Parents' Guide to

Citizen Duane

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Lackluster teen election tale with extra drinking, swearing.

Movie PG-13 2010 84 minutes
Citizen Duane Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

hotmamakiss
hotmamakiss Parent of 3 and 15-year-old
March 26, 2011
age 10+

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Duane Balfour (Douglas Smith) hates being a loser and object of ridicule at school, but he continually screws up. After he loses an election to the class bully, Duane contemplates all kinds of vengeance, but nothing works. He loses his girlfriend, gets suspended over and over again, and feels friendless and alone. When his teacher (Vivica A. Fox) counsels him to set his sights higher and use his creative energy in a more positive way, he resolves to run for mayor of his small town and fight against the materialism and corruption of the town's first family, headed by the bully's grandmother. Having to live down the memory of his father's eccentric past and violent death complicates Duane's quest.

Is It Any Good?

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

Just about every aspect of this movie is amateurish and derivative. With the exception of performances by Donal Logue as Uncle Bingo and Alberta Watson as Duane's mother, the characterizations are shallow and inauthentic. Though the filmmakers obviously wanted to follow CITIZEN DUANE as he learned to channel his self-destructive intellect and passion onto a more positive and life-affirming path, he never seems to stand for anything specific or show any talent for problem-solving or as an instrument of change. Emotions go unexplored; grief is barely acknowledged; and most relationships have no solidity or heart. Worst of all, it's simply not funny and never truly engaging.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how, in the movie's opening, Duane is affected by the activity of an ant. How did watching the ant motivate him and give him purpose? How did the presence of insects during the opening credits connect to the final resolution of the movie?

  • How did your feelings about Duane's father change over the course of the movie? Do you think the way the facts about Cecil Balfour are revealed little by little made the story more compelling or confusing?

  • How were the school elections in this film different from the elections in your school? What are some of the issues that you think are important to kids when they're voting for representation?

Movie Details

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