Parents' Guide to

LOL

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Miley Cyrus overacts in sex 'n' drugs high school drama.

Movie PG-13 2012 100 minutes
LOL Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 14+

Based on 9 parent reviews

age 18+

Parenting sucks in this movie, seriously !

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
age 14+

An all time favourite

This has been my favourite film since I first watched it in 2013, I was 14 then and i'm now 21. It's such a feel good film with bits of everything - love, heartbreak, family, friendships and comedy, and has great messages about "finding yourself", learning from your mistakes and building relationships with new friends and with your family. Also teaches that it's not always the right time to lose your virginity (although also showing that its not a huge deal and you don't "lose part of yourself that you can never get back" once it's happened. I'll always love this movie! A lot of parents might not want to think this, but this movie shows real life for a lot of people (and that's coming from someone who doesn't drink).

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9):
Kids say (38):

French writer-director Lisa Azuelos has adapted her 2008 coming-of-age drama LOL: Laughing out Loud for American audiences, but something must have been lost in the translation. While there are still some French elements (the casual attitude about family members bathing in front of each other, adults who routinely smoke marijuana at dinner parties, and even a spring break trip to Paris), the social media-laden plot (texts and status updates pop up on the screen) seems more like a Lifetime cautionary tale for parents than a compelling teen drama worth renting.

Although the cast is promising at first, Cyrus proves not only utterly devoid of charm but also incapable of toning down the overacting she learned on the Disney Channel. The supporting players -- who occasionally, like Fisher Stevens and Gina Gershon as Anne's married best friends, provide well-acted relief from the melodrama -- can't save this oddly paced and over-the-top soap from its main problem: an unlikable protagonist who's too selfish to see beyond her own OMG! troubles. And while it's expected for teens to be self-absorbed (on or off camera), LOL is nowhere near as funny as the title suggests.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: May 4, 2012
  • On DVD or streaming: July 31, 2012
  • Cast: Ashley Greene, Demi Moore, Miley Cyrus
  • Director: Lisa Azuelos
  • Inclusion Information: Pansexual actors
  • Studio: Lionsgate
  • Genre: Drama
  • Topics: High School
  • Run time: 100 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: mature thematic content involving teen sexuality and drug and alcohol use, and for language
  • Last updated: February 17, 2023

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