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Goal! The Dream Begins

(2006, Rated PG, Drama, Starring Stephen Dillane, Kuno Becker, Kate Tomlinson)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 12.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Soccer + melodrama. Older tweens and up.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 12 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Santiago and his father argue repeatedly about his dream to play soccer; Hernan complains about the wife who abandoned her family; Santiago hides his asthma from team; Gavin is a hard partier and womanizer who learns to be serious about his work (soccer).

  • Violence:

    Soccer action can be brutal (smashing bodies with added smash-sound-effects, falling in mud), leading to various damage: a broken leg, bruises, and joint-wrenching, bloody injuries.

  • Sex:

    Group sexual activity at party insinuated, then makes tabloid headlines; Gavin has sex with girl (we see kiss only, the scene cuts to next morning in bed, as he wakes up hung over); Santiago kisses his nurse/girlfriend Roz.

  • Language:

    Language mostly expresses anger or frustration: "bull-snot," "shite" (a few times as a running joke, to show that Gavin is a disappointment to his fans), "boneheads," "hell," comment on getting the "squirts" in Mexico.

  • Consumerism:

    Lots of Adidas product and billboards, less Coca-Cola, mention of Blockbuster video, some name-branded cars (Mercedes).

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Characters drink at parties and appear hung over afterwards; characters smoke cigarettes; allusion to cocaine use (character makes snorting noises).
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Goal! The Dream Begins

Parents need to know that film includes some loud and body-slamming soccer action, usually leading to someone's face bruised or a limb brutally banged. Characters lie to one another (including family members) in order to achieve ambitions. British teammates make fun of Santiago at first. A decadent star soccer player appears drunk and hung over repeatedly; he also appears with multiple sex partners (sex takes place off-screen, following brief kiss or embrace). Characters smoke cigarettes and drink, a couple of characters appear to have been snorting cocaine during a party scene, as they sniff and rub their noses.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the conflict between Santiago and his father, as they clash over how best to support the family. How does the film resolve this relationship, even though they don't see one another again after Santiago leaves L.A.? How does the grandmother help to bring them together? Why do so many sports movies tend to focus on the same themes?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    chevelleutd
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 5.0

    great

    great movie

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  2. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    chevelleutd
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 5.0

    great

    great movie

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  3. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    abril97
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Great movie!

    I loved this movie!

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  4. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    RJ Rosenberger
    Lives in Colorado
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    love it

    this movie is the bomb

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  5. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    isalsoccerstar66
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Great!

    This is great for soccer lovers and others. A great family movie. A good idea to give to kids and not too predictable.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  6. Adult Reviewer
    sarahandbrent
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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