Parents' Guide to

Frances Ha

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Smart, hilarious, mature look at an appealing scatterbrain.

Movie R 2013 86 minutes
Frances Ha Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 17+

Based on 5 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
May 29, 2022
age 16+

A bit self indulgent with low stakes rewards

Quirky...code word...self indulgent...surprising...code word...challenging narrative structure...intriguing navel gazing...this i agree with. Although I found this film self indulgent, with a challenging narrative structure and an egregious "New York" film I would not say this film is a waste of time. Everyone in the film seems to mean it. Although I winced many times during Frances Ha I did want to see how it turned out. My efforts were rewarded with low grade self actualization. However, I also do not think that film should always make you feel good and this film accomplishes that. It has a stamp of privilege that insists on a "happy ending." Enter at your own risk.
cami098
cami098 Adult
August 25, 2020
age 15+

i had high expectations

i thought i would really like this movie, i generally like noah baumbach’s writing. it’s a pretty boring movie in my opinion, but not in the uneventful yet eventful way ladybird does. the best part was adam driver. i was very bored throughout the movie. there were a few funny lines.

This title has:

Too much sex
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Twentysomething Frances (Greta Gerwig) has a great life living in New York with her BFF roommate, Sophie (Mickey Sumner) -- until Sophie decides to move out. Frances tries to keep her chin up as she looks for a new place to stay, going through an assortment of quirky roommates. She doesn't have much money, but she's hoping that her apprenticeship with a dance company will lead to a job on the Christmas play. Meanwhile, her misadventures include some faux pas at dinner parties, some unwise credit card expenditures, and plenty of witty observances. Will good things ever happen for Frances?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (7 ):

Packed with a new kind of appealing, cheerful wit, this is writer/director Noah Baumbach's most purely enjoyable movie. Baumbach is already an expert in the New York artist/intellectual lifestyle, but writing for the first time with his star (and real-life girlfriend) Gerwig, he comes up with his most satisfying, cohesive movie since The Squid and the Whale.

The style in FRANCES HA seems simple, but it's really quite intricate and complex. It's made up of dozens of spot-on lines of dialogue spoken in rhythmic little scenes. Sometimes the scenes last just seconds, and sometimes much longer. Nothing much except the passing of time connects these scenes; there's no real plot. The glorious black-and-white cinematography and choice of music keep things feeling hopeful and romantic, even when things are at their lowest. This is a truly wonderful movie, recalling Woody Allen at his best. (It has also been compared to the HBO series Girls, although it's much less edgy/graphic than that show.)

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether Frances is a role model. What are her positive attributes? Is she smart? Responsible? Brave? What chances does she take? What choices does she make?

  • What does Frances learn over the course of the story? How does she earn her happy ending?

  • Why do you think the characters tend to drink so much? What's the appeal for them? Are the consequences realistic?

Movie Details

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