Kids won't likely be interested in this witty, funny, and moving political romance. I heard of it because I was a fan of the writer's (Aaron Sorkin) later TV series THE WEST WING, also about politics (there's a review for it on COMMONSENSE). But, even if you're not a WEST WING fan, there's tons to love in this movie. It's funny, smart, filled with witty dialogue, and packed with great performances. It's okay for teens and up, and maybe some mature preteens. As COMMONSENSE warns, Andy and Sydney sleep together early on in their relationship. Onscreen, they have a conversation about how she's not comfortable with physical intimacy because he's the President. Then, she comes out of his bathroom in only one of his T-shirts (nothing is shown, as it covers sensitive spots). They start kissing, and nothing at all is shown after that. However, the next 15-20 minutes of the film are devoted to the media scandal that results from her spending the night with him. Be prepared for several scenes where the media makes reference to their sex, and even one where a President hopeful lies about Sydney giving "sexual favors" in exchange for votes. The President never comments on his relationship with her to the press, so the act of their pre-marital sex is neither condoned or portrayed as bad. Make sure young kids know your policy about pre-marital sex before watching the film (if you haven't spoke of it yet, this film could be a good launch point for discussion). If kids know the consequences of pre-marital sex, the film should be fine. If not, they might get some wrong ideas from the President and Sydney's relationship. In addition, we've got 2 "f**k"s, 4-5 "s**t"s, 3-4 "a*s"s, and several "d**n"s and "h*ll"s.
The American President
(1995, Rated PG-13, Comedy, Starring Annette Bening, Michael Douglas, Michael J. Fox)Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
| 100% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
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Most Recent Reviews
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
A Truly Perfect Film!
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
