Joe Dirt Parent Guide

Parent Movie Review
by Kerry Bennett

Life has never been easy for Joe Dirt (David Spade), the man with the permanent 70’s coiffure. At age eight he is separated from his parents while on a trip to the Grand Canyon. Shuttled from one dysfunctional foster home to the next, he finally resorts to living in the woods and stealing what he can to survive while tracing the fading footsteps of his missing family.

A decade later we find Joe, now a custodian, sitting in the cushioned hot seat of Hollywood DJ Zander Kelly (Dennis Miller), a shoddy radio journalist who pulls the pitiful details from the janitor’s sordid life for the interest of his daytime listeners. Dragging out the interview for several days, Kelly prods and probes the unlikely guest and baits his audience to tune in for the next installment of this loser’s life.

Reading like the front page of a supermarket tabloid, Joe’s story is filled with characters as diverse as imaginable—the beautiful Brandy (Brittany Daniel) who befriends the wig-wearing outcast, a mysterious mid-western school janitor played by Christopher Walken, a carnival going seductress, and the unsavory Buffalo Bill.

But despite these outrageous encounters and the incessant belittling Joe receives, we are forced to believe he remains unrelentingly upbeat. I’m not sure if Joe espouses all those platitudes he keeps spouting or if he is just inanely naive. Either way, we’re supposed to like this jean clad, mop-pushing hero who fights all the odds of an abnormal upbringing and keeps pursuing his absentee folks. However, the constant battering of crude language, raw sexual humor and underdressed damsels left me watching the clock instead.

A bit part played by musician Kid Rock may draw his ardent followers into the theater but his role as the fast driving, gravel throwing, small town boy is minor at best, giving his money paying fans little screen time for their dollar.

While comedian/writer Spade does make Joe a catalyst for positive change in many of the people he meets, the dirt that’s dished out in this movie will likely put families in an entertainment quagmire.

Directed by Dennie Gordon. Starring David Spade, Dennis Miller, Kid Rock. Running time: 91 minutes. Theatrical release April 10, 2001. Updated July 17, 2017

About author

Kerry Bennett

Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for over 15 years. As a parent herself, she believes parents play a powerful role in teaching media literacy in their homes.

Joe Dirt
Rating & Content Info

Why is Joe Dirt rated PG-13? Joe Dirt is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for crude and sex-related humor, and for language.

Overall: D
Though billed as a comedy, this film filled with violence, crude language and sexual humor is anything but funny.

Violence: D+
Car crashes through security gate, argument with guard, man pushed down, boy ties fireworks to cows tail, boys is burned by fireworks, man’s foot stuck in train track, leg cut off though not seen, dog shot with gun, woman talks about killing her husband, man almost hit by speeding car, man falls out of hot air balloon, fight between oil rig workers, man hit in groin, man engulfed in fire, men use lighter fluid and gasoline to cause explosions, man vaporized (dream scene), man wearing t-shirt with violent message, man holds people in bar hostage with bomb, man covered with human waste from camper receptacle, man kidnapped and held hostage in pit by psychopath, police raid a home, guns heard, children overcome by fumes in chemistry room, references to woman being shot, man killed by the mob, shots heard, shadows seen, woman tells story of parents eaten by alligator and then cut out of belly, man bitten and tossed by alligator, man pushes over furniture in house, man threatens suicide, man falls from bridge and hits head on beam, man threatens another man.

Sexual Content: D-
Man shown without shirt in public and bathroom, two scenes of animals engaged in sexual activity, extended and detailed scene of dog with frozen genitals, reference to wanting my body, numerous women dressed in low cut and tight fitting t-shirts and halter tops and high cut shorts, man makes reference to seeing down woman’s shirt, man moons another man-nudity shown, man kisses woman, man sleeping with hand in pants, man naked in tub—genitals are covered, man shown sexually flirting with woman, woman sensually licks cotton candy, woman bears chest with fuzzy back and side view shown as well as reaction of face of people in the room, men shown hugging with homosexual inferences, kissing between couple, numerous talks of starting sexual activity, repeated sounds of sexual activity, bedpost shown rocking, psychopath shown in underwear and garters while involved in activity with animal, teacher shown with low cut top, t-shirt with bare chest printed on it, man urinates-limited view, erection shown under sheet, references to naked people and sexual activity between animals, woman says she wants to have man’s babies.

Language: D
At least: Two slang terms describing sexual activities, 21 moderate profanities including slang terms for male and female genitals, 25 mild profanities, 15 terms of Deity used as expletives or profanities.

Alcohol / Drug Use: B-
Boy finds tins of what appears to be chewing tobacco, man shown with cigarette and smoking, man shown drinking beer while intoxicated, man thought to be high on fumes from insecticide, reference to bong water, man holding beer can in his home.

Page last updated July 17, 2017