Parents' Guide to

Dumplin'

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Funny, romantic, insightful teen tale has a little swearing.

Movie PG-13 2018 110 minutes
Dumplin' Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 10+

Based on 19 parent reviews

Mother of 1
Mother of 1 Adult
April 29, 2021
age 8+

GREAT MOVIE

I am a mother of a 13 year old daughter who goes to public school. She absolutely adores this movie. The language is not that bad considering the fact she hears these words every day at school. Parents, let’s stop trying to protect our kids from the inevitable.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
Mark R.
Mark R. Parent
December 23, 2020
age 9+

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 19 parent reviews

What's the Story?

As DUMPLIN' opens, Willowdean "Will" Dickson (Danielle Macdonald) has recently lost her beloved Aunt Lucy (Hilliary Begley). Willowdean and Lucy had a special relationship that was cemented by a mutual Love (with a capital "L") for Dolly Parton. Both plus-size, Will and Lucy valued, loved, and protected each other, while Rosie (Jennifer Aniston) -- Will's mom -- has never let go of her teen beauty-queen ideals. Now in charge of the "Miss Teen Bluebonnet" pageant, Rosie loves her daughter but can't help being disappointed in not having given birth to "pageant material." In fact, she calls Willowdean "Dumplin'," which makes the girl cringe in embarrassment. At a low moment in their relationship, Will rebels. She throws caution (and self-consciousness) to the wind and, along with her loyal best friend, Ellen (Odeya Rush), signs up to compete for the title of Miss Teen Bluebonnet to show Rosie up. Will's bravado inspires two other atypical teens to sign up, too. What begins as a protest takes the feisty heroine and her friends on a journey of self-discovery and eye-opening new experiences, turning small-town Texas on its heels (stilettos, for sure).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (19):
Kids say (19):

Part fairy tale, part coming-of-age story, and always about self-acceptance, this movie will make you laugh and warm your heart. Rising above some predictability, stereotyping, and dispensable profanity, Dumplin' delivers bright performances (especially from the very talented Macdonald), sparkling musical numbers, a solid story, and a resolution that, while not surprising, is more than satisfying. Teens who are enjoying the profusion of romcoms now streaming, many of them on Netflix, will find Dumplin' a cut above the rest. It's recommended, particularly as a shared experience.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can discuss Dumplin's rallying cry (credited to Dolly Parton): "Find out who you are, and do it on purpose." What does that mean? In what way(s) is the concept relevant for you?

  • Is Willowdean a role model? Why or why not? Do the filmmakers portray her appearance with dignity? What about Aunt Lucy? Millie?

  • It's often challenging for movies to blend humor and drama. How did the filmmakers use humor to heighten the serious issues here?

  • If you've read the book, which did you like better? Why?

  • How does the movie show the character strength of empathy?

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 suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate