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The Circuit

(Rated TV-14, Drama, Starring Michelle Trachtenberg, Bill Campbell, Drew Fuller, Where to watch: ABC Family)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 15; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Car racing drama is too steamy for young kids.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–15

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Although there's a positive message about girls being just as good as boys, there's also some clear sexual harassment -- which Kylie deals with by "pantsing" the offender.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Some arm-punching and shoving, but nothing vindictive. There are also a couple of car crash scenes, but no one is actually hurt.

  • Sex:

    While nobody is ever totally naked, there are several fairly steamy scenes in which the main characters are partially dressed while in bed and on top of each other.

  • Language:

    Language includes "son of a bitch," "screw" (as in "screw your rules"), and "boobs."

  • Consumerism:

    Commercial sponsorship is a big part of the plot. But beyond a few fuzzy car logos (BMW, etc.) -- there's little actual product placement.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    There's a fair amount of beer and wine drinking throughout, as well as a lot of whisky being poured and one shot of a race announcer drinking from a fifth bottle in between comments on the action. In one scene, Kylie appears to be tipsy after drinking wine.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Circuit

Parents need to know that although kids may be drawn to this movie by star Michelle Trachtenberg (who's been in both family-friendly films like Ice Princess and racier fare like Gossip Girl), it's not really age-appropriate for younger members of the family. There's no outright nudity, but several scenes depict the sexual relationship between the two main characters, showing them in bed and on top of each other, partially dressed. There's also some drinking, car crashes (no one is injured), arm-punching and slapping, and language like "son of a bitch," "boobs," and "screw your rules."

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the role that advertising plays in the movie -- and in auto racing, in general. Why do cars and drivers sport so many logos? Do you think that seeing the logos on successful drivers actually helps sell the products? In a movie like this one, do you think filmmakers have to include logos and products to seem realistic? Families can also discuss how Kylie is manipulated for publicity purposes by the team's owner. How could she have handled the situation better?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    tagman28
    Lives in Kansas
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 3.0

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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