Parents' Guide to

Adventures in Public School

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Comedy about awkward teen and his mom; cursing, sex, drugs.

Movie NR 2017 86 minutes
Adventures in Public School Poster Image

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

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What's the Story?

ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL is what Liam (Daniel Doheny) wants to have. Around 18, bright and homeschooled by his obsessive mother, Claire (Judy Greer), Liam has been sheltered from bullying, drugs, gangs, and supposedly low IQ classmates, but he's also been denied friends and romance. Claire has made Liam's education her obsessive priority and plans for him to ace his high school equivalency exam, after which she'll accompany him to Cambridge University to study astronomy. But when he breezes through the test, he sees an attractive girl named Anastasia (Siobhan Williams), who has only one leg, and falls immediately into lust. He erases all his right answers and forces Mom to enroll him at school. The principal only has room if he takes the place of a student named Maria, who is out due to illness. Liam uses her student ID card, answers "here" when Maria's name is called at attendance, and takes over her classes and abandoned projects, which gives the movie its slightly absurdist bent. He breaks away from Mom enough to kiss a girl, lose her, and then learn that she was probably not the right one for him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This is a charming, funny piece that makes you laugh as much as it makes you cringe. Adventures in Public School adores the mother who has poured all of her love and soul into raising a great kid on her own, but it also acknowledges how absurdly clinging and over-protective she is. Judy Greer aptly makes Claire both worrisome and lovable, showing us all the ways her good intentions sometimes wander beyond the borders of good sense, but also why Claire still comes up on the better side of parenting most of the time. Daniel Doheny is perfectly awkward, goofy, and adventurous as the somewhat stunted Liam. It's a tribute to his performance that we actually see Liam grow and mature as the movie progresses. Teens will cringe at him and root for him at the same time.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the comic effect of the mother in Adventures in Public School who wants to be too close to her son, but also wants him to grow up and be successful and happy. Sometimes she seems to know that she goes too far. What are some instances where she doesn't recognize this early enough?

  • Why does Liam finally get angry enough at his mother to put the door to his room back up? How does his mother overstep usual boundaries between parents and maturing children?

  • Do you know anyone who has been homeschooled? What are the benefits and challenges of learning at home?

Movie Details

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