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Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

(2009, Rated PG-13, Comedy, Starring Matthew McConaughey, Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Garner)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    Predictable romcom has some iffy stuff, but OK for teens.

Themes in this movie include:   dating/crushes, gender issues

Why We Rated This on for Ages 14 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    A chauvinistic man who believes that women should be loved and left gets his comeuppance; ultimately, he's persuaded by true love to put his best foot forward.
 

What to watch out for

  • Role models :

    While the main character is a shameless womanizer, it's clear that he's not meant to be taken seriously as a role model -- and he learns the error of his ways.
  • Violence:

    A woman slaps a man; two brothers yell at each other; a man crashes his car at the bottom of a hill.
  • Sex:

    Lots of innuendoes ("spooning isn't as much fun as forking," etc.) and a fair amount of discussion about what women and men want in bed. Deep kissing, though some of it is played for laughs. Characters talk about wanting "wedding sex," a man gropes his brother's future mother-in-law, and scantily clad women prance around a photographer's studio -- later, one of them is seen straddling the photographer and making out with him.
  • Language:

    Language includes one use of "s--t," plus "a--hole," "ass," "damn," "hell," "bitch," "laid," "banged," "screwed," "dick," "oh my God," and "goddamn."
  • Consumerism:

    A Polaroid camera figures in the plot, and characters mention alcohol brands by name.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    One character talks about snorting a pile of cocaine (but it's not shown). Characters drink heavily during a wedding weekend, sometimes intentionally to excess. An uncle takes an eighth grader to a bar and orders hard liquor for him.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Parents need to know that this predictable romantic comedy about a shameless womanizer who ultimately sees the error of his ways has plenty of innuendo and discussion about sex, though there's more talk than action. Expect to see deep kissing, some groping, and a clothed man being straddled by a scantily clad woman while they make out. There's also some swearing ("bitch," "damn," etc.) and drinking, including a scene in which an uncle buys his eighth-grade nephew a drink in a bar.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the movie's messages about relationships and sex. Why is Connor's behavior so bad? Why do you think he turned out the way he did? And why does Jenny still have feelings for him, considering how he treated her?
  • How is this movie similar to and different from other romantic comedies?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 2.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    Don't watch this under 14 or 15

    There was too much adult humor. And it wasn't even that great

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Negative role models

    Dont see.

    I hated this movie. I was embarressed to watch it and so was my twenty year old sister in film school. mathew mcconaughey was an obnoxious character. Way to many random sex references and the jokes werent funny at all

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 3.0

    cnt say no cnt say yes idk what to put as my title

    idk but it has to be good because theres really good actors/actresses on it so ima watch it.

  4. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism

    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    cool

    This game is awsome i recomend it 12+, it's a game where you can learn about History after around an hrs play i got stuck into it, it took me 30 mins to get to know the basics, i rate it 20 / 20.00 It doesn't cost much, i got mine at: www.rewards1.com/index.php?referrer_id=1116923 Just make an account and do the offers, it should take 20 mins to get the points to buy the game, it's a trusted website mcaffee knows about this website. And even they support it. What are you waiting for?

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    its great!!!!!!!!!

  6. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

  7. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

  8. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title off for age 15 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    okay for older kids but not under 15

    It was a cute enough movie however there was to much sexual content and females with next to no clothes on

  9. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Colorado
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 0.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    Not me, not you!!!

    Yah not very apropriate, super awkward, i was sitting next to my mom!!! I liked it, but i thought it would be a very good, cute chick flick. WRONG! Very inapropriate, even i shouldn't have been able to see it.

  10. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Kansas
    I rate this title off for age 16 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    UGH - Not for kids of any age - especially teens on up

    Demoralizes women, and even if you make it to the end - the message at the start is one night stands are okay. Awful! I wouldn't want my son using this as a role model - or my girl to think they are as worthless as this. Plus the STDs - why would anyone want to get in a relationship with this kind of person! - He is cute, but don't touch me!

  11. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0

    i loved it, funny and great~

    this movie was really funny. i loved it. i'm 11 and i love the whole message at the end. to be with one woman the rest of your life, and to take the chance of being hurt to do it. it was really funny 2 with language that i've heard much worse at my middle school (going into 7th grade now) funny i loved it!!! :D

  12. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message

    Yuck!

    I would NOT have taken my daughter had I seen it first. Over-the-tops sexuality and innuendo along with a poorly written and predictable storyline made this movie an uncomfortable and disappointing experience.

  13. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Louisiana
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    Interesting and cute!

    Wow! Nice and cute movie but you probably want to be a teen or adult so you can get most of the jokes and what they're talking about

  14. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message

    As soon as the movie started, I totally cringed. I went and saw this movie with 3 friends, none of us liked it. It's an innopropriate movie for kids, the whole movie is based around a man who sleeps around. I found the movie pointless and really painfull to watch. The humour wasn't funny to me, must be an adult thing because the adults sitting behind me were laughing at all the jokes I didn't even find funny. Pointless, stupid, gross and not worth the money.

  15. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    Watch with you kids.

    lots of sex and talk about sex. Mead KOs his brothers future father-in-law. Mild language. Lots of drinking. But in the end the message is very positive. And the film is extremely funny!

  16. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    Don't Go---Another Horrible Movie by McConoughey!

    Jennifer Garner deserves better than this piece of shlock. Your reviewer was being kind in the review.

  17. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in South Carolina
    I rate this title off for age 14 and give it 1.0

    I apologized to my kids

    We went with another family to see this movie. I am ashamed to say that I didn't leave with my kids within the first 10 minutes. I guess I kept thinking the main premise would be made, and then it would get better. Wow! How wrong can you be? I know that kids live in a real world, but the street language and references (constant) to sex was really just unneccesary. We tried to find some lessons, like "never date somebody like that", and "there really are girls out there who don't care about STD's". But in reality, I had to apologize to my kids. The movie was not even funny. Just a waste of time and money, and a little too much education for a 12 and 15 year old.

  18. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Rhode Island
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

  19. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Kansas
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    This is an ADULT movie...Matthew McConnaughey is a driven skirt chaser to the point where he has damaged any relationship with his remaining family members. He is absolutely self-absorbed and only interested in sex. Of course there is a sugar coated unrealistic ending---no one changes overnight, literally!

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