 | 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. |
Valentine's Day
- Review Date: February 11, 2010
- PG-13
- Genre: Romance
- 2010
Common Sense Media says
Mushy ensemble romcom sticks to formula; some sexy stuff.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this ensemble romantic comedy from director Garry Marshall -- which stars everyone from Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, and Anne Hathaway to teen faves Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift -- features relationships in various stages, from sweet childhood crushes and hormone-driven teen matchups to confusing adult connections and mature, enduring love. Characters kiss, teens talk about having sex, unmarried couples are seen in bed together, and a man cheats on his wife. There’s a sense that you're incomplete without a partner, and that finding true love isn’t easy – and yet everything has a fairy-tale feel in the end. Expect some swearing (including "s--t") and a few raunchy conversations.
What's the story?
It’s Valentine’s Day in Los Angeles, and depending on your circumstances, it’s either a day of delight or dread. Florist Reed (Ashton Kutcher) starts the day by proposing to his girlfriend (Jessica Alba), and everyone is amazed that she says yes. His best friend, Julia (Jennifer Garner), a teacher, wants to surprise her doctor boyfriend (Patrick Dempsey), who says he has to work. Meanwhile, a soldier (Julia Roberts) on a short break from Iraq is flying home to see her special someone; her seatmate (Bradley Cooper) tries to puzzle her out. And a phone-sex purveyor (Anne Hathaway) is falling in love with a colleague at her day job (Topher Grace), who knows nothing about her other gig, while a professional athlete (Eric Dane) wonders what’s next now that his contract is up. For them -- and for many others -- it’s make-or-break time.
Is it any good?
If anyone can make a great romantic comedy, director Garry Marshall -- whose credits include Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries -- is it. In many ways, VALENTINE’S DAY has many of the signature Marshall touches: the sweetly satisfying moments between new lovers (certainly evident in the Hathaway-Grace pairing), the fluid storytelling, the sense of humor. But a few perfect moments do not a perfect movie make. It may end up being a crowd pleaser, but it's hyper-engineered to the hilt and ends up feeling packaged and crowded with marquee names and made-for-the-tabloids matchups. (Taylors Swift and Lautner, that’s you.)
What ultimately makes love such a compelling topic is its mysterious, ineffable quality, and there’s none of that jazz-improv magic here. Kutcher and Garner’s storyline, though traditional in its unraveling, feels most satisfying. (Marshall makes the most of Kutcher’s man-boy charms, and the actor steps up his game.) Hector Elizondo and Shirley MacLaine’s comes second, but their plot doesn’t really have room to unspool. Some picking and pruning would’ve made for a more stunning bouquet; it’s all baby’s breath and red roses -- the expected stuff -- as it stands.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about what Valentine’s Day means, if anything. Is it really manufactured, and does it make people who aren’t with someone on that day feel bad? Can it be a chance to focus on a relationship for a day, or does it just breed consumerism?
Does the film approach the topic of love any differently from other romantic comedies? Are all the pairings and their subsequent conclusions believable?
How does the film portray dating and romance? Ask your teens if this is what they think adult relationships are really like.
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- Teens & kids
Kid, 9 years old
May 31, 2010
AGE
My review of Valentine's Day
S*x: This was a little edgy to me. Phones*x and talk of teen s*x and some naked men (only covered by guitar or some object). Sometimes my mom would say during s*xual convos "You didn't hear that." and I'd wink at her and go "Hear what?"
Violence: A woman gets pretty violent at a "I Hate Valentine's Day" party, but that's as far as it gets.
Language: "h*ll", "d*mn", "b*tch", and "sh*t".
Commercial Products: A man asks a woman if she has a Facebook.
Drinking/Smoking: At the "I Hate Valentine's Day" party, the adults drink wine.
It was a sweet movie, but I would say pre-teens and up.
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Adult
February 3, 2010
AGE
Good for early teens who love romantic comedy
It's a great movie for 12/13 year olds and anyone who loves a romantic comedy. I would not reccomend it to any one under 12 because some things are a little risque for them
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Teen, 15 years old
February 12, 2010
AGE
Cute Movie For Teens And Adults
Valentine's Day is a sweet movie that is fun for older teens and adults. The big concern is the sexual content. A main character works for a sex-line and you hear bits of her phone calls with customers, which is portayed as humor but the dialouge is extremely innapropriate. There is discussion of two teens wanting to have sex, but parents will like the ending to their story. There are only a few married couples in the story, one married couple has the husband being unfaithful. But there is lots of casual sex and discussion. When you get past the sexual content, the movie is very enjoyable. Some of te stories are not very true to life, but there are some that you can take a good lesson from. CSM did forget to mention that there is a gay couple in the film. There is no sex involved with them, but it does show one stroking the others face. It may not bother some parents, but just to warn those who would like to know before they see the movie. This is one movie that should be based on the parent, not this website, because all parents have different preferences of sexual content. But that's what made it PG-13.
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Kid, 11 years old
May 30, 2010
AGE
AWESOME!
This movie is awesome! It's a nice romantic comedy, and every actor/actress did amazing. Taylor Swift, Taylor Lautner, and Emma Roberts did great! Made me laugh!
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Kid, 12 years old
May 31, 2010
AGE
Pretty good
I liked it, some parts were funny. I watched it with my friends.
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Teen, 15 years old
June 27, 2010
AGE
Great for teens!
I liked it a lot! The message that love is a good thing was great! Very funny!
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Teen, 13 years old
June 1, 2010
AGE
It is good but not meant for little people.
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Teen, 17 years old
May 21, 2011
AGE
Boring!
Me and my mom got disappointed by this. We expected better.
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Teen, 13 years old
February 28, 2011
AGE
not so good movie
alright...but a little too sexy for younger kids
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Teen, 13 years old
May 28, 2011
AGE
Hilarious but not for tweens
I watched this with my parents when I was 13 and it was very uncomfortable at parts to watch. There is a lot of sensual stuff and thats basically the whole movie. It is hilarious at parts and the cast really comes through. I also like the relationship between the old people...
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| Studio: | New Line |
| Director: | Garry Marshall |
| Cast: | Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Taylor Lautner |
| Genre: | Romance |
| Run time: | 90 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 12, 2010 |
| DVD release date: | May 18, 2010 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | some sexual material and brief partial nudity |
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