Common Sense Media Review
By Monique Jones
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming, empathetic film about parental love has swearing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
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Where to Watch
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Adopting Audrey
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
ADOPTING AUDREY centers on a woman named Audrey (Jena Malone) who wants to feel parental love in her life. She decides to become an adult adoptee, leading her to Sunny (Emily Kuroda) and Otto (Robert Hunger-Bühler), a couple who are seemingly interested in adopting a grown woman -- or at least, Sunny is. What starts as an awkward experiment leads to a meaningful relationship between Audrey and Otto, a man who missed out on the prime years of fatherhood because of his high-pressure engineering job at NASA and his own emotional and communication shortcomings.
Is It Any Good?
This is a lovely, quiet drama that focuses on the importance of human connection, particularly the connection between a parent and child. Audrey is played sincerely as a woman who's estranged from her own parents but longs to have a parent to care for her. Adopting Audrey tricks viewers a little by letting them think that Sunny was the one who really wanted to adopt an adult, but it turns out she was doing it for Otto, who won't say that he longs for better relationships with his adult children but clearly does. Hunger-Bühler plays the role with complexity, expertly doling out the various layers of Otto's personality, taking him from what could have been a stereotypical German man to a man who wants to be loved, just like anyone else, but feels he has failed at fatherhood.
This sweet film feels longer than its brief 92-minute runtime; it's intriguing and charming, but it does drag a touch. Still, Adopting Audrey is a great film for Malone fans, as well as fans of stories that focus on what films do best: exploring the connection between people.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way movies tend to portray family dynamics. Are most movie families functional? Dysfunctional? Which movie family is most like yours?
How do compassion, empathy, and communication play into family dynamics?
How do Audrey and Otto affect each other? Does Otto grow as a father?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 26, 2022
- On DVD or streaming : August 26, 2022
- Cast : Jena Malone , Robert Hunger-Bühler , Emily Kuroda , Will Rogers , Brooke Bloom , Jillian Lindig
- Director : M. Cahill
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Pansexual Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Vertical Entertainment
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Friendship
- Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Empathy
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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