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Acceptance

(Rated NR, Drama, Starring Joan Cusack, Mae Whitman, Jonathan Keltz, Where to watch: Lifetime Television)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Movie about college admissions mixes heart, tough issues.

Themes in this show include:   family relationships, friendship, growing up, substance abuse

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–16

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Teens learn a lot about accepting themselves and their parents during the course of the movie, but the lessons don't come easily. The kids are pressured by their parents to get accepted into Ivy League colleges; one character compulsively steals and cuts herself in order to cope with the stress. Family dysfunction, divorce, and adult dating are also addressed.

  • Role models:

    The characters are a flawed bunch. Most of them mean well, but they don't always act accordingly. The majority of the parents pressure their kids to go to prestigious schools, at least initially emphasizing "success" over their children's happiness. And the teens' responses to the stress, while perhaps realistically troubled, aren't the type of thing you'd want a real-life teen to suffer through. It's worth noting that there's not a lot of diversity in the school's student body; one former student is African-American, and a few featured students are Asian.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    One teen is shown cutting herself with scissors as a way of coping with her problems; the bloody wounds are visible on her arm. Some mild arguing between adults.

  • Sex:

    Sexual content ranges from teens making out to adults colleagues having an affair (nothing explicit shown). There are also references to infidelity and some quick mentions of sex clubs and sadomasochism. A student believes a teacher is in love with her.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Frequent references to BlackBerry.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    A parent appears to have a substance abuse (alcohol, prescription pills) problem.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Acceptance

Parents need to know that although this heartfelt TV movie about high school seniors dealing with the pressures of the college admissions process is geared toward teens, it has some pretty strong content, including references to sex acts, make-out sessions, alcohol and prescription pill abuse, and compulsive stealing. One teen is even shown cutting herself (with bloody wounds visible) as a way of dealing with her stress and pain; another has inappropriate feelings for her teacher. Many of these heavy issues are discussed within the context of growing up and coping, and some are lightened by humor.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the destructive behavior shown in the movie. Is it believable? Teens: Has anyone you know done similar things? Do you know where you/they can go for help in those situations?
  • Overall, do the teens in this movie seem realistic to you? What makes them more or less believable than other teen characters in the media?
  • Teens: Do you plan to go to college? If so, what influences (or influenced) your decision when choosing a school? Do you think this movie is a fair representation of what the admissions process is really like?
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