Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen drama has lots of bullying, iffy messages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Picture This!
What's the Story?
For Mandy Gilbert (Ashley Tisdale), senior year means just one thing: It's her last chance to get school hunk Drew Patterson (Robbie Amell) to notice her. After a few carefully crafted plans -- and one major mishap -- Mandy finds herself on speaking terms with Drew, who turns out to be even better than she'd imagined. She's overjoyed when Drew invites her to his party, but her dreams are crushed when her lovingly overprotective dad (Kevin Pollack) grounds her for lying to him. It will take a lot of ingenuity -- and some crafty work with her fancy new video phone -- to get Mandy to Drew's party on time. Only time will tell if she and her friends will be able to outsmart Drew's jealous ex-girlfriend, Lisa (Cindy Busby), who will stop at nothing to ensure Mandy doesn't win his heart.
Is It Any Good?
Adorable and talented, Tisdale (High School Musical) shines once again in this role as the lovably irrepressible Mandy, who always manages to rise above the adversity thrown in her path. Though it's certainly a stretch to imagine Tisdale as a social outcast, she puts her heart into the role and manages to make the story believable. Teens will enjoy the funny take on the social structure of high school and will cheer along with Mandy's friends as she challenges the popularity scale and sets herself apart from the catty popular kids just by being true to her heart.
That said, the movie definitely needs a bit of cautionary follow-up on a few levels, especially for impressionable teens. Mandy often uses her video phone to lie to her dad, contriving proof that she's at a friend's house studying when she's really getting ready for a party he's grounded her from. Other characters use their phones to exploit their peers' embarrassing moments, snapping photos of them in compromising situations and emailing them to friends. And then there are the iffy phrases the teens use -- like "hump and dump" and "do her and dump her." Finally, the movie implies that popularity is based solely on inherent factors like socioeconomic class rather than on personality. It's too bad these iffy messages distract from some of the fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about friends and peer pressure. What message does this movie send about friendship and relating to people who are different from you?
How does this movie address bullying? What's the message of the movie in terms of how to stop a bully?
Talk about making mature decisions. Have you ever been forced to make a difficult decision around your peers? Did you feel good about the outcome? Why is it hard to go against the flow?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 2, 2008
- On DVD or streaming : July 22, 2008
- Cast : Ashley Tisdale , Kevin Pollak , Robbie Amell
- Director : Stephen Herek
- Studio : MGM/UA
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some sexual references.
- Last updated : August 7, 2022
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