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Waiting for Guffman

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Fab small-town spoof; subtle humor may bore kids.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 14 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The good: small-town civic pride, working toward a goal. The not-so-good: comedic stereotypes of Jews, homosexuals (one character is a walking gay stereotype), and Native Americans.
  • Violence:

    Not an issue.
  • Sex:

    One mention of penile reduction surgery.
  • Language:

    A handful of bad words ("f--k," "bastard," "ass").
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some characters smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Waiting for Guffman

Parents need to know that this mockumentary contains some strong language, but the number of times bad and borderline-bad words are used can be counted on one hand. Aside from a little innuendo and a brief discussion of one character's penile reduction surgery, this lighthearted comedy avoids sexual references/visuals. That said, the main character gives off a stereotypical homosexual vibe, but his orientation and intimate relationships are never brought into play (except when the character divulges that he enjoys picking out fabulous pantsuits for his wife). Parents should also know that some characters smoke and drink. Set in a small Midwestern town and heavy with positive themes like patriotism, civic pride, and strengthening the community, this comedy is relatively tame for its R rating. Even so, younger kids may not enjoy or understand the film's mix of subtle and campy humor.

Read our full review by Ellen Dendy

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about why it's important for a community to remember and celebrate town history. What did the community and actors gain from putting on the production in celebration of the town's 150th anniversary? Why was putting on the show still an important thing for the characters to do, even though they suffered a disappointment when the curtain went down? Families can also talk about the format of the "mockumentary." What can the filmmakers get away with saying and doing because the movie is a spoof?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Oregon
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0

    There is a little bit of language etc., but I can honestly say that when I saw this a year or so ago, about half of it went over my head.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    A Film every Child should See!

    This is a great film, that is fine for any age. I think that most parent would like pause the film right at the begining of the audition scene, and have a talk about swearing. Because one character (humorusly) uses 3 uses of f**k. Some other humors line with swearing are: "You're BASTARD people!" and "I HATE YOU and I hate you ASS-FACE" there are some sexual references that will fly right over little kids heads. The real good thing about this movie is the social behavior even though many of the characters are unlikeable they all groupe together and put on a play that, although it's not great, makes them all closer together. A great family film with some good "disscussion points"!

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