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Spring Breakdown

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 16.
  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    Raunchy comedy is a waste of time, brain cells.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–17

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Young women are shown to be two-faced, cliquish, and cruel, while some, with less self-confidence, are willing to do anything to be accepted into the group.  Most suffer no remorse, nor are there consequences for bad behavior. Homosexuality is seen only as a stereotype. A blind man is the brunt of a recurring joke. Everything, however, is depicted as over-the-top, ridiculous behavior not meant to be imitated or taken seriously.
  • Violence:

    Slapstick roughhousing, including salsa wrestling, girls fighting clumsily, a character hit with a football, a whack in the face, a false threat with a "loaded gun," and a dead cat seen from a short distance.
  • Sex:

    Frequent sexual references. Female bodies are rarely seen in anything other than bikinis, thongs, short shorts, tight tube tops, or wet T-shirts. There is passionate male-female kissing, slobbering, girls kissing, sexy dancing, bumps, grinds, a "threesome," and a brief scene with a gay massage in process. However, there is no nudity, and there are no serious sexual encounters.
  • Language:

    Constant swearing, racy language, and sexual dialogue: "eat me," "s--t," "take a leak,"  "piece of a--," "turd," "smell like a--," "feel like a--," "butt-sucking,"  "bitch," "horny," "penis," "bone me," "went down on a guy" and numerous instances of "slut." The F-word, however, is kept to a minimum.   
  • Consumerism:

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

    College kids and immature adults spend a week drinking to excess and partying non-stop. Almost every scene shows someone chug-a-lugging beer, doing shots, and getting wildly drunk. 
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Spring Breakdown

Parents need to know that this is a comedy that takes the concept of spring break to its most outrageous levels. While there is no actual nudity, college-aged girls wear bikinis, tight shorts, thongs, etc. and little else throughout the film. The dialogue is filled with references to body parts, coarse swearing, and crude language, all delivered to get laughs. Sexual episodes include: lots of sexy dancing, passionate kissing, girls kissing, a "threesome," and a glimpse of a gay massage. Kids, having no adult supervision, spend a week dancing, drinking, getting drunk, and letting their libidos run wild. Even the semi-sensible adults, of which there are only a few, get caught up in the rowdy, self-indulgent, never-ending party.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how real or unreal this spring break is. What are some of the real consequences that might result from the wild behavior? How do you think the relationship between Ashley and her mother changed after spring break? When, if ever, do you think it's acceptable to set aside your values and your sense of right and wrong in order to be accepted by your peers? Discuss how it might feel to be different. What are some things you can do to appreciate your own specialness?

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