Parents' Guide to

America the Beautiful

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Probing docu about society's obsession with looks.

Movie R 2008 105 minutes
America the Beautiful Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 17+

Based on 1 parent review

jbaum62406
jbaum62406 Adult
August 1, 2011
age 17+

My Two-Sense

Its really good but its missing the message of how God, the One who created us, sees us... The inappropriateness in the film is brief throughout (although, the plastic surgery scenes are harsh) they show how serious media affects everyone. Most seems reasonable within the context of the documentary. I wont be allowing my 9 year old to watch it until I feel hes of mental maturity and even then, I will most likely show something more Christian based.
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What's the Story?

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL explores our country's obsession with appearance. Written, produced, and directed by Darryl Roberts, the film begins with 12-year-old Gerren Taylor, who in 2003 was a rising superstar in the modeling world. As the film follows the ups and downs of her fashion career over several years, it highlights the contradictory messages about physical beauty that people of all ages are forced to make sense of every day thanks to a constant barrage of media images. It also explores various issues relating to how people attempt to meet unrealistic expectations of physical beauty, including diminishing self-esteem among young girls, discrimination, eating disorders, and cosmetic surgery.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

As fashion execs, tabloid journalists, advertisers, and plastic surgeons discuss how and why they contribute to this unattainable standard of beauty, this film proves to be both witty and troubling. Men make candid (and sometimes crude) observations about how important a woman's physical attributes -- like weight, height, and skin color -- are when they think about their ideal mate, but then can't explain why they feel the way they do. There are some heartbreaking moments, too, as the film documents the real devastation that can occur when people buy into the idea of looking "perfect" -- including becoming the victim of botched cosmetic surgery or dying from bulimia.

This documentary, which took five years to complete, doesn't take an unbiased approach to its subject. And most of Roberts' findings aren't particularly surprising, either. But the film is both socially probing and entertaining as it shows how far women have come in American society -- only to still be objectified by idealized standards of beauty that often hold them back. The movie also demonstrates how both men and women are becoming less able to appreciate the ordinary and how incapable they are becoming of finding the true beauty that lies inside them.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether the media creates and/or perpetuates an idealized -- and unattainable -- standard of beauty. Do advertisements, music videos, and fashion magazines create these images, or do they simply reflect what people want to see? Do you think the media can cause someone to develop a negative body image or eating disorder? Why or why not? Families can also discuss modeling. How young is too young to start a modeling career? How are young models portrayed in advertisements and other kinds of media? How do you think that affects them?

Movie Details

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