Common Sense Media Review
Edgy comedy uses cartoonish violence for laughs.
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Curly Sue
What's the Story?
Bill (James Belushi) and his daughter, CURLY SUE (Alisan Porter), arrive in Detroit broke and with nowhere to live. The two immediately set out to scam for food and lodging. Their first target is Grey Ellison (Kelly Lynch), a driven corporate lawyer who has no interest in marriage or raising children. When Bill gets himself bumped by Grey's car, the con artists are invited into the lawyer's fabulous home, where they quickly set up a scam. But Grey sees something special in Curly Sue and takes the girl under her wing. When the con runs out, though, Grey must decide how far she's willing to go to show Curly Sue the life she could have.
Is It Any Good?
Writer/director John Hughes misses the mark by a mile with this movie aimed at the preteen set. Filled with cheesy language and cartoonish violence, there's little to redeem in Curly Sue. The wandering plot seems to linger on the most annoying moments: Case in point, Curly Sue performs the National Anthem by obnoxiously braying the lyrics. Hughes fails to capture slapstick humor and dips into being just plain ridiculous. Even Grey, who's the best role model in the film, falls into clichéd expectations that a working woman needs a man and child to make her happy. All of that said, her ability to transform into a more balanced and aware person is admirable.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Curly Sue and her father's behavior. Is there any situation in which conning and deceiving people is OK?
Grey sacrifices her career to be more present in Curly Sue's life. Is this the only way to be there for a child? Can parents find balance between family life and success at work? How?
Bill takes care of Curly Sue, even though he's not her biological father. Are there people in your life that you consider family despite not being related by blood?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 1, 1991
- On DVD or streaming : January 7, 1997
- Cast : Alisan Porter , Jim Belushi , Kelly Lynch
- Director : John Hughes
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic intensity
- Last updated : August 12, 2026
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