The List

  • Review Date: July 30, 2007
  • NR
  • Genre: Comedy
  • 2007
Review

Common Sense Media says

Cute romantic comedy has a few racy scenes.
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

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this sweet romance has a fair amount of sex for a made-for-TV movie airing on ABC Family. There's kissing, groping, and other types of foreplay, as well as a brief scene that shows a couple having sex in bed (no nudity). Female characters often dress in skimpy outfits and flirt like crazy -- a supporting male character revels in it, but his upstanding friend (the main character) steadily turns them down in favor of a meaningful relationship. Language like "damn" and "bitch" is common, and there's some social drinking.

  • Positive messages0
    The main character is a moralistic single man (he often turns down women who throw themselves at him) looking for a meaningful romantic relationship. His close friend is a womanizer who hires a woman to date his buddy. Divorce and extramarital affairs are central to the plot.
  • Violence0
    One scene includes a punch and a slap, neither of which draws blood.
  • Sex3
    A brief scene shows a couple having sex in bed, but the covers obscure any nudity aside from a man's bare upper body. A few make-out sessions and one post-coital bedroom scene (again, sans nudity). Some female characters flirt blatantly and wear skimpy clothing.
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What's the story?

For Lewis Bond (Wayne Brady), it seems like life is moving full speed ahead. His career is a success, and he's getting ready to propose to his girlfriend. But when the big day comes she dumps him, leaving him to wonder if true love is a myth. After some soul-searching, he writes out a list of the qualities he wants in a wife. Not long after, he encounters the beautiful Cecile (Sydney Tamiia Poitier), who fills so many of his "requirements" that Lewis is soon double-checking his list in disbelief. Meanwhile, Cecile is secretly ironing out the kinks in her rocky life, including divorcing her self-centered husband (Malcolm Jamal-Warner). As their relationship progresses, Lewis starts to think that his long wait for a soul mate is over. But when the truth comes out about the plans behind their not-so-chance encounter, he feels his world crumbling beneath him yet again and wonders if true love is just a fairy tale after all.

Is it any good?

 

The List is a cute romantic comedy that will have starry-eyed viewers believing that love really can conquer all. Although the plot often borders on the predictable (boy meets girl, they fall in love, mishaps threaten their future, chance steps in to save the day), the movie is bolstered by great performances from Brady and Poitier, who have good onscreen chemistry.

That said, there's a fair amount of strong language for TV (especially for ABC Family) and several sexy scenes (including one that briefly shows a man and woman having sex, though there's no nudity), so it's best for teens and up.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about how the media shapes our ideas of dating and romance. Are TV and movie relationships realistic? How do celebrity body images, fashions, and mannerisms influence how people think about the opposite sex? Teens: Would you want your boyfriend/girlfriend to look and act like the people you see in the media? Families can also discuss relationships in general. Is there such a thing as one "right" person for marriage?

This review was written by Emily Ashby
Studio:Warner Home Video
Director:Brandon Sonnier
Cast:Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Tatyana Ali, Wayne Brady
Genre:Comedy
Run time:90 minutes
Theatrical release date:May 20, 2007
DVD release date:July 31, 2007
MPAA rating:NR
This review was written by Emily Ashby
 

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About our rating system
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.
Our child development rating guidelines

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