Today’s Prayer Focus
Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Rules Don't Apply

MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for sexual material including brief strong language, thematic elements, and drug references.
Moral Rating: not reviewed
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults
Genre: Biography Romance Comedy Drama
Length: 2 hr. 6 min.
Year of Release: 2016
USA Release: November 23, 2016 (wide—2,382 theaters)
DVD: February 28, 2017
Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporationclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Relevant Issues

PURITY—Should I save sex for marriage? Answer

lust and fornication in the Bible

TRUE LOVE—What is true love and how do you know when you have found it? Answer

How can I deal with temptations? Answer

How far is too far? What are the guidelines for dating relationships? Answer

What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Answer

Sex, Love and Relationships
Learn how to make your love the best it can be. Christian answers to questions about sex, marriage, sexual addictions, and more. Valuable resources for Christian couples, singles and pastors.
Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Featuring Lily CollinsMarla Mabrey
Alden Ehrenreich … Frank Forbes
Warren BeattyHoward Hughes
Ed HarrisMr. Bransford
Alec BaldwinBob Maheu
Matthew BroderickLevar Mathis
Annette BeningLucy Mabrey
Martin SheenNoah Dietrich
Sarah Baker … Nurse #2
Oliver PlattForester
Amy Madigan … Mrs. Bransford
Steve CooganColonel Nigel Briggs
Candice BergenNadine Henly
Dabney Coleman …
Chace Crawford …
Haley BennettMamie
Taissa Farmiga … Sarah Bransford
See all »
Director Warren Beatty — “Bulworth” (1998), “Dick Tracy” (1990)
Producer Regency Enterprises
RatPac Entertainment
See all »
Distributor Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Trademark logo.20th Century Studios, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company

Here’s what the distributor says about their film: “In 1958, Marla Mabrey (Lily Collins), a devout Baptist beauty queen from Virginia and an aspiring actress, arrives in Hollywood only a few weeks after Frank Forbes (Alden Ehrenreich), Marla’s driver, an ambitious young businessman, and devout Methodist. Both of them long for success under their contracts with billionaire filmmaker, famed aviator, and notorious womanizer Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty). The pair have an instant attraction, but this is hindered by the strict rules laid down by Hughes that prohibit any romantic or sexual interaction between his employees.

At the airport, she meets her driver Frank Forbes, who is engaged to be married to his 7th grade sweetheart and is a deeply religious Methodist. The young actress and her young driver struggle hopefully with the absurd eccentricities of the wildly unpredictable billionaire Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty) for whom they work. It’s Hollywood, 1958.

Their instant attraction not only puts their religious convictions to the test, but also defies Hughes’ #1 rule: no employee is allowed to have any relationship whatsoever with a contract actress. Hughes’ behavior intersects with Marla and Frank in very separate and unexpected ways, and as they are drawn deeper into his bizarre world, their values are challenged and their lives are changed.”

Violence: Mild / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Heavy

Volunteer reviewer needed for this movie

Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Negative
Negative—I didn’t even bother staying for the whole movie. I had to walk out, because there was way too much bad language, plus there were a couple of bad scenes where two people were kissing and ended up on the floor. I just had to leave. I really wish I had not gone. I think it was a total waste of money.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1
Lydia, age 25 (USA)
Movie Critics
…a strangely compelling vanity project… a mix of fun, sadness and fatigue, and while not everything falls into place, it has its share of entertainment… [3/5]
Jordan Hoffman, The Guardian (UK)
…a strangely enjoyable mess…
Ty Burr, The Boston Globe
…One reclusive film figure takes on another, with mixed results… has enough engaging elements to interest Beatty fans, but the two 20-something lead characters are insufficiently developed to grab the imaginations of younger viewers…
Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter
…the characters’ emotions dart about like finches in a golden cage. There’s a lot of activity and verbiage, and the actors and scenes are pretty. But there’s no forward momentum. … [2/4]
Johanna Schneller, The Globe andMail (Canada)
…Evocatively lensed but clumsily staged, “Rules Don’t Apply” is a movie at war with itself…
Peter Howell, Toronto Star Newspapers
…Beatty, 79, is more than a quarter century older than Hughes was in 1958, and though it’s a pleasure to see him acting again, this version of the character feels more pathetic than magnetic. …
Peter Debruge, Variety
…a frantic mess… It’s a true bore. …
Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service
…a colossal misfire…
Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service
…a bizarre romantic dramedy that just doesn’t work. It’s main attraction is a nearly 80-year-old actor, but its comedic sensibility is that of an ’80s teen sex comedy… [2/5]
Paul Asay, Plugged In
…elitist …a humanist, agnostic, lawless movie that obscures its morality tale and fails to deliver on the promise of redemption…
Ted Baehr, Movieguide

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