Carrie Pilby
Common Sense says
- NR
- 2017
- 98 minutes
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Carrie Pilby is about a 19-year-old Harvard graduate (played by Bel Powley) who's book smart but emotionally stunted and socially isolated. Based on a teen novel by Caren Lissner, this quirky dramedy has a few emotionally charged moments when Carrie confronts tough incidents from her past while learning to open up and form friendships in the present. There's occasional swearing (including "f--k" and "s--t"), a bit of drinking (some by an underage character), and a few scenes that show people fooling around (nudity is implied, but nothing graphic is shown). But for the most part, it's appropriate for the high school audience that might have enjoyed the book.
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Destigmatizes women who are hugely intelligent and shows NOT all men-even weird ones-can be counted on to be lecherous New Yorker sex offenders
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What's the story?
CARRIE PILBY (Bel Powley) is a prodigy, a brilliant 19-year-old Harvard graduate (she skipped several grades) who relates better to books than to people. Now she's living on her own in New York, and her therapist (Nathan Lane) challenges her to make a list of things to accomplish between Thanksgiving and New Year's. The idea is to get her out of her apartment so she can actually make some friends and live her life. In the process, she learns that, yes, socializing can be scary, but also rewarding. She also discovers that some guys are indeed a bit creepy, but there are a few worth meeting. And when her dad (Gabriel Byrne) comes to town for a surprise visit, she's forced to confront a few other tough lessons from her past.
Is it any good?
Credit goes to Powley for elevating this dramedy from a standard-issue coming-of-age story to one that's more complex -- or at least one that attempts to be. Her Carrie feels like a real person struggling to figure out how to be a person, despite what turns out to be some pretty hefty baggage shaped by real struggles. Nonetheless, the movie gives considerable weight to an ill-advised -- and unequal -- relationship that develops while Carrie is in college but manages to gloss over a profound loss that happens long before that and could very well have shaped it. And that ends up stripping some gravity from the film that it could have used.
Much is made in the film of Carrie's smarts, but her brilliance is used more as a device than as a true foundation for making the character more multi-layered. After all, Powley's talent as an actress can't make up for a flimsy script and underwritten characters. It's a shame, as Carrie -- and Carrie Pilby -- deserved better.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about Carrie Pilby's messages. What does it have to say about relationships? About emotional risk?
What does Carrie learn over the course of the movie? Why is it so hard for her to open up to others?
Are the characters in the film realistic? Which ones are role models? Why or why not?
Movie details
- In theaters: March 31, 2017
- On DVD or streaming: June 6, 2017
- Cast: Bel Powley, Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne, Jason Ritter
- Director: Susan Johnson
- Studio: The Orchard
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Book characters, Misfits and underdogs
- Run time: 98 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
Themes & Topics
For kids who love coming-of-age stories
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.