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Parents' Guide to

Confessions of a Shopaholic

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Labels and products galore in frothy book-based romcom.

Movie PG 2009 112 minutes
Confessions of a Shopaholic Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 11+

Based on 15 parent reviews

age 10+

Why is sex just an accepted thing these days, in a movie aimed at kids??

Could be a cute movie for kids, I suppose, but WWWHHHHYYYYYYY can't any move that's aimed at tweens just leave the sex out? Why do I have to feel like a prude while watching a movie with my 9-year old daughter, because out of nowhere there's a random guy under the sheets naked with the heroine's girlfriend? WHY? Is this just deemed acceptable in a movie aimed at young, young girls these days??? (btw, I'm not a prude -- but I try to be a good parent) What the hell has happened? Is there no shame anymore??

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
age 13+

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (15 ):
Kids say (52 ):

Here's the question that runs through your mind after watching CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC: Is that all there is to it? (Which makes it a little like shopping on credit cards.) Delightful in parts but regrettably not as a whole, the movie can't seem to decide what audiences should take away from it. The shopping segments are all Sex and the City-style aspiration, but the guilt is soon heaped on in piles. What, then, is the point of dwelling on the buying binges? Had the movie amped up the fantasy part and toned down the finger-wagging, it would've been first-class escapism. As it stands, it's a lot like having your credit card denied at the checkout -- oh, what a buzz kill!

Fisher tries hard to make a go of the enterprise, but she can't rescue the film's flawed script. A jumble of plot points raises the stakes but doesn't pay off, characters who seem important early on disappear later, and nearly every role is a romcom stereotype -- the eccentric-but-lovable lead; the gawky, fun best friend; the slightly brooding, self-serious romantic interest. It's too bad, really, because on paper, Shopaholic had the makings of a blockbuster: inspired by bestselling novels, beautiful New York as its backdrop, and a stellar cast (especially supporting players like John Goodman and Joan Cusack). It's an impulse buy you may not fully regret, but one you won't love, either.

Movie Details

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