Christmas Cupid
By Emily Ashby,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Modern spin on Christmas Carol too mature for tweens.
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Based on 7 parent reviews
Cr#p
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Not a family movie
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What's the Story?
It's mere days before Christmas, but high-powered PR exec Sloane Spencer (Christina Milian) is too wrapped up in planning a huge Hollywood gala for her celebrity client, Caitlin Quinn (Ashley Benson), to notice anything else. The spoiled starlet isn't making things any easier by sabotaging her own image with public drunkenness, and Sloane is at her wits' end trying to put out the fires that Caitlin starts. But when Caitlin dies unexpectedly, it's Sloane who's in for the shock of her life, as her client appears to warn her of the coming of three ghosts who will show her the error of her workaholic ways. As Sloane glimpses her past, present, and future lives, she's forced to admit how off-track her priorities are -- and she must hurry if she wants to set things right.
Is It Any Good?
It's doubtful that Charles Dickens envisioned anything quite like CHRISTMAS CUPID when he penned the classic A Christmas Carol. But this movie attempts to put a fresh spin on a beloved story of self-reflection and reparation. Sloane isn't as despicable a character as Ebenezer Scrooge, to be sure, but she has managed to ostracize nearly everyone she cares about in her quest for anything bigger and better, and the lessons she learns are no less painful than Scrooge's. There aren't any surprises in the course this story takes, but it does work in some positive messages about the importance of valuing family and friends.
But this isn't exactly a Christmas story for the whole family, since it has its fair share of mature content -- like drinking, cursing ("hell," "damn," "ass," and the like), and sexy talk and kissing. Teens won't have trouble taking this stuff in stride, but it's too much for tweens, sending iffy messages about responsible behavior. As for adults, they might be charmed by the story if they keep an open mind, but there's certainly nothing classic about this predictable tale.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about relationships. What, if any, relationships do you think you might take for granted? How can you ensure that your friends and family know how you feel about them?
Teens: Do you think the mature content in this movie was necessary to the plot? How did it compare to what you've seen in other shows and movies? Who should decide how much is too much when it comes to sex, violence, language, and other adult content?
How does evaluating our past help us better prepare for the future? What events in your life have changed its course? How do past events help us avoid the same pitfalls and disappointments in the future?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: April 5, 2011
- Cast: Ashley Benson, Christina Milian
- Director: Gil Junger
- Inclusion Information: Black actors, Latinx actors
- Studio: ABC Family
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 85 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: January 2, 2023
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