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Parents' Guide to

Hello, Dolly!

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Magical, old-fashioned musical still dazzles.

Movie G 1969 146 minutes
Hello, Dolly! Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 4 parent reviews

ilogrgirl
ilogrgirl Adult
October 30, 2021
age 8+

Good movie, little kids would probably get bored, some content not included in Common Sense rating.

I love this movie, but it has some flaws when we're talking age appropriateness. There are right dresses with cleavage showing. At one point Dolly is singing out her window and in her apartment in just lingerie. A guy climbs in his fiancee's window to take her away to elope. The whole point of the movie is a lady trying to marry a millionaire for his money because she's already married for love before. The Common Sense rating says there's no sexy stuff or violence but there's all of the above and a fight scene that takes place in a restaurant. I think this movie is great, I just want to be clear that the Common Sense rating isn't totally accurate.
5 people found this helpful.
Meggyann
Meggyann Adult
July 31, 2020
age 6+

This title has:

Great role models
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand) is a matchmaker in turn-of-the-century Yonkers, outside of New York. She's hired by Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau) to find him a wife. He also hires her to take his niece Ermengarde (Joyce Ames) to New York City to encourage her to forget about marrying her artist beau, Ambrose (Tommy Tune). Instead, Dolly makes matches for his two clerks (Michael Crawford and Danny Lockin), advises them on how to get promotions from Horace, and helps Ermengarde get permission to marry Ambrose. Finally, after a series of intricate maneuvers, Dolly makes a match for herself, with Horace.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (10 ):

This is one of the last of the big-time, old-fashioned musicals, with lavish production values and a dozen hummable tunes. The very slight story is bolstered by terrific singing and dancing -- staged by two masters of the genre: Gene Kelly, who directed, and Michael Kidd, who choreographed. The elaborate sets, costumes, and musical numbers make this movie a treat for the eyes and ears.

Dolly is almost a magical figure, yet with all the confidence it takes to transform the lives of everyone around her, she still hesitates when it comes to herself. She still mourns her late husband Ephraim, but she wants more out of life "Before the Parade Passes By." Yet when Horace finally proposes, she waits for a sign of Ephraim's approval. What she gets is a sign that Horace has the qualities she is looking for -- that, as she suspected all along, his gruff exterior conceals a warm heart and a wish to help others.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Dolly doesn't just tell Horace the truth about what she thinks is right for him and for Ermengarde. How does she help the people in the movie to think differently about themselves, and how does that help them change?

  • How does the movie address gender roles? How do these expressions mirror the time in which the movie was set?

  • Why do you think that musicals have such an enduring appeal? What would be the challenges in adapting a hit Broadway musical into a movie?

Movie Details

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