Parents' Guide to

Flipped

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Coming-of-age romance brings light touch to heavy themes.

Movie PG 2010 90 minutes
Flipped Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 11+

Based on 21 parent reviews

age 10+

A Cinematic Gem Like No Other

Flipped is a one in a million film - I mean, REALLY one in a million. It's refreshing and lovely, dramatic and hilarious. It does what few films do in our time (or rather what they don't do): Flipped does not sacrifice its integrity for raunchy, gratuitous content. It's real. The emotions are real. The characters are real. And while it certainly isn't G-rated fluff (and do not be fooled - this is not a film for young children), the movie is definitely gentle and innocent in many ways. On the downside, without giving anything away, the ending of the film could have been better patched together, but overall the movie is a cinematic gem like no other. Go see Flipped!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
age 11+
I love this movie. Most people don't agree with this probably, but in your life if you've been stabbed in the back by a friend or more so the guy you've been crushing on since the day you met him than it has a deeper meaning to you. It's about a girl who's loved the same boy since the day she first looked at his eyes, but soon she begins to realize that maybe she's all wrong. For she realized she doesn't really even know him. Than when he hurts her she finally gives up on him...at least she's trying too. The boy on the other hand didn't believe it to be love at first sight and has been trying to get her to go away by dating other girls and ignoring her. Than when she stops liking him, he starts to think maybe she's more than what he thought. The only issue is he's worried about what his friend thinks, I read the book after the movie and I do believe there are both things better about the book and the movie, but I do have to say the movie ending is better to me than the books.

This title has:

Great messages
1 person found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (21):
Kids say (57):

There's something sweetly endearing about a movie like Flipped, which is unabashedly nostalgic. It's a coming-of-age movie stripped of its edges and dark corners -- hard to do considering that we're talking about tweens and teens here. How lovely to observe the progression of young love without the complications of sexting and Facebook. Then again, it's set in the past -- a simpler time, or so it seems, that Reiner looks on fondly. We think: Perhaps life has become entirely too jaded in this uber-wired world.

That sensibility ups the movie's appeal -- as do the lead actors, who are fantastic, and Reiner's usual warmth and empathy. But Anthony Edwards, as Bryce's dad, seems woefully modern despite his period-appropriate wear, and ultimately Flipped lacks momentum. The voiceover narration lends the film an afterschool-special quality it could've done without, and interesting turns in the plot -- like Juli's first meeting with her disabled uncle -- are approached like talking points on what seems to be a "poignant, character-building moments" memo. It's an age-old tale told in a traditional, chronological arc, but a little inventiveness might have better captured the unexpectedness and surprise of adolescence.

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.

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