Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this movie based on the 1960s novel by notorious gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson has nonstop drinking, drug use, and strong language. As in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Johnny Depp portrays the writer on screen, but this definitely isn't a movie for the actor's younger fans. Swearing is constant, especially "f--k," and characters drink almost obsessively. Although there's more drinking than drugs, the drugs that are used cause hallucinations. Violence comes mostly in the form of threats, but there are brief squabbles, cuts and bruises, burns, and beatings. There's also plenty of sexual innuendo and suggestions of sex, but no actual nudity. Directed by cult filmmaker Bruce Robinson, The Rum Diary has all the ingredients of a cult classic in the making, but only for adults.
Sexual
Content
The main character flirts with a woman a great deal; there's some sly innuendo between them, and they nearly have sex but are interrupted (he removes her top, but no sensitive body parts are shown). A woman has sex with her boyfriend in the ocean, up against the side of a boat; it's seen from a distance and no nudity is shown. The main female character dances seductively in a nightclub, and a fellow dancer responds by taking off his shirt. There's strong innuendo and references to a hermaphrodite. A character has "the clap" and asks another character to have a look (nothing is shown).
Violence
Quite a few angry, violent threats, including a vivid, descriptive death threat. The main character spits fire (using strong alcohol) at some would-be attackers and accidentally burns a cop's face. There's a brief squabble in a nightclub, brief images of cops beating rioters, and two cockfights. The main character is seen with cuts and bruises on his face from time to time. In one sequence, bombs can be heard exploding, which creates tension. Dialogue about a man being "raped to death."
Language
Almost constant foul language, including many uses of "f--k" in various permutations. Other words include "s--t," "ass," "a--hole," "d--k," "Jesus Christ" (as an exclamation), "goddamn," "damn," "hell," "piss," "bastards," etc.
Social
Behavior
The lead character behaves rather badly at times, and he seems intrigued by the possibility of making big money through some dirty dealings, but the deeper he gets involved, the more he realizes that he needs to stand up for what's right.
Consumerism
Not applicable.
Drugs / Tobacco /
Alcohol
The main characters (and most of the minor characters, too) drink very, very heavily -- even obsessively. They drink rum, beer, Scotch, champagne, and many other types of alcohol, including some kind of devilish homemade liquor (420 proof). In one scene, the two main characters also take a bizarre kind of drug that's administered like eye drops, and they both have hallucinations. Characters complain of hangovers, and an editor accuses his writers of being alcoholics.
