Little

Why would you put so much sex into a child's movie?? Adults are not watching this for themselves. Obviously they are bringing their children to see it. Do they really need to make jokes about genatalia, STDs, one night stands, under age drinking, creepy scenes with child and teacher, a full on sexual dance in front of a child by a half naked man?? What has this world come to? It would have been such a cute, funny and entertaining movie if I didn't have to keep stressing about some weird inappropriate scene popping up out of nowhere!

For a few years, I have relied on Common Sense Media as a gauge for video games and television programs for my two children. Last week was no different, as I read the Common Sense review of the movie "Little". I planned to take my 12-year old son. Based upon what I read, I wondered if the movie would be too mature or my son's takeaway would be that "meanness yields results: success, a lavish lifestyle, and submissive behavior from underlings." Or, that he would miss the intended message: "staying true to yourself" since "Jordan doesn't really experience any big consequences for her behavior." I took all of these things into consideration but decided to take him anyway. In my estimation, it is important to support African American firsts and a 14-year old producer, regardless of race, is quite a feat! My son sat beside me in the theatre and laughed out loud on multiple occasions. I was happy that he was amused and pleased that much of the adult humor went over his head. I was also pleasantly surprised that Jordan did not magically become an adult until after helping the kids who befriended her. Isn't helping friends when they need you a great life lesson? I think so. I loved the growth that both Jordan and her meek assistant, April, experienced over the course of the movie. April (Issa Rae) became Jordan's conscience and found her voice, with Jordan's encouragement; and Jordan learned to trust others. In fact, it was April's amazing App that saved Jordan's company. Did the reviewer miss these great moments too? There were many lessons to be learned from "Little", despite your reviewer's insinuation that Jordan's bullying went unpunished. At the movie's conclusion, I asked my son whether or not he caught the moral of the story. Funny, but he quickly articulated the obvious: "when you bully people, bad things happen." Hmm...his response sent me back to the review. Perhaps I misunderstood it the first time I read it. So, I read it again. My takeaway is that the reviewer did not like the movie or did not understand its cultural nuances. Either way, parents were offered his/her opinion versus an unbiased assessment of the pros and cons of a light-hearted, silly movie with a universal message about the downside of bullying.