Common Sense Media Review
Charming but explicit love story for mature teens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
About Adam
What's the Story?
ABOUT ADAM begins as a sweet, simple love story. A flirtatious waitress named Lucy (Kate Hudson) falls for a man named Adam (Stuart Townsend). All the other men in Lucy's life pursued her, but Adam lets her take the lead. Once she does, he is charming to her family, and a thoughtful and romantic boyfriend. She proposes to him in front of a restaurant full of people, including her whole family, and he accepts. Then the clock turns back and viewers see the same set of events through the eyes of Lucy' siblings, all of whom have romantic problems for which Adam seems to provide the ideal solution. Lucy's sister Laura (Frances O'Connor), a graduate student, dreams of a man with whom she can share the poetry that is so meaningful to her. Their brother David is about to explode with longing for his girlfriend, a virgin who says she wants to stay that way. And another sister, bored with her marriage, would like some excitement. Somehow, Adam provides it all, and then some.
Is It Any Good?
It's fun to see what is going on behind the scenes of the original story, and there are some sly parallels, as when different family members hear different stories about Adam's fancy car. The story could be cynical -- after all, it is about betrayal, deception, and infidelity. But Adam's ability to go straight to the heart of each person's desire gives it a whimsical, almost magical tone that keeps it as light as a bubble. Hudson has less of a star turn than she had in "Almost Famous," but she is bewitching, especially when she sings the standards that provide a nice ironic counterpoint to the various love stories.
And love stories they are. Adam is not manipulative and indeed might think of himself as happily manipulated by others. He is not trying to do anything but make everyone happy, and he has such a knack for it that even the audience cannot help being a little charmed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Adam figured out what each member of the family wanted, and how the various secrets and lies around his involvement with each of them might create problems in the future. They might also want to talk about times when they have felt pressure to be something different in order to make someone happy.
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 11, 2001
- On DVD or streaming : October 23, 2001
- Cast : Frances O'Connor , Kate Hudson , Stuart Townsend
- Director : Gerard Stembridge
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Miramax
- Genre : Romance
- Run time : 105 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and sexuality
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate