 | 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. |
The Last Song
- Review Date: March 21, 2010
- PG
- Genre: Drama
- 2010
Common Sense Media says
Sweet Miley Cyrus drama depicts first love, family troubles.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this sweet-but-sad and fairly predictable
coming-of-age story will likely appeal to hordes of Miley Cyrus’ young fans, but it's best for older tweens and teens thanks to the heavy topics of divorce,
abusive relationships, and death. The romance (including some
passionate kissing) will send fans hearts a-flutter, and a tear-jerking
storyline will leave them surprisingly moved. There’s little swearing
("bitch") and some sexual banter, but most everything’s pretty
clean-cut.
What's the story?
Sent along with her younger brother to spend the summer on Tybee Island
with their father (Greg Kinnear), Ronnie (Miley Cyrus) resists enjoying their
time together. She’s been estranged from him since he divorced their
mother (Kelly Preston), and refuses to
forgive him for what she feels is abandonment.
Post-high-school-graduation, life in general feels tenuous to Ronnie.
She’s been accepted to Juilliard, the prestigious music conservatory,
but she’s determined not to go, despite having been a musical prodigy.
Her father was her teacher, and she can’t bear to sit at the piano again
since it reminds Ronnie of him. But an unexpected romance with a
popular local boy, Will (Liam Hemsworth), softens Ronnie’s heart, and
paves the way for a reconciliation with her father. Sadly, it may prove
too short.
Is it any good?
Miley Cyrus won’t be winning any acting awards anytime soon. Her
delivery is rat-a-tat, and she operates in two modes -- pouting and not. But despite rote dialogue and plot swerves one could spot a mile away, Cyrus
manages to seem authentic, especially in scenes with Kinnear and
Hemsworth, with whom she shares incredible chemistry.
It's their chemistry that rescues THE LAST SONG from disaster,
actually -- Hemsworth has great charisma and good instincts -- and the
gorgeously photographed locale helps too. Nicholas Sparks, of The Notebook fame, who
wrote the screenplay, clearly knows how to eke out the tears from
romance. (Cyrus' tween fan base will swoon.) But the movie aspires to be
too many things -- an inspirational movie, a dark family drama, a study
of class conflict -- that it isn't great at any of them. Plus, for a
film starring beloved pop star Cyrus, with the word "song" in its title,
and celebrating the joy of music, it has too-few moments of Ronnie and
her father together at the piano. And that's a pity.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Ronnie’s reaction to her parents’ divorce. Why
does she hate her father so much? Why is she unable to forgive him? Is
her reaction typical and/or understandable? Does her experience remind
you of your experiences or your friends' experiences?Tweens and teens: Do you see Miley Cyrus as a role model? Why or why not? Do you
think celebrities make good role models? Do you have any real-life role
models -- like family members, friends, or teachers? Do you real-life
role models have more or less influence over your thoughts and decisions
compared to celebs?Is the film’s depiction of first (true) love realistic? How does it
change Ronnie?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
LOVED IT!! (: I read the book, and it made me cry :'( but books have to be very powerful to make you feel so strongly that you cry, and the person that I went to the movie with cried too!! It was really good and other than maybe...2 bad words, it was great.
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AGE
It was a great movie...MIley did a great job acting in her on screen "wig free" debut
When i went to go see this movie with my friend i was also making sure that it was appropiate for my 8 and 11 year old sisters
and my conclusion is that a definit NO for my 8 year old sister
and for my 11 year old sister this is the line...like this is her next step before she can start watching Romantic movies
the innapropiatness in this movie is about the same as a cinderella story, what a girl wants, and raise your voice
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AGE
Luv it
I just saw it today with my mum... it was sooooo sad, if you do go see it bring tissues cause i was cry for about half the film :) lol um miley is surpisingly good in this!!!!!! heart warming movie......... go see it!!!!
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AGE
Can't Miss, Positive, Gotta Luv It Film!!
The "love conquers all", heart-warming story will make you consider the concept of love at first sight. Not only does the movie leave tears in your eyes, but it plants a positive message in a child's mind. Awesome for teens like me and early to later tweens!! (Some young children may also see the movie, but due to the mild violence and flirty talk, PG certainly states the point of mind.) The Last Song, being as great as it is, does have its flaws. Violence dominates a part of the film. LOVE THIS MOVIE!!
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AGE
Not a Disney movie for Tweens. Teens only.
I thought the movie was good but not appropriate for Tweens. I think the ideas of the movie were way too old for people under the age of 14 the movie contains a lot of passionate kissing and teen drinking and the ending is way too depressing for young people to understand.
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AGE
Love this!
May not be appropriate for tweens. There is entirely too much kissing for my taste and the more sensitive viewers may not like it because of an unexpected twist, which I won't reveal. The Last Song is a powerful movie. Few movies celebrate REAL music, not rap or pop, but the instruments on which actual music was founded. I did think it was a bit unrealistic that Ronnie got accepted into that prestigious of a music school - she didn't even apply. If she did the movie didn't say it. There is a lot of crying, a lot of kissing, a lot of hugging. One violent scene. One scene shows Will and Ronnie hosing off after a mud fight. Ronnie stuffs some padding down a dress she tries on.
Overall I would recommend this for 12 or 13.
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AGE
Althought there are things that happen in the movie that I would not want my kids to do. I have raised them to right from wrong. They its only a movie. They are mature enough that just beacause they see something in a movie does not mean they imatate those actions. The characters in the movie grow. There are several possitive messages. Miley Cyrus did a good job. I was pleasently surprised. As you get in into the movie you see the characture she plays not Miley Cyrus. To me that means she did a good job.
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Kid, 12 years old
March 23, 2011
AGE
Cool
I thought this movie was okay. I saw it when I was about 10 and I liked it. It is a little violent but I think it's not bad at all. It is rated PG though so I think it's really fine for kids.
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AGE
Great plot, but emotional.
The Last Song is one of my favorites! I read the book and usually a movie isn't comparable with a book, but this time it was different. There were some truly emotional parts in this movie with convincing acting. I recommend watching it.
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| Topics: | music and sing-along |
| Studio: | Offspring Entertainment |
| Director: | Julie Anne Robinson |
| Cast: | Greg Kinnear, Liam Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 107 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | March 31, 2010 |
| DVD release date: | August 16, 2010 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | thematic material, some violence, sensuality and mild language |
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