Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Positive messages, outdated gender roles in fantasy-comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Life-Size
What's the Story?
In LIFE-SIZE, young Casey (Lindsay Lohan) is missing her deceased mom terribly and dad Ben (Jere Burns) has buried himself in work to deal with his grief. When Casey stumbles across a book that contains a spell promising to bring back the dead, she gives it a go. Instead, she accidentally brings Barbie-style doll Eve (Tyra Banks) to life. She's clueless but vivacious and sweet, and now nothing will ever be the same again.
Is It Any Good?
This cult classic has some outdated portrayals of gender roles, especially in the workplace, but its messages about the highs and lows of being human still shine through. Lohan and Banks are both quite adorable in Life-Size. As a doll come to life, Banks has the winning lines—citing "sitting" as her "previous position" in a job interview, worrying someone's going to "throw her away'" when she breaks a nail, and vowing to a date that she's "packaged locally" and "anatomically correct." She helps a daughter and dad regain their joie de vivre after losing a loved one, and they in turn teach her that being human comes with great sorrow, but also loving connections and great joy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what Eve and Casey learn from each other in Life-Size.
If you've seen the sequel to this film, how do the two compare?
What other films have you watched that involve inanimate objects coming to life?
How does the film's farfetched plot impact your enjoyment of the movie?
Does anything seem outdated in this film? If you could remake it, what would you change?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 5, 2000
- Cast : Lindsay Lohan
- Director : Mark Rosman
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Disney+
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Family Stories , Fantasy , Friendship
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : March 30, 2026
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