Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Some laughs, but an iffy message for girls.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The House Bunny
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 9 parent reviews
Based on 31 kid reviews
Kids say the film is a mix of hilarious moments and problematic themes, focusing on women needing to change themselves to gain acceptance from men, which many reviewers found concerning. While the humor and some positive messages about self-acceptance are appreciated, the movie's racy content and portrayal of femininity raise issues that parents should consider before letting younger viewers watch it.
- funny moments
- mixed messages
- racy content
- self-acceptance
- target audience
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Shelley (Anna Faris) is an enthusiastic Playboy bunny whose life goal is to become a centerfold. She lives happily in Hugh Hefner's mansion until the day she's kicked out, supposedly for turning 27. Dazed, she ends up wandering the streets of Los Angeles until she stumbles upon Greek row at a local college. The sorority houses look like "miniature Playboy mansions" to her, so she walks into the Zeta house, which is about to lose its charter, and asks to be their house mother. Zeta's "misfit" sisters -- including timid, back-braced Joanne (Rumer Willis); heavily pierced brainiac Mona (Kat Dennings); heavily pregnant Harmony (Katharine McPhee); and dorky-but-beautiful-behind-her-glasses Natalie (Emma Stone) -- can't get anyone to pledge, but the scantily clad Shelley promises to save them by transforming the shy, cerebral clan into sexy, dolled-up hotties.
Is It Any Good?
Faris is a gifted comedic actress who frequently manages to elicit laughs out of lowbrow material. She's a master at playing sweet-but-stupid sexbots. But in THE HOUSE BUNNY, her innate charm just underscores the movie's disturbing theme -- that young women have to transform themselves into vapid, cleavage-bearing party girls to be happy or fall in love, which is a dangerous message to send young girls. (Everything ends on a "just be yourself" note, but that pales in comparison to 90 minutes of lingerie and bedroom hair.)
One of the reasons that Revenge of the Nerds is such a classic college comedy is that the guys don't change. They prove themselves worthy of popularity (and love) despite being nerds. In this case, the nerdy girls have to dramatically alter their appearance -- courtesy of ridiculously short skirts, three layers of makeup, and water-filled push-up bras -- to catch a guy's attention or appeal to potential pledges. It's sad that two decades after Gilbert, Lewis, and Booger proved that nerds are cool, these girls have to resort to objectifying stereotypes to save their sorority.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether Shelley is a good role model. Is her dream of becoming a Playboy centerfold an admirable one? What do the Zeta sisters learn from her? What does she learn from them? What is the movie's message about young women? What does "sisterhood" mean, according to the Zetas? Ultimately, does the movie reinforce stereotypes or undermine them?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 22, 2008
- On DVD or streaming : December 19, 2008
- Cast : Anna Faris , Colin Hanks , Emma Stone
- Director : Fred Wolf
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Columbia Tristar
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sex-related humor, partial nudity and brief strong language.
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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