Accused at 17

  • Review Date: August 2, 2011
  • NR
  • Genre: Drama
  • 2011
Review

Common Sense Media says

Melodramatic teen tragedy is full of mean-girl drama.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this Lifetime movie focuses on a mean-spirited prank among teens that leads to an intense, but largely offscreen deadly encounter. There’s a good bit of teen and adult drinking and one couple fools around at a rowdy high school party. Expect some mild swearing ("bitch," "crap") and a few intense fight scenes.

  • Positive messages2
    The movie demonstrates that mean-spirited pranks and dishonesty are never good ideas, and that sometimes being honest means making tough choices. Also, peer pressure is bad.
  • Positive role models0
    The three best friends at the heart of the story turn out to be not very good friends to each other. Two of them lie to the police and try to frame the third. The parents have very different reactions, as one mom goes to the police to tell the truth while another is more interested in lying to preserve her comfortable life.
  • Violence2
    Teens decide to dole out punishment through a cruel prank that leads to a pushing match that suddenly becomes a deadly attack. It’s intense to see, even though almost nothing is shown on-screen. There are also a few bitter arguments.
  • Sex2
    Two teens make out at a drunken party. It starts to get hot and heavy, and the scene ends as the girls starts to unbutton his pants.
  • Language2
    Some swearing, including "crap," "whore," "bitch," and "skank."
  • Consumerism1
    Some visible car brands: Toyota Prius, Jaguar.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Lots of drinking at a rowdy teen party. Some of the adults drink wine or other drinks at home. One high schooler mentions that he smoked pot.
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What's the story?

When Bianca (Nicole Gale Anderson) learns that her boyfriend hooked up with Dory at a party, she and her best friends Fallyn and Sarah concoct a nasty lesson to punish the girl. But the plan shockingly takes an even worse turn, leaving Dory dead, and Bianca is suddenly ACCUSED AT 17, of murder. The three girls have conflicting stories and it's clear that someone isn't telling the truth -– can Bianca's mom (Cynthia Gibb) find out what really happened and save her daughter?

Is it any good?

 

The story here is almost believable, as a plan to teach a teen a lesson goes awry with terrible consequences, and it offers valuable lessons in honesty and in how bad choices can lead to even worse choices. But the plot is overly dramatic, the acting is stiff, and the characters are thinly drawn. Bianca’s pal Fallyn (Janet Montgomery) in particular is hard to fathom as BFF in one scene, chilling sociopath in another. And Fallyn’s mom is a caricature of a spoiled lady-who-lunches, belittling her husband and quick to lie when the stakes are high and her comfortable life is threatened (usually with a stiff drink nearby).

Though the message of this film is important, Accused at 17 is tedious and preachy.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about pranks. What do you think about the prank that Bianca and her friends plan? How did the encounter go awry? Is this a realistic story?

  • What do you think about the way the two mothers are portrayed in this film? Which one are you supposed to sympathize with and why? Do these women represent stereotypes?

  • Talk to your teens about high school relationships and the intrigue/drama that goes along with it. Is friendship drama just a part of teen life or can it be avoided? What are some good coping methods when teens encounter unwanted drama?

This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
Teen, 18 years old
August 2, 2011
AGE
16
 
16 & up
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This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
Studio:Lifetime
Director:Doug Campbell
Cast:Cynthia Gibb, Janet Montgomery, Nicole Gale Anderson
Genre:Drama
Run time:90 minutes
DVD release date:August 2, 2011
MPAA rating:NR
This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
 

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About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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