Common Sense Media Review
Extremely lowbrow -- definitely not for kids.
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The Sweetest Thing
What's the Story?
THE SWEETEST THING stars Cameron Diaz as Christina, ad executive, full-time heartbreaker, and party girl. She lives with gal pals divorce lawyer Courtney (Christina Applegate) and salesgirl Jane (Selma Blair). They aren't waiting for Mr. Right. They are perfectly happy with Mr. Right Now. At least that's what they tell themselves. But they put up barriers to genuine intimacy in their romantic relationships, keeping genuine closeness for each other. Christina enjoys controlling men, dropping them quickly, and running back to share the dish. Then Christina meets Peter, he piques her interest by not being dazzled by her and by sizing her up right away. He mentions that he is going to a wedding the next day. So, when she can't put him out of her mind, she and Courtney decide crash the wedding. They're off on a road trip. All of this is just a thin excuse for a series of extremely raunchy and explicit jokes and situations, any of which would have earned an immediate NC-17 rating if this hadn't been a comedy and, more important, if not for the indestructible sweetness of Cameron Diaz, who acts as something between Teflon and a disinfectant.
Is It Any Good?
The three leads are so bright and even endearing that the fact that they behave like complete skanks doesn't compute. Their loyalty and high spirits and the fact that no one is taking this movie very seriously (they announce that there will be a clothes-trying on montage and then appear as Julia Roberts, Madonna, and Olivia Newton-John) make this a guilty almost-pleasure.
None of the men at the screening I attended liked this movie. Some of them even came out of the theater looking a little shell-shocked. But many of the women walked out smiling. The Sweetest Thing's audience may break down along gender lines, but believe me, this isn't your mother's chick flick. That is, unless your mother is an Adam Sandler fan, because this is an Adam Sandler movie from the girl's point of view. Written by Nancy Pimental, it's a cheerfully obscene tribute to girlfriends and of course to true love.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Christina was afraid to get close to a man and why she was so concerned about having the power in her relationships. They should also talk about the way the friends showed loyalty and unconditional acceptance to each other.
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 12, 2002
- On DVD or streaming : August 20, 2002
- Cast : Cameron Diaz , Christina Applegate , Selma Blair
- Director : Roger Kumble
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Columbia Tristar
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong sexual content and language
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
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