MY ONE AND ONLY
A fairly entertaining road movie carried by two strong performances.
Should You Watch It?
MY ONE AND ONLY has real merit, especially in the performances. Renee Zellweger and Logan Lerman give Ann and George emotional depth, making the mother-son relationship relatable as the family travels across the country. The story also affirms family commitment, marriage, and a mother’s determination to care for her sons.
But the film’s entertainment value is limited by mediocre writing and directing, along with a slow, somewhat plodding pace. More importantly, the content and worldview create serious problems: foul language, implied adultery, sexual material, homosexual themes, negative parental examples, and a strong humanist outlook in which the characters rely on themselves rather than God.
Adults who can thoughtfully engage those concerns may find the performances and family themes worthwhile. For children and young teens, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAnn Devereaux leaves her philandering husband and takes her two sons, George and Robbie, on a road trip from New York across the United States. She hopes to find a new husband who can care for her and her family.
Along the way, they meet possible suitors of many kinds, while Ann begins to know her sons in a way she never had before. The journey eventually leads them to California, where an unexpected future awaits.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a fairly entertaining but uneven movie. The low-budget production is nothing spectacular, though its modest elements fit the film’s overall theme and characters.
Renee Zellweger and Logan Lerman are the film’s greatest strengths. They portray Ann and George with appropriate emotional depth, especially in their relationship as mother and son. Their performances must carry the movie through its mediocre writing and directing and slow, somewhat plodding pace.
The Worldview
The film presents a strong humanist worldview. Its characters rely heavily on themselves rather than God to survive and solve their problems, and they do not turn to God in times of need. Ann’s romantic notion of finding a husband to care for her and her sons also shapes the story.
There are mixed elements. The movie offers positive references to marriage and portrays dysfunctional family members standing by one another through conflict. Ann refuses an aggressive suitor’s advances because she is not married to him. The film also includes anti-Communist content, calling Communism “the enemy of the free world.”
At the same time, the film implies that Ann’s effeminate son Robbie is homosexual, with no rebuke and with family support. A Christian character is portrayed unfavorably before her deep sadness over not having children is revealed. The story’s family commitment is meaningful, but it does not point that need for belonging beyond human relationships and toward God.
The film’s longing for family reflects a good desire, even when the characters pursue it imperfectly. Scripture says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD” (Psalm 127:3).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong humanist worldview in that characters rely heavily on themselves, instead of God, for their means of survival, plus some mixed worldview elements including some moral elements with positive references to marriage and somewhat dysfunctional family members sticking by one another through conflict, mother has Romantic notions of finding a husband to take care of her and her sons, some anti-Christian and Christian content where one “Christian” character is painted unfavorably by the filmmakers but it is revealed she is actually suffering from deep sadness over not being able to have children, some anti-Communist elements where Communism is called the enemy of the free world, and some homosexual material where it is implied that one character is homosexual because of his effeminate tendencies and his family supports him as such and other characters also make comments implying this; 30 obscenities and 10 profanities; light violence includes angry man tries to attack woman by chasing after her and ends up slipping on necklace beads and falling to the ground, boy tries to keep man from attacking his mother by jumping on his back, but he is thrown into a table and breaks it, woman slaps her son; sexual content includes implied adultery, boy kisses girl on cheek, girl shows boy her breasts but audience doesn’t see anything, it is implied that one effeminate character is homosexual, and a couple of other sexual references; upper male nudity as man walks around in his boxers and girl shows boy her breasts but audience doesn’t see anything; alcohol use includes two characters get drunk and characters casually drink wine/beer; smoking depicted throughout since movie is set in 1950s; and, woman leaves husband to try to find a new husband to take care of her and her sons, man and wife are negative parental role models and don’t even know their own sons though this eventually changes for the wife, and actions are completely devoid of God and characters don’t turn to God in troubled times.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Ann wants a husband to care for her and her sons. What does Scripture say about the responsibilities of marriage, and where should a family look for security?
Ephesians 5:25–28 · Psalm 127:1Ann gradually comes to know her sons more deeply. Why can parents fail to understand their children, and what might patient love look like in your family?
Deuteronomy 6:6–7 · 1 Corinthians 13:4–7The characters depend on themselves in difficult circumstances rather than turning to God. What does it mean to seek God when you are afraid or in need?
Psalm 46:1–3 · Philippians 4:6–7The film presents family members with serious faults who nevertheless remain connected. How can truth, forgiveness, and faithfulness shape a troubled family?
Colossians 3:12–14 · Ephesians 4:31–32The Final Word
MY ONE AND ONLY is worth seeing for Renee Zellweger and Logan Lerman’s strong performances and its eventual emphasis on family commitment. Its mature content and humanist worldview make it inappropriate for children and young teens. The answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For a family-friendly alternative, see.
