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Parents' Guide to

16-Love

By Renee Schonfeld, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Wholesome, lightweight teen tale features tennis, romance.

Movie PG 2012 88 minutes
16-Love Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

HollyAnne
HollyAnne Adult
September 5, 2014
age 10+

Cute and uplifting

I thought this was a really cute movie. It's about a girl who is trying to figure out who she is and what's important to her. It's perfectly clean and wholesome. There's a small amount of kissing at the end but no make-out scenes or anything. It's a bit cheesy and a bit predictable, but worth watching, particularly for tweens or teens who like that kind of thing.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In 16-LOVE, Ally Mash (Lindsey Shaw) is near the height of a sparkling career as junior tennis tournament player in Southern California. Coached hard by her demanding dad (Keith Coulouris), Ally will tell you that "tennis is her life." She's willing to forego friends, parties, all the other stuff that goes along with being a high school student. So she's devastated when she injures her ankle in a prep match against an arrogant Russian girl just weeks before the Junior Open tournament. Confined to an all-consuming regimen designed by her dad (yoga, strength training, massage, therapy), Ally is reluctant at first to return the attentions of an adorable boy (Chandler Massey) who just happens to play tennis, too. Soon, however, though she works hard to prepare for the Junior Open, Ally begins to see the value of balance, fun, and just being a teen.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Though well-intentioned, with clearly stated messages and values, 16-Love opts for one-dimensional characters and teen stereotypes instead of authentic, fully formed people.

The outcomes are never in doubt; some of the acting is amateurish; and it often feels like an extended commercial for Dunlop and other products associated with athletics. Still, Lindsey Shaw and Chandler Massey, are easy to root for; their performances are heartfelt and natural. There's plenty of innocent romance and just enough tennis to hold the audience's interest and keep the story moving.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can discuss all the companies that advertised their products during this movie. How do the filmmakers benefit from showing those products? What do the companies hope the audiences will take away from this kind of exposure?

  • Why do you like watching movies about sports? Can you think of a sports movie you liked in which the team or player did not win "the big game" or match or tournament? Was that story still enjoyable? Why, and what did you learn from it?

  • What does it mean to be a "good sport"? How does this movie show both good and bad sportsmanship?

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