ATL (PG-13, 2006)

common sense media says

Morally grounded kids in the hood come of age.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie includes frequent allusions to sexuality and young people testing limits of authority. A 14-year-old character skips school and sells drugs: subsequently, he's suspended from school, chastised by his brother and uncle, beated by a group of older guys, and shot by his drug dealer employer (shooting takes place off screen and boy does not die). Girls wear revealing clothes, their bottoms featured in several "booty" shots. We hear that two boys lost their parents in a car accident.

Positive messages: Living in a poor neighborhood, orphaned 17-year-old looks after his little brother, bonds (and briefly fights) with his friends through roller skating, pursues his ambition to draw comics; the primary villain (a drug dealer) intimidates the community and eventually shoots one of his workers.
Violence: Menacing gangster appears throughout; brief discussion of parents killed in car crash; brief violence erupts near the end: a boy is beaten by thugs who steal his money and drugs he's supposed to sell; a dealer shoots a boy for vengeance (shooting offscreen, but the result -- his family worrying in the hospital -- makes clear he's injured).
Sex: Kids make out in background shots at school; a romantic, nonexplicit sex scene (not explicit, facial close-ups, tenderness); frequent images of girls' bottoms, tight clothing, bikinis, and cleavage; sexual slang.
Language: One f-word, over ten s-words, one b-word, frequent use of "ass" and "damn," slang for sexual activity and genitalia ("titty,"booty," "cuddy"), at least two uses of the n-word; some hip-hop songs on soundtrack also include brief language.
Consumerism: Golden Crisp cereal.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: High schoolers drink at parties; villain smokes cigars; brief cigarette smoking in background; a couple of characters sell drugs (and one adult considers this might be a good income for the household, before his nephew argues against it);

More on ATL

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about Rashad's fears of commitment and abandonment, owing to the loss of his parents. How does his relationship with his younger brother eventually teach the value of taking responsibility and being honest?

What's the story?

What's the story?
17-year old Rashad (T.I./Tip Harris) and his 14-year-old brother Ant (Evan Ross Naess), are orphaned and living with their Uncle George (Mykelti Williamson). Rashad works with George cleaning office buildings at night, trying to put away enough money to ensure Ant gets out of the hood and goes to college. But Ant resents his big brother's rule-making and sees a flashier role model in Marcus (Big Boi), who rolls up equipped with fine rims and pitbulls. Rashad works hard, focuses on his gift for comic-book drawing, and becomes infatuated with a pretty girl (Lauren London). Rashad's friend Esquire (Jackie Long) is also dedicated to getting out: he attends private school on a scholarship, works at the golf course, and pursues a college recommendation letter from local CEO John Garnett (Keith David). Though Garnett has a huge house, he's not quite figured out how to be a progressive father figure, to a mentee like Esquire or his own child. In this, he's similar to George, who's also struggling to look after his nephews. While Rashad sees George as missing the point of parenting, it turns out that both miss the slide Ant makes into Marcus' sphere, until Ant's discovered dealing marijuana at school.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Engaging, bright, and energetic, ATL follows a conventional coming-of-age plot, while also complicating the usual tale of kids coming up in the hood. Rashad's voiceover provides a central-ish point of view, though the film cuts all over the place, including life lessons for his friends and family as well.

While the movie shows a range of ambitions and self-performances, by kids and adults, it doesn't judge them, but considerers how they come to see options. Certainly, Rashad's art gets the most play, but all of them create their own identities through the work they do and the relationships they forge. Sometimes too earnest, mostly complicated, and always generous, ATL never loses sight of this truth, that the kids' experiences and decisions have contexts.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Chris Robinson
Cast: Keith David, Lauren London, Tip Harris
Genre: Drama
Run time: 105 minutes
Theatrical release: March 29, 2006
DVD release: July 18, 2006
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: for drug content, language, sexual material and some violence.

This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
 
 

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What parents & educators say

10

Most useful reviews by all members

*HAPPY&HAPPY*
teen, 16 years old
 
It was not really funny but was more dramatic at moments
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!! In some parts

Teykia
adult
 
Great movie
I saw it on tv and they cut out almost all the inepropiate content.If you dont want your child seeing all of that watch it on tv and stop complaining,gosh!

mblella
teen, 14 years old
 
Best movie
Good Movie Love T.I and Even Ross Mad Ghetto where its at

egrammy
adult
 
Antwon Fisher wrote the story.......
I took 4 grandkids. 2 country kids and 2 suburb kids. It is a terrific look at city life, esp Atlanta. All country and suburb kids should go. Our kids have been told about this writer and we'd travel a long way to see his work or read his work.

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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