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Elizabethtown

(2005, Rated PG-13, Drama, Starring Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Orlando Bloom)
  • 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?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    Tired romantic comedy full of cliches. Teens+.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–14

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Family tensions and minor deceits, but all resolved by the end.
  • Violence:

    Brief (comedic) consideration of suicide by knifing.
  • Sex:

    Some references to sex, some scanty women's clothing, one shot of Dunst in a soapy tub.
  • Language:

    Some profanity; including soudtrack rock song lyrics (which in clude the f-word).
  • Consumerism:

    Some mention of food products.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Drinking (some visible drunkenness) and smoking.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Elizabethtown

Parents need to know that the movie begins as a young man has lost his well-paying job and considers suicide; though this act is represented "comically," as he sets up an exercise bike and knife as if to stab himself, it might raise questions for some younger viewers. He must also deal with his father's death (and mother and sister's upset). The film includes references to sexuality (sometimes romantically, but also in ruder contexts, as during drunken boy-talk), and a couple of women appear in scanty clothing. Characters use mild language (out of frustration, anger, and occasional excitement), smoke, and drink (during a weekend-long wedding party, characters are visibly drunk).

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about Drew's efforts to come to terms with his father's death, and especially, what this means for his own sense of identity. How does Drew accommodate his mother and sister's needs, at first as a means to put off his own sense of loss, and then as a way to understand his own background and needs? How does the movie represent the idea of "family" as eccentric and stressful, but also supportive and crucial in shaping identity? What are the various models of "family" you see in the movie? How does Drew's erratic romance with Claire eventually provide him with direction, or another, perhaps healthier, lens through which he can see himself?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title off for age 12 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    Not for children at all!

    This movie is not for kids at all.I think that t is innapropriate to see.If you are flipping chanels and you stop at this movie when your child comes into the room,quickly flip it to a kid channel and watch with them.You can always see the movie for free online in your spare time.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Great Movie! I watch it often...

    I love this movie. I admit (proudly) that the reason I first watched it was because my ultimate heart-throb, Orlando Bloom was in it. But once I began the movie I found that I actually loved it as a movie, not just as something with Orlando. lol It tells a good story, and the comedy is great. I adore Orlando's American accent! But enough about him...sorry. Anyway, so it's a great movie! It's funny, well-thought-out, and it really lightnens my day when I watch it. I watch it every week! I'd see it if I were you...especially if you find Orlando charming! (as I obviously do.) This is one of my favorite of his performances! Although he's excellent in action films like Pirates, Troy, and Lord of the Rings. I was curious to see what he was like playing a normal guy.

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    I rate this title off for age 2 and give it 2.0

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Georgia
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    great movie

  5. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 3.0

  6. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Connecticut
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

  7. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 2.0

    Happy movie

    this is a happy movie & a love story great movie.

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

    awww so cute

    I loved this movie. He wasnt really going to kill himself on hte bike. Plus hes way too hot to die in the first 10 minutes as a virgin in the movie anyways. Yeah good stuff.

  9. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 3.0

  10. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 1.0

    Boring!

    I saw this movie with my friends, and we all thought it was really bad. One of my friends even fell asleep. There isn't much point to the movie, and it was way too predictible. Though i like the main actors, Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst, neither of them was good in this movie. It's okay for teens and up, but I don't recommend seeing it.

  11. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Oklahoma
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 1.0

    kept checking my watch to see if it was over yet

    Movie was a let down.Best parts were the one you saw in advertisements. Felt like I had really wasted my time and money. Actors I life, story was what needed help.

  12. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Kansas
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Let's all poke fun of death...

    This movie is enough to leave me in stitches. I saw it the first day it came out and it was awesome. But it wasn't at all for the younger children that were there watching it. Like at the cinema I saw a 9 or so year old girl seeing the movie. But to tell the truth the only I thought she was seeing it was because of Orlando Bloom (Oh man, Lord of the Rings all over again). But the whole movie just makes fun of death. Yet also respects it...

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