Love Spreads
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Love Spreads
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Love Spreads is a mostly improvised comedy-drama that is centered around a female rock band, and features a fair amount of bad language. With lead singer Kelly (Alia Shawkat) suffering from writer's block, tensions mount within the band. This leads to fallings out, but ultimately an important lesson about how teamwork can produce better results. Each of the band members are strong-willed with their own personalities, which should be commended. They do show flaws, however, double-crossing each other and with their manager, Mark (Nick Helm), often being at the receiving end of their frustrations. Characters swear, frequently, mostly saying "f--k" and "s--t." They can also be seen drinking alcohol on occasion, and in one sequence a character smokes. There is also a brief comment about masturbating.
What's the Story?
LOVE SPREADS focuses on all-female rock band Glass Heart, who are back in the studio to record that tricky second album. The problem is, the lead singer Kelly (Alia Shawkat) is suffering from writer's block, and from this comes tensions that ripple through the band. The situation is not helped by the impatience of their manager Mark (Nick Helm), who has the record label breathing down his neck.
Is It Any Good?
With its understated, mostly improvised dialogue, this comedy-drama has a naturalistic and authentic feel that only adds to the experience. Of course Love Spreads is helped by the fact that it boasts a talented cast. That's nearly always a given where Shawkat and Eiza Gonzalez are concerned. But they are ably supported by Chanel Cresswell, Tara Lee, and Helm as the band's put-upon manager.
Filmed in an almost voyeuristic way, as though a documentary, it's a wonderful exploration into the heart of the creative process, or in this case, the frustrating lack of. Another important aspect is just how good the songs in the film are, which are penned by the director, Jamie Adams and his brother, or the cast-members themselves -- with a notable track by Lee. In films about music they can often fall short if the songs featured aren't believable. But on this occasion, they're not just realistic, but genuinely impressive and very catchy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about strong language used in Love Spreads. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
How did the band learn the importance of teamwork? Why is this such an important character strength to have? Can you think of a time when you've shown good teamwork?
The film was shot in an improvisational format. What did you think of this approach? Could you tell there was no scripted dialogue? Did this benefit or hinder the film?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: June 18, 2022
- Cast: Alia Shawkat, Eiza Gonzalez, Chanel Cresswell
- Director: Jamie Adams
- Studio: Gravitas Ventures
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Music and Sing-Along
- Character Strengths: Perseverance, Teamwork
- Run time: 93 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: January 19, 2023
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For kids who love music
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