 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Accepted
- Review Date: November 13, 2006
- PG-13
- Genre: Comedy
- 2006
Common Sense Media says
Dumb comedy about college students partying.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the movie's premise involves students creating a "sham" university and lying to parents and authorities to make a facility for the classes they want to take (which include references to drugs). The made-up school's name is South Harmon Institute of Technology (you can guess the visible acronym). Characters frequently use this word (at least 40 times). The fake dean uses especially colorful language. Students drink beer, smoke cigarettes, and talk about drugs and sex (language includes slang for genitals and sex acts). Stereotypes abound.
What's the story?
When Bartleby Gaines (Justin Long) learns that he has not been accepted to college, he decides to lie to his parents. With the help of his computer whiz friend Sherman (Jonah Hill), he cuts and pastes a letter of acceptance from a made-up school. He takes Dad's check for tuition when offered. When his friends and other college rejects see how well the scam works, the South Harmon Institute of Technology (you can figure out the acronym yourself...) is born and a redecorated psychiatric hospital serves as the campus. Without teachers or accredited courses, the students decide what they want to study. As the students spend their parents' money and convince themselves they aren't "losers" after all, they're discovered by rival students at another college down the road, in particular a fraternity, who make it their special mission to take down Bartleby. Meanwhile, the beautiful Monica (Blake Lively) is supposed to be dating one of the frat boys, Hoyt (Travis Van Winkle), but she's charmed by Bartleby's sensitivity and apparent devotion.
Is it any good?
Bogged down by lazy writing and shoddy filmmaking, ACCEPTED is a raucous but pointless endeavor. Borrowing from every other college-located comedy, Steve Pink's movie is also low on originality, even though it appears to celebrate "creativity" in its low-achieving heroes.
That the rebellion has no shape seems not to matter to anyone. The "students" prefer to contemplate punk rock and take long walks. While such activities are not negative in and of themselves, the film makes the kids look unnecessarily unintelligent, a crowd of socially inept misfits who make Bartleby seem sharp by comparison. This strategy is underlined by the fact that Bartleby's the one who gets a girlfriend. Of course, the film needs a happy ending, so Monica is only briefly pouty when she finds out he's been lying.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the pressures on college applicants to "get in": How might families work together to make this a less-stressful process? How might telling the truth be a more effective way for Bartleby to communicate with his parents? Families could also talk about the stereotyped portrayal of college life; what's it really like to be a college student?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Most Hillarious Movie of all Time
Bartleby a highschool student played by Justin Long a perfect actor for the part gets rejected by all the colleges he applied for, so creates his own college. He ends up with loads of college students and gets ratted out by his best friend, with his sister figuring him out the whole way.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Overall Funny Movie
This was a really funny movie, although it did have some language and drug references. There was also the problem that they were tricking there parents, which isn't always a good idea, but they were just trying to please them in the end. This is a great movie for a group of friends, it isn't very brain stimulating but a great movie to laugh at.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
I laughed so hard I cried!
THIS WAS BY FAR THE FUNNIEST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN! I THOUGHT IT WAS HILARIOUS. MY FRIENDS AND I LAUGHED SO HARD THAT WE FELL OUT OF OUR SEATS IN THE MOVIE THEATRE. IT'S A GREAT MOVIE THAT ALL TEENS WILL ENJOY! (NOT A GOOD ONE FOR PARENTS.)
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Had Hoped I'd Be Laughing More!
I found I didn't care much about most of the characters. It was a great idea for a movie, too bad the writing wasn't better. Reminded me of an Animal House remake.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
depends
this movie i have to admit said s*** alot, expecially at the ending song.
but it was the funniest movie i have seen all summer.but i dont think any parents would think it was remotly funny
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
This is as funny as it gets!
"Accepted is this dumb, yet funny movie about a man named Bartleby Gaines who gets rejected from EVERY college he applies to. He then tries to take the risk of making up a phony college so that his parents wouldn't ground him or something like that. There are a few drug references such as making fake I.Ds. There are also a few profanitized jokes such as the "dean" saying rude stuff to the parents which is offensive, yet funny to mature 4th graders. Overall, NOT appropriate for grade-schoolers. Try seeing it with your kids if you must, just so they don't ask you questions about the sexual jokes and humor.
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 11 years old
April 2, 2010
AGE
Accepted
Rated PG-13 For Language,Sexual Material And Drug Content
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
It kicked my a.
I, being a young adult, enjoyed this movie. I saw it with one of my friends and we were both highly amused. It does have some crude humor and offensive language, but let's face it. In today's society, if your child goes one day without hearing an f-word, that's amazing. I recently graduated high school, and what you hear in the halls of a public school is about the same as this movie. Furthermore, for any parents who think their child will take to the idea of starting their own college, I highly doubt this will happen. If you like crude humor, this will give you a good laugh.
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Steve Pink |
| Cast: | Blake Lively, Jonah Hill, Justin Long |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 90 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 18, 2006 |
| DVD release date: | November 14, 2006 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | language, sexual material and drug content. |
Review It
Video review
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
