 | 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. |
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
- Review Date: April 27, 2003
- PG-13
- Genre: Drama
- 2002
Common Sense Media says
Chick flick for mom; teens may not enjoy it.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie features characters who drink and smoke a lot, and drinking is shown to be a light-hearted way to bond with friends, though alcohol abuse is shown to be painful for the children of the drinker. There are mild sexual references including non-explicit nudity. While the main characters object to racist remarks in very strong terms, and the feelings of one black character are treated respectfully, the treatment of the black characters is stereotyped. They are portrayed as devoted family retainers. A character abuses prescription drugs, apparently inadvertently. A mother neglects and abuses her children.
What's the story?
Playwright Sidda Lee Walker (Sandra Bullock), preparing for a Broadway opening of her autobiographical play, tells a reporter for Time magazine that her childhood was troubled, causing her mother, Vivi (Ellen Burstyn), to stop talking to her. Vivi's lifelong friends, who as children declared themselves to be the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, step in, sharing with Sidda a scrapbook that will help her understand and forgive her mother.
Is it any good?
DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD has all of the ingredients for a good, old-fashioned chick flick -- an Oscar-winning cast willing to pull out all the stops; quirky, flawed, but relentlessly adorable and completely devoted characters with cute names; handsome, supportive, understanding, and completely devoted boyfriends (one with a cute accent); and a mother-daughter reconciliation. Everyone is just as colorful as can be. It even has a built-in audience of fans who made the book into a sleeper sensation. But it doesn't quite make it into the pantheon of chick flick greatness, alongside such classics as Terms of Endearment and Steel Magnolias. The story has more flash than heart, and the resolution is a little too pat and easy. We hear a lot about the great friendship but don't really feel it. There is something truly unsavory about the portrayal of knocking someone out and abducting her as madcap and charming. And the plot is a Swiss cheese of logical holes. Still, it is a great pleasure to watch these fine actresses give their all, and to hear the soundtrack by T. Bone Burnett, the guy behind the magnificent Grammy-winning soundtrack of O Brother Where Art Thou.
Sidda learns that it was not her fault and it was not really Vivi's fault, either, and Vivi learns a few things, too, so there is a happy ending for everyone. But it never feels real. Part of it is the absence of the people far more likely than Vivi's friends to help Sidda sort through everything -- where are her sisters and the other petites ya-yas (children of the Ya-Yas)? It is superficial and a little manipulative -- the big revelation that is supposed to answer all questions is not so big and leaves more than a few questions still open. The acting is a joy, though, especially the divine Maggie Smith as a steel magnolia who drags around an oxygen tank and tosses off quips drier than any martini. Burstyn and Judd do a terrific job of melding their performances so that you can believe they are playing the same character.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why it was so difficult for the characters to talk with each other about their feelings.
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AGE
Depressing
This movie was amazing, but it was also very depressing. I cried all the way through. I felt very sorry for everyone involved in the story.
The movie involves violence against children: definately the most upsetting part. All the women drink alcohol casually, and one is an alcoholic and abuses perscription drugs. There are a few mild sexual references but kids wouldn't get those anyway. I would definately say that most kids MY age would be upset by this movie, and maybe parents should wait until their kids are fifteen or sixteen to watch it with them.
Sandra Bullock did an amazing job, by the way.
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AGE
Very Good
The story of the ya'yas was very interesting, but there are some scenes that are pretty painful to watch. I would reccomend this for anyone 13 and up. It's such a good movie, but it's very emotional.
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| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Director: | Callie Khouri |
| Cast: | Ashley Judd, Ellen Burstyn, Sandra Bullock |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 114 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 7, 2002 |
| DVD release date: | November 5, 2002 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | language, sexual references, and violence |
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