DUE DATE

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DUE DATE is a U.S. comedy about an architect who is forced to hitch a ride across the country with an aspiring actor in order to get home to L.A. for the birth of his first child. It was classified ‘15’ for strong language, drug and sex references.

The BBFC’s Guidelines at ’12A’/’12’ state, ‘The use of strong language (for example, fuck) must be infrequent’. DUE DATE contains around forty uses of strong language. The film is therefore more appropriately placed at ‘15’ where the Guidelines say ‘there may be frequent use of strong language’.

The Guidelines at ‘15’ also say that, ‘Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug use’. DUE DATE contains some material showing drug taking, for example in one scene a man is shown smoking a cannabis pipe whilst he drives. The behaviour clearly has negative consequences however, so as a whole the film does not encourage drug use.

Additionally at ‘12A’/’12’ the Guidelines say, ‘Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers’. DUE DATE contains one scene in which the aspiring actor is heard masturbating. Though comic, the scene is neither brief nor discreet and also placed the film at ‘15’, where the Guidelines say, ‘There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour’.

DUE DATE also contains some moderate comic violence and one gory moment.