Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this nighttime, telenovela-style soap opera might attract teen viewers due to its focus on the fantasy-like world of the super rich. But because of the show's many layers of inappropriate material, most moms and dads will want to keep younger viewers away. Storylines revolve around an adult son who plots to murder his father and a young woman who dresses provocatively and is constantly seeking sex partners (several scenes show her in bed, obviously naked, and there's plenty of frank talk about the pursuit of sex). One episode features a scary plane crash; one passenger dies, and his bloody body is partially seen. There are several scenes involving machine gun-shooting guerilla fighters. Family members are cruel to each other, in typical soap style.
Families can discuss what's appealing about soap operas and telenovelas. How are these shows similar to real life? How are they different? Do you prefer soaps that go on indefinitely or ones that have a set ending point? Why are there always so many evil people on these shows? How is this show similar to and different from Spanish telenovelas?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Sierra Filucci
Those familiar with telenovelas -- popular soap opera shows on Spanish-language television -- will see many similarities in AMERICAN HEIRESS. Like most soaps, this racy series is chock full of melodrama and archetypes. But unlike daytime soaps that can live on and on for decades, telenovelas are finite. And they usually entail quite a bit of camp, which adds a nice bit of humor to an otherwise super-serious genre.
Here, the titular heiress is Elizabeth Wakefield (Alicia Leigh Willis), a smart but spoiled young woman who finds herself in the jungles of Guatemala after her private plane crashes. The crash was engineered by her brother, Damien (Race Owen) a dark, broody, Machiavellian type who had intended to kill their business-tycoon father in order to inherit his fortune.
In addition to following Elizabeth's travails in the jungle -- where she butts heads with her sole companion, handsome young pilot JD Bruce (Carter MacIntyre) -- the series checks in with the rest of the family. There's Elizabeth's younger sister Loren (AnnaLynn McCord), an unapologetically promiscuous young woman who has a fondness for men in her father's age range; Matthew (Robert Buckley), an athletic racecar enthusiast, and, of course, the scheming Damien, who's also involved in some illegal arms trading that's being investigated by the CIA.
American Heiress is incredibly trashy -- it's full of intrigue, sex, adventure, silly plotlines, and some truly terrible acting. Some viewers who appreciate that kind of thing might find moments of guilty pleasure, though parents will want kids, even most teens, to stay away.
Mature fans will find similar material in Saints and Sinners, but viewers looking for less overtly racy soaps might want to check out Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210 on DVD.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentOne Paris Hilton-like character is famous for an Internet sex tape. She's very promiscuous, is seen in bed with men, wears very revealing clothes, and acts in a sexually provocative manner. Plenty of bed-hopping in general. |
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ViolenceMachine gun-firing guerillas; patricide; a scary plane crash resulting in one dead person with a little bit of blood. In one scene a father hits his adult son with a folded newspaper. |
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Language"Hell" and "damn," plus lots of words like "slut" and "whore." |
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Message |
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Social BehaviorExtreme, soap opera-style character types: sweet but spoiled, vengeful and evil, slutty and greedy, etc. Lots of backstabbing, manipulating, and so on. |
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CommercialismExtreme materiaism -- the main family lives in an elaborate mansion and owns a private plane. Much of the drama centers on who gets inheritance money. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoOne son was in drug rehab in the past. Celebratory drinking of champagne. |
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