THE BAXTER
A sweet, funny romance about finding the right mate.
Should You Watch It?
The Baxter is a low-budget romantic comedy with a gentle heart and a surprisingly winning sense of humor. Its romantic relationships are handled in an old-fashioned manner, which makes the movie feel endearing rather than crude.
The content is not clean. There is foul language, light sexual humor, a drug reference, alcohol use, and several New Age references, including a post-credits scene involving a pagan shaman and hallucinogenic paste. Some mature situations and comic treatment of homosexuality may also trouble moral viewers.
Still, the movie’s central idea is wholesome: a person can mistake outward appeal for a truly fitting relationship. For teenagers and adults who can exercise discernment about the content, this is a charming crowd-pleaser. Families with younger children or viewers avoiding these concerns should choose another movie.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESElliott Sherman is an obsessive-compulsive, nerdy accountant in New York City who has earned the nickname “Baxter”—a man who never gets the girl. He begins falling for Cecil Mills, a temporary secretary who shares some of his awkwardness.
Then Caroline Swann, a beautiful and confident woman from an upper-class family, enters his life. Elliott and Caroline become engaged, but he may be overlooking his true match. Just before the wedding, Caroline’s former boyfriend reappears.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a good, enjoyable film with clear limitations. Despite its low budget, The Baxter is sweet-natured, very funny, and charming. It has some of the qualities of the best romantic comedies, especially in its crowd-pleasing humor and old-fashioned approach to romance.
The movie’s appeal comes from its warmth and comic situations rather than lavish production. It is not presented as a perfect film, but its gentle tone and funny romantic complications make it easy to enjoy.
The Worldview
The movie has a light moral worldview about finding one’s true mate. It values genuine romantic compatibility over appearances and suggests that a person can become engaged to the wrong partner while missing the relationship that may fit best.
The Christian elements are limited but present. A church wedding includes Christian icons. The film also includes a female pastor, references to feng shui as a pagan superstition, and a post-credits conversation about a pagan shaman, hallucinogenic paste, and undefined enlightenment. These New Age ideas depart from a biblical understanding of truth and spiritual transformation.
The film’s treatment of a minor homosexual character is played for laughs, while alcohol and sexual situations contribute additional moral complications. The movie’s central longing—for a relationship in which two people truly belong together—does connect with Scripture’s picture of marriage: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Light moral worldview about finding one's true mate, with some church wedding scenes with Christian icons, but there's a female pastor, as well as a couple comical references to feng shui (a pagan superstition), and a pointless scene after the credits where a scientist/anthropologist character talks about visiting a pagan shaman and eating a hallucinogenic paste that "changed" him in some way that's not defined, as well as minor homosexual character whose homosexuality is played for laughs; one possibly muffled "f" word, two strong profanities and 13 light profanities; light comical violence such as a couple pratfalls and man accidentally kicks another man in the nose while doing some fancy break dancing; implied sexual immorality and light sexual references, such as unmarried adult boyfriend and girlfriend (with pajamas on) lie in bed and thus it is implied that they are living together before they get engaged (but later in the story it seems that they aren't), minor homosexual character who comically flirts with a couple of male characters but not in an explicit way, kissing, characters are obviously attracted to one another and almost kiss but they keep stopping themselves or getting interrupted until the final reel, man puts on woman's panties to hide them from his fiancé, and a crude sexual reference is interrupted before it is totally finished; no nudity, but quirky minor male character walks around in his shorts a lot; alcohol use plays a major role; no smoking but there is a reference after the final credits to eating an unknown hallucinogenic "paste" and finding some kind of new enlightenment that is not defined; and, lying, engaged to be married hero allows pretty woman distraught over fighting with her boyfriend to sleep overnight on his couch, engaged couple argues, jealousy, and man contemplates suicide after a fight with his fiancé.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Elliott may be drawn toward outward beauty while missing a deeper match. What qualities should guide a serious relationship?
Proverbs 31:30 · 1 Samuel 16:7The film presents marriage as becoming one with the right person. What does Genesis teach about the purpose and commitment of marriage?
Genesis 2:18, 24The movie includes feng shui, a pagan shaman, and undefined “enlightenment.” How should Christians test spiritual claims and ideas?
1 John 4:1 · Acts 17:11Elliott faces jealousy, conflict, and despair. Where can someone turn when emotional pain feels overwhelming?
Psalm 34:18 · Philippians 4:6–7The Final Word
The Baxter is a funny, warm romantic comedy with an old-fashioned heart. Its language, sexual references, alcohol use, and New Age material call for discernment, but teenagers and adults may find real enjoyment here. Our answer is WORTH THE TRIP — AGES 13 AND UP.
