brief surgical scene. Man climbs pole and cuts power lines. Woman repeatedly puts man’s head in toilet. Woman and man shocked with electric animal prod. Trapeze artist falls to death—impact not seen. Car pushed off cliff. Man impaled with a football scrimmage marker and killed—not explicit. Talk of planning a murder. Two men aim gun at woman. Woman throws men out of second story window. Man shoots tranquilizer dart at woman. Man falls from moving vehicle. Man has electrodes attached to nipples and is shocked causing clothing to catch on fire. Short kickboxing scene where a man is brutally hit and killed. Man drives truck through wall of jail. At least six scenes of fist-to-fist fighting—sometimes between male/female characters, including one scene where a man and woman hit each other with chairs knocking teeth out.
Sexual Content: D
Teen boy looks up female cheerleaders dress—we see his point-of-view. Three scenes showing bra clad women. Woman rejects premarital sex, but wants to be pleasured “in other ways.” At least five masturbation remarks, including a naked man practicing yoga in order to explore masturbation possibilities. Prostitutes. Female wears outfits that reveal much of her breasts. Two homosexual characters. Grave is dug up with sexual comments made regarding the corpse. Physically restrained woman attempts to seduce her male captor, including briefly rubbing him sexually. Naked male seen from rear. Male removes pants and defecates on front lawn. Man and woman prepare to have sex, she strips down to bra, they begin kissing and fondling until interrupted. Homosexual marriage. Frequent talk of hetero- and homosexual situations
Language: C-
At least: 1 sexual slang term used in sexual context, 23 moderate profanities, 14 mild profanities, 21 terms of Deity. One moderate and one mild profanity spoken by Catholic nun characters.
Alcohol / Drug Use: C
High school coach encourages boys to use “hard liquor” to control sexual urges. Many scenes of adults engaged in social drinking. One primary character drinks frequently—holds a “beer bomb” (big funnel with a tube running to his mouth) in one scene. Background characters seen smoking.