St. Vincent

Vincent MacKenna (Bill Murray) is a grouchy, mean, old, self-centered, crass man, living in a residential area in Brooklyn. At least, that’s what everyone thinks.

Our story begins when Vincent discovers he has new neighbors moving in Maggie Bronstein (Melissa McCarthy) and her son Oliver. You see, Maggie works late nights at the hospital as an MRI technician. One night, she asks Vincent to babysit Oliver while she works late. At first, Vincent is hesitant. He doesn’t really like kids… or anybody, for that matter. But as time goes on, we watch as Vincent and Oliver start to grow on each other. And the rest? Well, the rest, you would just have to see for yourself…

In the movie “Shrek,” there’s a scene where Shrek says to Donkey something along the lines of, “Ogres are like onions. They both have layers.” Well, the film, “St. Vincent” fits this description quite nicely. Yes, there are moments where it is downright offensive. All you have to do is watch the trailers to know what you’re getting into. Vincent is a rude, crass, foul-mouthed alcoholic gambler, and his personality definitely shows all these qualities. Without giving too much away, though, with “St. Vincent” you have to peel back the layers (like an onion) to see past Vincent’s horrible nature into a much deeper character. The film starts with giving us barely anything about Vincent and then very slowly and rather hesitantly giving us more information, to an ultimate realization of the mystery behind the man. If you can endure the content (as you will read later, there is a LOT to deal with—why I rated this Very Offensive), this film does have something more to offer.

Objectionable Content

Violence: Moderate. Vincent teaches Oliver how to defend himself. There’s a scene where Vincent hits his hand with a hammer, then slips on some ice in his house, hits the cabinet doors and lands on the floor, with a medium-sized head wound (blood on his head and the floor). Toward the beginning of the film, Oliver is seen being bullied, and physically abused.

Profanity: Heavy. Please note, this section contains some graphic vocabulary. Like I said, Vincent has quite the, umm, “sailor’s mouth.” Language from him, and other characters, includes f**k (two verbal and three as an obscene gesture), h*ll (3), d**n (2), a**hole (9), sh*t (2), God’s name is used in vain once. Heavier vulgarity includes four instances of pr*ck, pol**ck (1), p*ssy (1), whore (1), and d*ck-wad (1). Other vulgarity includes a urination reference, female genitalia references, and the term “lady of the night.” Oliver states that Vincent is not “too young but not to old either” in reference to child molestation. When Oliver is bullied, Vincent tells the bullies, “Whatever you do to Oliver, I’ll do to all of your moms.”

Sexual Content: Vincent is noted as sleeping with a pregnant stripper named Daka (Naomi Watts). She often wears very revealing clothing. There are scenes involving strip clubs. There is also one scene where Naomi bends over and Vincent stares at her buttocks. Oliver’s mom, Maggie (Melissa McCarthy), mentions how her soon to be ex-husband was caught cheating with several women. There is also a sex scene involving Daka and Vincent.

Other: There is a scene, at Oliver’s school, where the teacher pokes fun at various religions (Buddhism, Judaism, etc.). Vincent is seen smoking cigarettes, gambling, and drinking.

The theme of sainthood is a mixed issue for Christians. Personally, I believe all true followers of Christ are saints of God, because we are born again in Christ and our purpose is to glorify and bring people to Him.

Our duty then, as saints, is to serve God continually. We are to live as examples and as testimonies of God’s love and mercy, and the sacrifice of his son Jesus. We are to show compassion, care for others, pray unceasingly, and, in doing so, bring people to Christ and share the good news of his sacrifice and love for all of us.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” (Ephesians 4:11-12, NIV)

“St. Vincent” is full of layers. You will have to peel away layers upon layers until you get to some redeeming qualities. As a Christian, this film is offensive in so many different ways. There’s vulgar language, heavy sexual themes, and some violence to contend with. The performances are good, and the story enjoyable. If you are willing to “peel the layers,” then you might be amused and slightly entertained by the film “St. Vincent,” as the parts that aren’t entirely profane, though few and far between, are actually humorous and some are even heart wrenching. However, if the above content is too much, then I advise, you stay far away from “St. Vincent.” This is not a movie for children, so certainly leave the young ones at home.

Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Heavy

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.