Parents' Guide to Dear Thirteen

Movie NR 2023 80 minutes
Dear Thirteen movie poster: Awa holds smartphone with earphones plugged in ear, wearing yellow dress and cornrows, some dialogue, credits, and title Dear Thirteen in white and green letters

Common Sense Media Review

Sabrina McFarland By Sabrina McFarland , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Coming-of-age docu has some mature themes, language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Dear Thirteen movie: Oren reads Torah, wearing white shirt, prayer shawl, blue yarmulke, and tefillin
  • Dear Thirteen movie: Evie lying on bed, smiles and holds a smartphone, wearing white sleeveless top and blue shorts
  • Dear Thirteen movie: Arti looks out schoolhouse window, wearing an olive green sweater

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 6 parent reviews

 

 

See all 6 parent reviews
 

 

What's the Story?

In DEAR THIRTEEN, nine adolescents from around the world share their personal stories about what it means to be 13. The global group takes on timely topics such as gender identity, social media, and the role of family and friendships through firsthand interviews, archival footage, and photos.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 6 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

Candid storytelling by nine real-life teens takes center stage in this informative documentary about being 13. In Dear Thirteen, Evie, who came out as trans three years ago, gets puberty blockers to be a girl. Awa speaks about the stress of filling out high school applications and late nights of doing homework that leads to "sleeping on the couch in a pile of sheets." Arti dreams of wearing "nice clothes, working on a computer, and sitting at a big desk like business people do." Landon admits that when you're 13, "people treat you like you're a lot more mature" and "don't baby you." And Madeline believes that "being 13 is hard, but the reality is I'm starting to figure out who I am."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the communication of the cast in Dear Thirteen. How do they also demonstrate courage, gratitude, perseverance, and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?

  • What do you think about the diverse lives displayed by the 13-year-olds?

  • The teens talk about career choices. What would inspire you to choose a particular profession and why?

  • How does this documentary compare with other coming-of-age films you've seen?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Dear Thirteen movie poster: Awa holds smartphone with earphones plugged in ear, wearing yellow dress and cornrows, some dialogue, credits, and title Dear Thirteen in white and green letters

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