Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Get a Clue

By Nancy Davis Kho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Lohan stars as shopping-happy teen sleuth.

Movie G 2002 83 minutes
Get a Clue 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 4 parent reviews

mamasj
mamasj Adult
March 23, 2023
age 8+

Cute movie for preteens and teens

There are 3 kisses not mentioned in common sense’s review. 1 peck between the mom and dad, 1 kiss on the cheek between teens, and 1 peck at the end of the movie at a wedding. Overall very mild but still worth mentioning. The main characters are rich and materialistic but throughout the movie they learn there is more to life than shopping and not to judge a book by its cover.
1 person found this helpful.
Sabrina W.
Sabrina W. Parent of 2 and 9-year-old
May 28, 2022
age 14+

Ages 14 and up

I tried watching this with my nine-year-old. The main character is a spoiled teen who is disrespectful to adults, blatantly rude, and a terrible role-model.

This title has:

Too much consumerism
1 person found this helpful.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In GET A CLUE, teen Lexy Gold (Lindsay Lohan) is living a life of privilege in Manhattan, doted on by her mother and her father, a New York Times reporter, when she's not being annoyed by her gadget-happy younger sister. Lexy's main concerns are fashion and shopping with her best friend Jennifer (Brenda Song), followed by her own journalistic efforts as the school newspaper's advice columnist. When one of Lexy's stories triggers the disappearance of a favorite teacher, she and her friends must use their own skills -- including, in Lexy's case, her incredible knowledge of shopping -- to solve the mystery.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (5 ):

The movie features a talented and likable cast, including Lindsay Lohan just before she lost her child-like charm. Get a Clue zips along with the help of an upbeat soundtrack, funky costumes, and Manhattan backdrops (filmed in Toronto) designed to inspire location envy. Lexy and her friends overcome minor differences to cooperate and are motivated by the words of Lexy's loving dad, who tells her that hard work, imagination, and luck can accomplish almost anything. There's a complicated embezzlement scheme that will confuse kids younger than 10.

The problem is that even as Lexy's eyes are opened to the problems she's caused and the fact that one of her friends -- gasp -- lives in Brooklyn, not Manhattan, her shallowness doesn't really diminish. Her "insane obsession with material objects," as one of her classmates describes it, instead becomes a secret weapon, helping her identify fake private detectives wearing expensive watches and a jewel discounted as a flea market find. Lexy may be well-meaning, but she's no role model for parents who want their daughters to embrace more than the latest fashion magazines.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Lexy's materialism in Get a Clue. Is the lifestyle she's living realistic? What about the wardrobes she and her best friend wear to school? She defends her article on her teacher's love life as "human interest" instead of "gossip." Do you think there's a difference? Should she have written the story?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

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