 | 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. |
Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
- Review Date: October 19, 2012
- NR
- Genre: Drama
- 2012
Common Sense Media says
Listless coming-of-age drama about teen's ho-hum "problems."
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You is a coming-of-age tale about a recent high school graduate who doesn't know what to do with his life. Everyone's pushing for him to go to college; he's not interested, but he also doesn't know what does interest him. Expect some drinking (including by underage characters) and one scene featuring high school students getting high. There's also discussion of sex and sexual orientation and occasional swearing (including "f--k," "s--t," and more).
What's the story?
James (Toby Regbo) is fresh out of high school and has no idea what to do with his life. His parents (Peter Gallagher and Marcia Gay Harden) urge him to go to college, but it just doesn't seem like the right choice to him. Problem is, he has no idea what he should do instead -- so he spends much of SOMEDAY THIS PAIN WILL BE USEFUL TO YOU trying to figure it out, with some guidance from an unorthodox life coach (Lucy Liu).
Is it any good?
Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You tries to turn the agonizing life choices of a 17-year-old boy into the stuff of high drama, but the stakes are very low. Should James go to school at Brown? Should he buy an old house and fix it up? Should he just jump off the roof, or work at his mom's high-end art gallery? His are the options of privilege, thanks to wealthy parents, but this material comfort means he has little motivation to do much of anything.
This isn't a situation that's available to most real-life teens, and it's not especially interesting to watch as a result. In the end, James faces the same choices as just about everyone his age, and little he does is original. His decisions are neither unusual nor entertaining, and neither is this movie.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about whether James is a realistic character. Does he seem like a real teen? Are his dilemmas relatable? How does he compare to other movie teens?
How does the movie portray drinking and drug use? Are there realistic consequences?
What life advice does James' grandmother give him? Is it useful/helpful?
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| Topics: | brothers and sisters, friendship, misfits and underdogs |
| Studio: | Four of a Kind Productions |
| Director: | Roberto Faenza |
| Cast: | Lucy Liu, Marcia Gay Harden, Peter Gallagher, Toby Regbo |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 98 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | October 5, 2012 |
| DVD release date: | March 5, 2013 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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