Definition Please
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Definition Please
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Definition Please, a film about young adults who aren't quite ready to grow up, has some mature themes involving mental illness and parental abuse. There's also some sexual content, a man's bare bottom, drinking, and smoking (marijuana), and a lot of language. The main characters are of Indian heritage and celebrate those roots but also suffer from some stereotyping. One gets involved when she sees a young Indian-American girl getting bullied by White kids at school. A character struggles with mental illness, which has made him violent in the past; he's also still grappling with physical abuse by his own father when he was growing up. The film shows a troubled family who love each other deeply and offer each other forgiveness and support. Language includes variations of "f--k," "s--t," "ass," "hell," "bitch," "d--k," "friggin," "pissed," "butt," "turd," "fool," "stupid," "God," and "Jesus."
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What's the Story?
In DEFINITION PLEASE, Monica (Sujata Day) is a young adult best known in her hometown in Pennsylvania for having risen to celebrity as a child when she won the National Spelling Bee. But while other past champs have gone on to impressive careers, Monica is still spinning her wheels at home, where she cares for her ailing mother (Anna Khaja) and spends her time drinking at the bar where her best friend works, smoking weed and painting in her childhood treehouse, and tutoring kids whose parents hope they too can triumph in a spelling bee. However, she has been offered an enviable research position in Cleveland. When Monica's brother Sonny (Ritesh Rajan) shows up, the two will have to face their own past issues and hopefully both move on.
Is It Any Good?
The complex and likeable characters of this film keep it interesting despite a slow-moving narrative arc and some awkward humor. The young adults in Definition Please, led by Indian-American Monica (director-star Day), her bipolar brother (a charismatic Rajan), and a couple of high school friends, have not yet truly launched. This purgatory phase naturally allows for a blend of drama (the difficulties of overcoming the past and facing the future) and humor (living a prolonged adolescence). An introductory montage of Monica's childhood fame, clips her mom still proudly watches, is concise and memorable.
Monica and her brother have some past trauma to deal with, but also a strong bond. Their banter and competitiveness are entertaining, but an overlong scene involving a play they put on for their mom is almost painful to watch. A surprise resolution to their mom's illness also doesn't get processed in a satisfactory way for the audience. Otherwise, the depiction of first versus second generation Indians in America feels right on, and setting many scenes to Indian music was an inspired choice.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the pressure of a competition like a spelling bee, referenced in Definition Please. How do kids feel pressure? What about adults who won competitions as kids -- are expectations placed on them too?
Why does Monica tell her brother she won't see him anymore?
What Indian rituals and customs does the film display? Are these woven into the characters' everyday lives in a realistic way, or do they feel imposed? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: January 21, 2022
- Cast: Sujata Day, Ritesh Rajan, Anna Khaja
- Director: Sujata Day
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Friendship
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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Akeelah and the Bee
Inspiring drama about a champion speller; OK for tweens.
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Donkeyhead
Family drama tackles heavy themes; language, violence.
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Rachel Getting Married
Intense, insightful family drama celebrates love.
For kids who love dramas
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