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The Last Day of Summer

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Cute comedy is Groundhog Day for tweens.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    A tween learns to face multiple fears typical of his age: talking to girls, dealing with bullies, and performing onstage. Friendship and loyalty are strong themes. Occasional potty humor includes mention of passing gas, a blow to a boy's groin, and childish, mean-spirited pranks like overturning an outhouse with someone inside.

  • Violence & scariness:

    The storyline calls for a character to be struck in the head by different objects (a board, a football, etc.) throughout the movie, but there's no lasting injury. Also, skateboarding scenes include plenty of wipe-outs.

  • Sexy stuff:

    A budding romantic relationship between tweens gives way to mild flirting but nothing more.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    No notable brands, but most of the movie takes place at a carnival, so there's lots of junk food -- fries, soda, nachos, and burgers.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Last Day of Summer

Parents need to know that this made-for-TV tween movie addresses many of the fears/issues typical of the age group: relating to the opposite sex, learning to deal with bullies, and worrying that a move to a new school will affect existing friendships. The main character discovers that it's only by facing his fears head-on that he can move past them and welcome the changes ahead. There's little here to worry parents of tweens, but they may want to remind kids that mean-spirited pranks (overturning an outhouse while a notorious bully is inside, for instance) aren't the best way to handle difficulties with peers.

Read our full review by Emily Ashby

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about facing the challenge of a new school. Tweens: How does the idea of starting a new school make you feel? What kinds of worries would you have about it? Do you think this movie gives a good impression of what kids might be afraid of about going to a new school? How? Have you experienced any of the anxiety that Luke does? How did you handle it? Can your friends help? Why is it important to face your fears head on?
Tools and tips that can help

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    movies make me : ...
    Lives in Connecticut
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 4.0

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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