Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Heartfelt dramedy has strong story and characters.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 15 parent reviews
Parents say the film features overly sexual themes, including inappropriate depictions of minors and strong sexual humor that is not suitable for younger viewers. While some found the movie entertaining and appreciated its humor, the majority highlighted that it carries significant inappropriate content, making it unsuitable for family viewing without careful consideration.
- overly sexual themes
- inappropriate for minors
- entertaining but mature
- not family-friendly
- strong adult themes
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 36 kid reviews
Kids say the film is a mixed bag, being both hilarious and heartfelt yet packed with mature themes, including sexual content and strong language, that could be uncomfortable for family viewing. While many enjoyed the performances and the emotional depth, some criticized its cringeworthy moments and questioned its suitability for younger audiences.
- funny and heartfelt
- mature themes
- strong performances
- mixed reviews
- family viewing concerns
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) has been in love with his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), since high school, marrying her at 17. So it's no understatement to say that his world falls to pieces when she declares over dinner at a restaurant that she has strayed and thinks she wants a divorce. Cal has no idea how to be single, spending his first few weeks perched on a bar stool at a nightclub he'd passed many times but never had the guts to enter. The entire scene is foreign to him ... until confident Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a certified womanizer who can persuade almost any girl to go home with him, takes Cal under his wing and decides to teach him how to take interest in both himself and other women. But even Jacob isn't immune to the charms of that someone special -- in this case, Hannah (Emma Stone), on whom his usual approach doesn't seem to work. Meanwhile, Cal's 13-year-old son (Jonah Bobo) is in love with his 17-year-old babysitter (Annaleigh Tipton), who happens to be smitten with Cal.
Is It Any Good?
CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE is surprising, engaging, and astute about humans and relationships and nearly everything else that matters. And that's despite the fact that it hews fairly closely to romcom and buddy comedy conventions; it's both, with a huge heaping of drama, too. Carrell and Gosling are fantastic; neither overplays or underplays. Instead, they seem genuinely comfortable in their movie skins, living their roles rather than "acting" them. (It's nice to see Gosling act hilarious for a change.)
Actually, the entire cast is strong, notably Moore as a genuinely bereft, confused, searching woman who has grown tired of the routine but doesn't quite know how to fix it, and Stone, who sells her character with ease -- she's truly gifted. The best part, however, is the story itself. It's finely attuned to the ways in which complacency erodes our confidence and strips us of the urge to learn and discover. Being stuck in one place too long can doom marriages -- and ourselves.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the movie portrays marriage problems. Is it realistic or "Hollywoodized"? How do problems between spouses affect a family?
Why is Jacob's seduction formula so successful? Does the movie glamorize this, or is it making a statement about such trickery?
A teen character takes some racy pictures of herself. What are the real-life consequences of that kind of action? Parents, talk to your kids about sexting and other potentially inappropriate behavior.
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 29, 2011
- On DVD or streaming : November 1, 2011
- Cast : Emma Stone , Julianne Moore , Ryan Gosling , Steve Carell
- Directors : Glenn Ficarra , John Requa
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 107 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : coarse humor, sexual content and language
- Last updated : March 2, 2026
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