Sleepover (PG, 2004)

common sense media says

Not for younger kids, despite its PG rating.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie is filled with the kind of parental concerns that aren't factored into the MPAA's rating system. The main characters -- young teenage girls -- sneak out of the house after promising not to. They make a date with a man they met on the Internet with the plan of getting him to buy one of them a drink. They then sneak into a club and drink alcohol. One girl secretly watches a boy undress (from the rear, nudity off screen). They vandalize property, imprison a security guard, drive without licenses, make an overweight girl feel bad about herself. Many characters lie, including adults. One of the girls loses a boyfriend by refusing to "hook up" with him but apparently brags to her friends that she did. There is also some bathroom humor and intrusive product placement.

Positive messages: Although some of the characters' problematic behavior has consequences (getting caught trying to order a drink, for example), plenty doesn't, and overall there's not a lot of responsibility taken or learned during the course of the movie.
Positive role models: The young teen characters get up to lots of iffy stuff, from sneaking into clubs to vandalism to making a date with an older man they met online. They also lie and discriminate a girl who's overweight. Not much diversity in the cast.
Violence: Mild tension and peril; skateboard/car crashes/wipe-outs. Some slapping-type confrontations between both girls and girls and boys.
Sex: Kissing/making out, references to "hooking up," cleavage, etc. Implied nudity (off screen).
Language: "Hook up," "oh my God," "hell."
Consumerism: Some intrusive product placement from brands like Old Navy.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Teens sneak into club, and a 14-year-old orders "Sex on the Beach" at the bar -- but she's carded and gets soda instead.

More on Sleepover

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about whether any of the characters in this movie can be considered a positive role model. Why or why not?
  • What kinds of consequences do you think the girls' behavior would have in real life? Why aren't those consequences fully shown here?
  • Why do you think Julie and Stacie stopped being friends?
  • What can parents and young teens do to get used to the idea that kids are growing up?

What's the story?

What's the story?
SLEEPOVER is the story of Julie (Alexa Vega of Spy Kids) and three friends who participate in a scavenger hunt with a significant prize -- the favored "power" lunch spot for the whole school year. To win, Julie and her friends have to get a man they meet on the Internet to buy them a drink, put their clothes on the mannequins in the Old Navy store window, and steal a security guard's car decal and the boxers of the boy of Julie's dreams. They promise not to leave the house but sneak out anyway. At the club, it turns out that the Internet mystery date is none other than the girls' nerdy teacher. Once that gets sorted out, they continue their quest. They climb on a roof, run away from a security guard and lock him up, hide in a shower stall while a boy takes off all his clothes and then steal his boxers, and drive without permission or a license. Bottom line? They cause a lot of damage for which they take no responsibility.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Sleepover is supposed to be a touching, lighthearted PG comedy, but these 14-year-old girls violate every rule they agreed to. While the movie pits the nice girls against the mean girls, by the end of the movie it's frankly hard to tell them apart. They lie, cheat, vandalize, steal, sneak out of the house and into a bar, order a drink with a man they met on the Internet, and sneak into a high school dance by telling the girl taking tickets she has to let them in so they don't turn into a lonely loser like her.

Vega and the other girls are appealing performers, especially Mika Boorem as Julie's best friend and Sara Paxton as snooty Mean Girl Stacie. The "why can't you understand I'm growing up" and "how can I survive if my best friend moves away?" themes will ring familiar with the intended audience, but the movie's irresponsible portrayal of extremely risky and destructive behavior and its distorted notion of girl power make it very iffy for tweens and eevn young teens.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: MGM/UA
Director: Joe Nussbaum
Cast: Alexa Vega, Mika Boorem, Scout Taylor-Compton
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 90 minutes
Theatrical release: July 9, 2004
DVD release: November 23, 2004
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA explanation: thematic elements involving teen dating, some sensuality and language

This review was written by Nell Minow
 
 

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What parents & educators say

10

Most useful reviews by all members

TweenSleepovers
kid, 12 years old
 
Best Movie Ever!
I love this movie. It's a fun, light-toned, enjoyable comedy for tween sleepovers. Has a hint of drama and action along with romance and scenes of friendship. Was suprised that this movie was rated for teens! But would defiently watch this feel-good, laugh-out-loud comedy again for our sleepover. I am eleven and love this movie! Don't watch this unless you are a girl at a sleepover.

 
i love this movie!
I love this movie! Normally I agree with CSM but this is just crazy. off for 13? I saw this movie when I was really little and I saw a 9 year old there and she loved it! There's nothing wrong with this movie.

softballfan6609
teen, 16 years old
 
13+???? try 9+!

saintsgirl12
teen, 13 years old
 
LOVED ITT
I LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!!! great for sleepovers.! i watched it like 15 times already

12Bows
teen, 14 years old
 
NOT for tweens. JUST for teens and above.
I thought this was a great movie. It's all about how these friends have fun during their summer time, competing in order to have the 'lunch spot'. The part about this film that isn't appropriate for younger kids is how the main character has to break into her crush's house to steal his boxers. He was in his shower at the time, so it was kinda weird. And in the end there's some making out. There are NO good role models in this film because the girls break the rules just so that they can have the best lunch spot.

whatever99
teen, 15 years old
 
10+; its not that innapropriate.
This movie's good- I watched it when I was 10, and i thought that it was awesome (though that's not what i think now, now it's boring) and i think that all ages can watch it.

rommel101
teen, 17 years old
 
I good flim for tweens.....
Now.....if your 12 and up, you PROBERLY won't like it. If your under, PERFECT! It is all tweens would like to do. Have a good time. I didn't really like this, but i would watch it in a sleepover.

massie11
kid, 11 years old
 
great
i watched this last nigh and loved it.there is one use of the h word and some iolder kid content

ChickFlick636
kid, 12 years old
 
MY FAVE MOVIE OF ALL TIME!
best. movie. ever. yeah, so the lead girl steals a guy's boxers. so she orders an alcoholic drink. even kids know about that! I saw this when I was 7 and have probably seen it about 5 times since. its so fun and funny! it really gets inside a girl's life, from boys to girl-drama to just plain having fun. the main character really shows strength in dealing with the mean girl. if you want a good, fun, feel-good, makes-you-want-to-do-it-too movie, then really, WATCH THIS!!!!!!!

onoffon
kid, 13 years old
 
OK for mature tweens and teens
Overall, Sleepover isn't a drop dead amazing movie. It was simply OK. The actors weren't that great, and the plot was sort of unrealistic. I would rank Sleepover somewhere between PG and PG-13. the things that really shocked me is that a 14 year old girl sneaks into a club with instructions to get a guy to buy her a drink. This drink just happens to have a racy name, as aforementioned ... Another thing that shocked me is the particular "shower scene". She's seen sneaking into a guy's shower (He's not in it), and this scene implies nudity - only shows neck to the lower back and nothing else- but before he hops in the shower he hears a noise, and goes out of the bathroom - with a towel on- to check it out, where she promptly steals his boxers (note: everything she does is because some girls made a list for her and her friends to follow. after her mother told her not to leave the house) There's one use of the H word and some making out, references to "hooking up", and omigod but no actual cuss words. Another thing is that she's disrespectful to her mother a lot. All in all, it's an OK movie that's fine for mature pre-teens and teens, but not my first pick =)

FabulousMe
teen, 15 years old
 
Yes it's horrible - but it's a ten year old's dream movie
This movie has horrible messages. The acting is horrendous. It awfully made. But your ten year old will love it. Actually the only part that bothered me was the end where the main character got rewarded for sneaking out, ordering an alcoholic drink, and sneaking into a guy's house.

haddad fan
kid, 12 years old
 
e.g. girls only!
i can't keep this 1 star and rate it iffy for 11-16, i mean the suggestion is 13, because there aren't boys in the movie.

lilypadd
kid, 12 years old
 
cute
bad for 11+. good for 9 and 10 yearolds. I saw it when I was 9 at a b-day party and luved it! dont like it anymore though. and just because the cast is all white doesnt mean its racist. cute movie for kids

CandiceTalks
teen, 14 years old
 
HORRIBLE for teens, fine for younger girls..
Horrible, horrible movie. I watched it at a sleepover with my friends and we made fun of it the whole time. The acting is pretty bad, there isn't really a good plot.. I think the younger girls would enjoy it more than teens. Violence - None, a guy wipes out on a skateboard, no blood.. Language - Hardly, the worst is like "hell". Sex - None, except the main character (girl) watches a guy her age undress but no nudity is shown on screen. Drinking, drugs - The main character orders a "Sex On The Beach" at the club but ends up drinking a soda. Overall bad movie, don't waste your time if your a teen. It's great for little girls though.

Goddess Fan- Fae
kid, 11 years old
 
Amazing for Tweens
i loved this movie and i'm 11. it's suspensful, thrilling and girly.

taaayjuhxd
teen, 16 years old
 
I loved it, im 15 and this movie was pretty good to me, the girls have a sleepover and its a list they have to complete before some other girls who are considered popular win.

PoundCakez1010z
kid, 12 years old
 
sleepover
It's pretty good but not the best. It has some drinking and sex stuff but it's not so bad.

dramaqueen@hot ...
parent of 11 year old
 
Any girl can watch this movie even i love it and im 25!
Well its a good movie anygirl can watch it No i don't have kids but if i did i would defilenty let them watch this movie its the perfect movie for birthday parites and duh! SleepOvers its more of a movie for a girl than a boy to watch!

zipzipzap
teen, 15 years old
 
great movie
this movie is really funny and great for teenagers. Parents may think that this will make kids want to be like characters in this movie but this movie is just for entertainment

Star Trek Fan
teen, 13 years old
 
Kind of bad, but it probably won't really do any harm
There's almost no category to put the bad stuff in this movie under. It's just... bad. So, I'm not like some of these people. It's not explicit! It doesn't deserve an R rating (though maybe a PG-13). It's just a movie made for nine and ten year old girl's slumber parties. However, it does have many bad messages: 1. The girls sneak out 2. The main girl order a "Sex on the Beach." 3. The main girl sees a guy naked in his house, then steals his boxers. 4. The movie implies that all that matters is being cool and popular 5. A slightly fat girl is insulted 6. The WORST thing is that when the Mom knows the girls sneaked out, she REWARDS them for it (a terrible message)! But still, if you think your daughter is going to copy this behavior, you have some problems of your own, and you can't blame them on this movie.

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