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Holiday in the Sun
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Olsen twins save artifacts in dopey vacation movie.

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Holiday in the Sun
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What's the Story?
Alex (Ashley Olsen) and Madison (Mary-Kate Olsen) go on vacation with their parents to the Bahamas. Griffen (Austin Nichols), the son of family friends, has long had a crush on Madison, but she fixates on the intellectually challenged Scott (Billy Aaron Brown). Like Cyrano, Griffen tries to give Scott a crash course in Madison's favorite books and astronomy, but when Scott asks her what her sign is, Madison realizes that Griffen is the better man. Alex also goes after an attractive boy, and a bossy girl with a powerful father unsuccessfully tries to redirect the boy's attentions. The smuggling of native ancient artifacts is worked into a subplot.
Is It Any Good?
HOLIDAY IN THE SUN doesn't even meet the qualifications for dreadful. Parents should worry that their children's brains may shrivel at the merest exposure to this movie. Attempts at artsy photography provide the movie's most inadvertently comic moments, and the twins' habit of speaking knowingly to the camera, as if sharing intimacies and private jokes with the audience, is both ineffective and smarmy. There's a know-it-all quality to the Olsen's collective presence that also rankles, as it displays an obliviousness to the triviality of the interests and values of the characters they play. Olsen twin movies purport to value education, but the plots generally revolve around targeting cute boys and having as much mindless fun as possible in expensive-to-get-to places. Glaringly absent from their unblemished universe is any sign of the kind of teens for whom a Bahamas vacation would be an unaffordable luxury.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's premise. Is it supposed to be believable? Why, or why not?
Why do some countries have laws that prohibit ancient artifacts from being taken across their borders? Do you think this is a good idea?
Why are Olsen twins movies still popular? What is the appeal of these sisters?
Movie Details
- In theaters: May 18, 2001
- On DVD or streaming: April 20, 2004
- Cast: Mary-Kate Olsen , Ashley Olsen , Austin Nichols , Ben Easter
- Director: Steve Purcell
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Dualstar Productions
- Genre: Romance
- Run time: 87 minutes
- MPAA rating: G
- Last updated: February 26, 2022
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