Man, a two-minute teaser trailer? What’s the regular trailer like? Half an hour? Even without reading the synopsis, this teaser gives away some of the major plot points in the film, which is always irritating as a film critic and as someone who just enjoys stories. All of that notwithstanding, Men, Women & Children reminds of another recent film that examined the pitfalls of social media and how they brought out the best and worst in people, which was the excellent movie Disconnect (2013). Hopefully this film stands up well. Audiences will get a chance to compare the two movies when Men, Women & Children opens to limited theaters on October 1, with a national release scheduled for October 17, 2014.
Synopsis
Men, Women & Children follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. The film attempts to stare down social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the proliferation of illicit material on the internet. As each character and each relationship is tested, we are shown the variety of roads people choose – some tragic, some hopeful – as it becomes clear that no one is immune to this enormous social change that has come through our phones, our tablets, and our computers.