Full Review

"Phat Girlz" (Fox Searchlight) is a romantic comedy about an aspiring plus-size fashion designer (Mo'Nique) riddled with insecurities, who wins a trip to Palm Springs, Calif., where she -- accompanied by her skinny cousin (Joyful Drake) and plump best friend (Kendra C. Johnson) -- is wooed by an attractive Nigerian doctor (Jimmy Jean-Louis), who explains that in his homeland ladies of her size are the ideal of beauty.

Written and directed by Nnegest Likke and with a vivacious performance by Mo'Nique, the sporadically entertaining film encourages self-esteem and self-acceptance, but this positive message is sullied by its freewheeling attitude toward premarital sex and its bawdy tone.

The film contains recurring sexual banter and lewd humor, including an erotic dream sequence, several sexual encounters, suggestive costumes, pervasive crass language and a few instances of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

• A-I -- general patronage;
• A-II -- adults and adolescents;
• A-III -- adults;
• A-IV**
• L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
• O -- morally offensive.