THE COBBLER

Type of media Film

Approved Running time 97m 49s

Release date 31/07/2015

BBFCInsight moderate violence, injury detail, moderate bad language, sex references

Genre(s) Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

Director(s) Thomas McCarthy

Cast includes Adam Sandler, Dan Stevens, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Buscemi, Ellen Barkin, Melonie Diaz, Glenn Fleshler

Summary THE COBBLER is a fantasy comedy drama in which a New York cobbler discovers an old stitching machine that, when he puts them on, transforms him into the owners of the shoes he repairs.

Cut This work was passed uncut.

12A
ECI information

BBFCinsight publication date 21/07/2015

Note: The following text may contain spoilers

THE COBBLER is a fantasy comedy drama in which a New York cobbler finds that he can transform into the owners of shoes which are repaired on an old stitching machine.

Violence: Scenes of moderate violence include a man being kicked with a stiletto shoe, the heel stabbing him in the neck, a restrained man being punched in the face by criminal associates, and a character being hit on the head with a handgun before being throttled.
Language: Moderate bad language includes uses of 'bitch', 'prick' and 'spaz'. There is also mild bad language, including uses of 'ass', 'asshole', 'crap', 'fricking', 'pissed', 'screw' and 'son' of a bitch'. There is use of a rude gesture.
Sex: In one scene a man who is transformed into a transvestite says to himself, "I'm a woman" but after putting his hand down the front of his trousers he continues, "Oh, no I'm not." In another scene there is partial female breast nudity as a young woman invites her boyfriend's doppelgänger to join her in the shower.

Other issues include a mild throwaway drug reference and some comedy horror images of a living corpse.

Precuts information

During post-production, the distributor sought and was given advice on how to secure the desired classification. Following this advice, certain changes were made prior to submission

Note: The following text may contain spoilers

This film was originally seen for advice, at which stage the company was informed it was likely to be classified 15 but that their preferred 12A could be achieved by reducing two scenes featuring blood and injury detail. When the film was submitted for formal classification, these scenes had been reduced acceptably and the film was therefore classified 12A.