Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this is little more than a garden-variety teen romance flick filled with misdirected love interests, catty female rivals, bikini-clad beachcombers, and one super-nice guy who's always passed over by girls for flashier models. Its predictable plot, sensual overtones, and one-dimensional characters will have parents groaning, and the weak female characters -- who spend most of their time falling over themselves to win the affection of a self-absorbed pop star -- may make them pause before giving the thumbs-up to impressionable tweens.
Families can talk about dating and romance. How do you know when a relationship is more than just friendship? Is it important to be friends first before dating? Why? Why are people attracted to each other? Parents with teens who have started dating can ask them which characteristics are important to them in a boyfriend/girlfriend. Is their ideal affected by the media/society's definition of what's attractive and desirable?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Emily Ashby
Amanda Bynes stars in the movie LOVEWRECKED, in which a teen girl's wildest dream comes true when she's marooned on a desert island with her handsome pop star idol. The twist on the cliché? She quickly realizes that they're actually quite near civilization -- but she keeps the truth to herself so she can woo him without distraction.
Recent high school graduate Jenny Taylor's (Bynes) infatuation with Jason Masters (Chris Cormack) is obvious from the get-go. She practically loses her mind in excitement at the hunky singer's concert -- much to the chagrin of best buddy Ryan (Jonathan Bennett), the quintessential nice guy who harbors a secret crush on his pretty friend. Despite Ryan's hopes that spending the summer working together at a posh Caribbean resort will give him a chance to win Jenny's heart, the tides turn against him when Jason arrives a few days later and Jenny can think of nothing but him.
Determined to catch Jason's eye, Jenny hops aboard his ship for a nighttime cruise. The stormy weather makes for a bumpy ride, and just as she makes her move, Jason tumbles overboard. Using her quick-thinking lifeguard skills, Jenny grabs a life raft (handily, it's within arm's reach) and hops in after him as the ship sails away.
When they wash up onshore with no one in sight, Jason's outlook is bleak, but Jenny sees the romantic potential in having him all to herself and sets out to impress him with her improvised survival skills. But after she discovers that they're really only a stone's throw away from the resort, she turns to heavy scheming to keep him to herself.
But then her snobby rival, Alexis (Jamie-Lynn Sigler), drifts up on their beach, dead set on winning Jason's heart for herself, and Jenny's plans begin to unravel. She's faced with a tough choice between keeping up the façade and telling Jason the truth. In the process, she discovers a lot about herself and what she really values in a romantic relationship.
Though Lovewrecked's premise is fairly cute -- and Bynes' sparkling personality and comedic timing are in top form -- the end result is a predictable story that's brimming with back-biting, bikinis, and batting of eyes. The weak female characters often pose their half-naked bodies to turn guys' heads -- and, unfortunately, most of the time it works. In one memorable scene, for example, Jenny and Alexis wind up brawling on the beach, and, rather than attempt to separate them, Jason just sits back with his island munchies and grins happily while he watches.
All in all, Lovewrecked is steeped in the same skewed messages about self-respect and desirability that already bombard tween and teen girls. Better choices for this age group are the earlier Bynes vehicle What a Girl Wants and Ugly Betty. Younger tweens may also enjoy Read It and Weep.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentLots of sensuality, including scantily clad bodies frolicking on the beach, teen girls throwing themselves at guys, and a few kisses. One character tosses out crass comments about women, such as "Check the honey with the money." In one scene, a naked woman on a massage table is shown draped loosely in a towel with most of her breasts hanging out. |
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ViolenceThe few instances are played for comedy or sex-related laughs, like a girl-on-girl scuffle (which ends in a punch to the nose and a quick glimpse of blood) over a guy's affections, or a young boy pretending to drown so a pretty lifeguard will give him mouth-to-mouth. Some slaps following rude remarks. |
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Languagecouple of instances of "hell," "ass," and "damn." "Oh my God" and "sucks" are common. |
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Social BehaviorMost characters are shallow and one-dimensional, and there's quite a bit of cattiness, back-biting, and scheming to win the affections of a love interest or embarrass a rival. For most of the movie, the two main female characters are starry-eyed and lustful over a self-absorbed singing idol. Some potty humor involving bathroom issues, obesity, and a farting toy. One character often makes crass comments (he considers them compliments) about women's appearances. Not a lot of diversity. |
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