Grease

  • Review Date: June 25, 2003
  • PG
  • Genre: Musical
  • 1978
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Musical phenomenon is great fun, but a bit racy.
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

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie is full of somewhat racy material, although most of it isn't any more shocking than the content of today's teen flicks and television shows. Still, you might want to give it a quick "refresher" watch before showing it to kids under 13 to make sure you remember exactly what they'll be seeing.

  • Male characters view females as sex objects. One T-Bird claims that that "chicks" are "only good for one thing." Unpopular students are the butt of several jokes. Sandy and Danny act against their respective natures to try to impress each other.
  • While playing sports, Danny hits two students and snaps an umpire's mask. A T-Bird draws his switchblade in preparation for a rumble.
  • A character is briefly shown in her bra. Characters are seen making out. At the drive-in, Danny makes a pass at Sandy. Sexual activity is implied when two characters discuss a broken condom, resulting in Rizzo's fear she may be pregnant. Naked derrieres are seen when characters moon a passing car and, later, a television camera. The T-Birds discuss female anatomy, and one fellow peeks up the skirts of female students. The Pink Ladies dance around in their nighties mocking Sandy's virginity. The song "Greased Lightnin'" has strong sexual content, though the innuendo may go over the heads of younger viewers.

What's the story?

This movie covers quintessential high school moments: the big pep rally, the school dance, worrying about image, and, of course, falling in love. Though viewers shouldn't expect a highly accurate portrayal of life in the 1950s, the relationships between characters will feel like familiar emotional ground to many viewers. When it comes to an entertaining mix of singing, dancing, and comedy, GREASE -- which won a People's Choice Award -- is hard to beat. Adolescents will especially enjoy seeing John Travolta in his early days (boy, can he dance!).


Is it any good?

 

Grease was the word when this movie came out in 1978, and the word is still alive and well today, as evidenced by the movie's ever-growing legion of fans. In fact, it is the most profitable movie musical of all time, whose biggest hit, "Summer Nights," remains a standard at weddings, karaoke parties, and dances. Although the story is somewhat weak, the music and contagious energy more than make up for it, as do stellar performances by John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, and Jeff Conaway.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about how some things about high school are always the same, even if you're not singing about them in poodle skirts. Why do the Pink Ladies tease Sandy? Why does she feel like she needs to conform? What does Rizzo's song "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" convey about her personality?


This review was written by Kate Pluta
Parent of 8 year old
October 20, 2010
 
fine for older kids, but not for tweens
While I loved this movie as a teen (I was around 11 when it came out) my parents were SURE to have a talk with me about the choices Sandy was making, and why she was being bullied. (it's pretty clear she must conform to being the sex toy of a boy.... in the late 70s this wasn't a hit with feminists I am guessing). Some 8 year olds in my daughter's circle of friends are in love with this film, and guess what bullying behavior they are mimicking? "Pink Ladies" at 8- going after my kid for not being sexy enough? no kidding. I suggest parents re-watch this classic in private before they have their kids trying to mimic it.

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Teen, 16 years old
August 30, 2009
 
Classic movie rated before "PG-13", keep that in mind.
No doubt about it. "Grease" is a classic. Just a classic that should be showed to people 13 and up. Lots of talk about sex between the T-Pig- I mean the T-birds sadly portray gangs in High School accurately.

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Parent of 5 and 11 year old
July 24, 2009
 
Great Movie!
One of my favorites, but soooo inappropriate! But, buy the CD and liston We Go Together, You're The One That I Want, Hopelssly Devoted, and Summer Nights although you might consider it a bit iffy!

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Parent of 13 year old
August 2, 2010
 
Not appropriate for tweens
Started to watch this last night with my almost 13-year old boy/girl twins. I was really disappointed in a) how bad it seemed now after all these years since I last saw it and b) how inappropriate it was--constant references to sex, "flog your log," etc. etc. I think this isn't appropriate for tweens

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Teen, 16 years old
March 26, 2011
 
Grease is the Word!
While a classic, Grease has some things that shouldn't be shown to those under ten. . However it does show some consequences of sexual habits by making Miss Rizzo think she's pregnant. Yet the songs are memorable and Sandy's very likeable and friendly to everyone.

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Parent of 10 year old
March 30, 2011
 
Personally love it!

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Teen, 15 years old
March 29, 2011
 
good
the bad stuff: a lot of kissing and making out, some language, the S word on a song, teens smoking and drinking. the good stuff: no positive role models or messages, so i think the only good thing was the movie itself. the movie: OK if you don't like musicals, good if you do

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Parent of 12 and 14 year old
June 8, 2010
 
Good for high schoolers
I saw this movie in the theaters when I was almost 15 and it was a little racy but of course I knew it all back then. Now, as a parent, I won't let my kids under 13 watch it. If your child listens to the dialogue there are several inappropriate mentions of sex, virginity, teen pregnancy and slutty girls. The only redeeming thing about Sandy changing in the end is that Danny tried to change for her as well.

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Teen, 16 years old
April 8, 2011
 
love this movie! the music is awesome.

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This review was written by Kate Pluta
Topics:high school, music and sing-along
Studio:Paramount Pictures
Director:Ken Annakin
Cast:John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing
Genre:Musical
Run time:110 minutes
Theatrical release date:June 16, 1978
DVD release date:June 3, 2002
MPAA rating:PG
MPAA explanation:some sexual content

This review was written by Kate Pluta
 

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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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