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My One and Only

(2009, Rated PG-13, Comedy, Starring Kevin Bacon, Logan Lerman, Renee Zellweger)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    High-spirited 1950s-set dramedy mixes humor, heavy themes.

Themes in this movie include:   family relationships, growing up

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–16

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Parents start out behaving badly, but they eventually learn to prioritize their children and get their act together (some do, anyway). Some teens appear derisive of their parents, especially their mother, but they end up appreciating her attempts to better herself and her family.
 

What to watch out for

  • Role models :

    Ann is undoubtedly selfish, but she has tons of spirit. Besides, as one of her son points out, she tries to be a good mother, even if she doesn't always succeed. Ditto for her husband, who’s pretty much absent from his children’s lives. The siblings have a great relationship; though they’re very different in disposition and personality, they stick up and watch out for one another.
  • Violence:

    A man lunges after a woman, who protects herself and her son by brandishing a fireplace poker. A mother slaps her son. A man pulls a knife on a woman, and her son defends them both by firing a gun.
  • Sex:

    A woman is mistakenly arrested for prostitution; a wife catches her husband in bed with another woman (no nudity, though he does walk around in his boxers while he and his spouse bicker). A teenage girl bares her breasts to a boy her age (but they're not shown); he responds in a fairly gentlemanly fashion.
  • Language:

    Swearing includes several uses of "s--t," plus “bitch,” "goddamn," "hell," "damn," and one use of “f--k.”
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some social drinking and smoking, accurate for the 1950s setting.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About My One and Only

Parents need to know that although this 1950s-set comedy starring Renee Zellweger is fairly light and frothy in tone, it takes on mature themes like adultery, single parenthood, and divorce's effects on children. In addition to plenty of irresponsible parenting, expect some swearing (including "f--k") and sexuality (including a scene in which a teen girl bares her breasts to a boy, though they're not shown). Still, in the end, the story proves uplifting, even moving, despite some strong life lessons.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about Ann and Dan's parenting skills (or lack thereof). Were they disconnected because that was the way parents were in that era? How do they compare to their modern-day counterparts?
  • How do the kids respond to the chaos around them? Do their reactions seem realistic to you? How does parental conflict affect children?
  • Why do you think Ann changes over time? Is the metamorphosis incremental or overnight? What triggers it? Is it believable?

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