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ATL

(2006, Rated PG-13, Drama, Starring Keith David, Tip Harris, Lauren London)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 13.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Morally grounded kids in the hood come of age.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–14

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Living in a poor neighborhood, orphaned 17-year-old looks after his little brother, bonds (and briefly fights) with his friends through roller skating, pursues his ambition to draw comics; the primary villain (a drug dealer) intimidates the community and eventually shoots one of his workers.
  • Violence:

    Menacing gangster appears throughout; brief discussion of parents killed in car crash; brief violence erupts near the end: a boy is beaten by thugs who steal his money and drugs he's supposed to sell; a dealer shoots a boy for vengeance (shooting offscreen, but the result -- his family worrying in the hospital -- makes clear he's injured).
  • Sex:

    Kids make out in background shots at school; a romantic, nonexplicit sex scene (not explicit, facial close-ups, tenderness); frequent images of girls' bottoms, tight clothing, bikinis, and cleavage; sexual slang.
  • Language:

    One f-word, over ten s-words, one b-word, frequent use of "ass" and "damn," slang for sexual activity and genitalia ("titty,"booty," "cuddy"), at least two uses of the n-word; some hip-hop songs on soundtrack also include brief language.
  • Consumerism:

    Golden Crisp cereal.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    High schoolers drink at parties; villain smokes cigars; brief cigarette smoking in background; a couple of characters sell drugs (and one adult considers this might be a good income for the household, before his nephew argues against it);
 

What Parents Need to Know

About ATL

Parents need to know that this movie includes frequent allusions to sexuality and young people testing limits of authority. A 14-year-old character skips school and sells drugs: subsequently, he's suspended from school, chastised by his brother and uncle, beated by a group of older guys, and shot by his drug dealer employer (shooting takes place off screen and boy does not die). Girls wear revealing clothes, their bottoms featured in several "booty" shots. We hear that two boys lost their parents in a car accident.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about Rashad's fears of commitment and abandonment, owing to the loss of his parents. How does his relationship with his younger brother eventually teach the value of taking responsibility and being honest?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0

    Great movie

    I saw it on tv and they cut out almost all the inepropiate content.If you dont want your child seeing all of that watch it on tv and stop complaining,gosh!

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in Iowa
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 5.0

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Tennessee
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 3.0

  4. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

  5. Adult Reviewer
    Anonymous
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0

  6. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Indiana
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

  7. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0

    Antwon Fisher wrote the story.......

    I took 4 grandkids. 2 country kids and 2 suburb kids. It is a terrific look at city life, esp Atlanta. All country and suburb kids should go. Our kids have been told about this writer and we'd travel a long way to see his work or read his work.

  8. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 4.0

    It was not really funny but was more dramatic at moments

    GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!! In some parts

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