Sydney White (PG-13)
Tween star hits college; drinking, hazing ensue.
(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
- Studio: Universal Pictures, Universal Pictures
- Directed By: Joe Nussbaum
- Cast: Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton, Matt Long
- Running Time: 100 minutes
- Release Date: 09/20/2007
- Video/DVD Release Date: 01/22/2008
- Genre: Comedy
- MPAA Rating: PG-13
- MPAA Explanation: some language, sexual humor and partying.
Parents need to know
Families can talk about who this movie is targeted at. Do you think filmmakers intend for Bynes' legion of tween fans to watch this college-centric comedy? If so, why do you think they included strong language and drinking? If not, who is the target audience? Kids: What made you want to see this movie -- the story? The cast? The ads you saw on TV? Is that what you think college is really like? Would you want to join a fraternity or sorority based on what you saw in this movie? Why or why not?
Message
Social Behavior:
Lots of "mean girl" cattiness and cruelty, particularly during rush (the Kappa sisters are advised to target "cute pledges" and avoid "fat losers") and when the Kappas haze their new pledges (Rachel submits each girl to a blunt analysis of the flaws in her appearance, strafes pledges with water guns, addresses them as "skanks," etc.). But it's made very clear that everything Rachel does is unacceptable, and the movie's overall message is a positive one -- be true to yourself and accept others for who they are, and you'll be a lot happier in the end. There's also a fair amount of stereotyping; virtually everyone except Sydney fits into a "type" (spoiled sorority girl, geeky Star Wars nerd, bulky football player), and student groups are portrayed very one-dimensionally during the student council campaigning scenes. But again, it all ends up being used to reinforce lessons about diversity and tolerance.
Consumerism:
Rachel is obsessed with labels (her "soothing words" are Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Armani, etc.), and the Kappa sisters are very materialistic in general (they look down on Sydney for having a plumber as a dad). Brands/products include a Mac laptop, MySpace, cell phones, and a Scooby-Doo nightlight.
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:
No smoking or drugs, but a fair amount of both visible and implied drinking. During tailgate and fraternity party scenes, many students (most of whom are presumably under 21) are seen holding plastic cups; they're not explicitly beer, but it's implied. One character sets a "keg stand" record at the Beta party, earning lots of praise and applause. Some alumni (and possibly students) hold beer bottles at the tailgate, and Sydney and the guys attract people to their booth by offering "free drinks." Tyler mentions having to pick up a keg early in the movie, and the frat house boasts an impressive beer-can wall.
Violence
Mostly minor comic falls and tussles. Terrence's experiments are often accompanied with small explosions, and fire occasionally breaks out in the Vortex, but no one gets hurt. Rachel drives her golf cart through a phalanx of marching band students, who tumble to get out of her way. A few screen shots of a first-person shooter video game.
Sex
Lots of flirting, with some kissing and talk of "hotties" and "hooking up." Spanky is obsessed with women and sex (he's enthralled by Sydney's sports bra, saying "that thing has touched boobs!"). Female characters' skimpy tank tops, shorts, sundresses, and bikinis prompt ogling among the guys. A scene in which Sydney eats ice cream with relish (with guys watching eagerly) prompts a comment of "this is a SO-rority, not a HO-rority." The school's "Hot or Not" list plays an important role in the plot. Male construction workers wolf-whistle at an attractive woman; Sydney matches them by whistling at cute boys. Sydney's dad attempts to explain the birds and the bees using plumbing supplies.
Language
Not that bad for PG-13, but definitely strong for the younger tweens who love Bynes. "Bitch" is used a couple of times, as are "hell," "damn," "ho," "crap," "skanks," "ass," "booty," "whoring," "douche-baggy," "hump," "shut up," "pissed," "screwed," and "loser."
Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Betsy Bozdech
Is it any good?
Sydney White's story is hardly groundbreaking, and the stereotyped characterizations get a bit old -- in addition to the shallow, blond sorority sisters and Klingon-fluent nerds, the movie presents a parade of single-note student groups (the ROTC kids are buff and stoic, the Jewish kids all have side-curls and dance the horah, etc.) -- but the movie has its moments. Some of the Snow White references are funny, if verging on crude (like when the Vortex gang marches past Rachel in a line, greeting her with a chorus of "hi, ho"s), and the cast is genuinely appealing. Tweens who are used to seeing Bynes in movies like What a Girl Wants may not be quite prepared for Sydney White's boisterous fraternity party scenes or the Kappa sisters' cruel pledge hazing, but teens who've grown up with the star since her days on All That and The Amanda Show may have just found their new favorite slumber party movie.
Related Video
Other choices
|
Parents and kids say
All Reviews
There are 19 reviews.
Adult Reviews
There are 4 reviews.


