Keeping the Faith

Main characters include a Catholic priest and Jewish rabbi who are best friends. With their relationship come thoughtful explorations of faith, examples of traditions and beliefs, etc., not common in a lighthearted romcom. A high-powered woman is depicted as capable, smart but also falls into stereotypical plot of discovering that she needs to be less ambitious -- and in a relationship with a man -- to be happy. Movie also employs sexist "not like other girls" setup, which paints most women as silly or unintelligent. (Brian literally says about Anna, "she's not like other girls" -- implying that most women are terrible.) Underrepresented characters appear in minor roles. Some avoid stereotypes, such as Paulie Chopra, owner of an Irish bar who describes himself as "half Punjabi-Sikh, a quarter Tamil separatist" and has Irish ancestry. Brian's Catholic congregation includes Latino and Asian people, including a kid he speaks with in Spanish. A cheerful group of people wearing drag can be seen on the street -- a brief inclusion that feels normalizing. But a few examples feel clichéd -- e.g., Black basketball players, Harlem gospel choir, and passing mention of taking up "Native American drumming" are all used to make White characters seem more interesting. A cringeworthy scene involves an East Asian store clerk using a thick accent to introduce himself as "Don" (sounds like "dong") before dropping the act to speak with his natural American accent. The scene isn't offensive, but there's no reason for it to exist, and it stamps the film with an unshakable White gaze. Also, casual fatphobia goes without critique: A woman jokes that her son had to miss school as a kid because he "couldn't fit into any of his pants and had to call in fat."

One main character punches the other in the face. Yelling. In a comedic scene, a priest's robes catch fire (it's quickly put out).

Multiple sex scenes without nudity (woman in bra and skirt; man in boxers). In a fantasy sequence, a man helps a woman stretch, and she groans in encouragement before he rips her blouse open to reveal a bra. Drawing of breasts briefly on-screen. A kid describes adult women as having "a nice rack" or "a nice ass." A woman pulls up her dress hem to reveal a cell phone strapped to her thigh; a man calls it "sexy."

Cries of alarm using "holy s--t" and "Jesus." Racist terms "mick" and "yid" used affectionately between main characters. Ableist term "the mentally retarded" used by a minor character who's shown in a negative light. Sex-related language includes "balls haven't dropped yet" and "piece of ass," plus Spanish phrases "melones" and "culo" (subtitled in English as "rack" and "ass").

Main character gets drunk to soothe heartache, behaves boorishly while wearing priest collar. When main characters talk about former classmates, they mention someone who was "always smoking pot." A main character says they quit smoking. Characters drink wine and beer at a party and take shots. In a long scene, a minor character smokes a cigar with relish.