Parents' Guide to

Mermaids

By Heather Boerner, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

'90s coming-of-age tale has sex, drinking, cursing.

Movie PG-13 1990 110 minutes
Mermaids Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 12+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Henrysmovieguide
Henrysmovieguide Adult
December 18, 2017
age 10+

Mermaids is an amazing movie for families with tweens (but not TOO young) to watch.

While it does have a very watered-down sex scene and lots of sexual references, Mermaids is a family movie at heart. Winona Ryder and Cher give incredible performances that I didn't see coming. It's the kind of movie that will put you in a great mood. Almost everyone should be able to relate to this story and these characters. It's a very well-done film, and all people (especially females) should watch it.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
wonder dove
wonder dove Adult
March 15, 2015
age 13+

A Favourite!

Mermaids is one of my all time favourite coming of age 90's movies! Didn't really care for it as a teen, but now it's at the top of my list! Awesome cast includes Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci, Cher, Bob Hoskins and Michael Schoeffling. Fantastic acting by these few favorite actors of mine and very underrated! It's set in the sixties and covers everything from mother daughter relationships to dating, to first loves to parenting and plenty of ups and downs in between, including the assassination of president JFK. It's a story about finding your way and making mistakes and bad decisions along the way. Sometimes you have to jump through hoops just to get there. It's very real and human story that deals with realistic topics, but it's also fun and engaging. If I haven't seen it for a couple months, I'll watch it several times throughout the week to get my fix! I just love it and the humor throughout is really nice touch. The cover may seem it's a good family movie but it's not recommended for teens under 13. Language has uses of sh*t, b*tch, @ss, asshole, [email protected], hell, [email protected] Violence is pretty tame but includes the death of president JFK not shown but described, a child falls into water and nearly drowns, a woman slaps her daughter in the face during a huge argument, some other arguments throughout. Sexual content includes a man cheating on his wife with another woman, we see a car rocking back and forth and sex is implied. A teen is confused about sex and often imagines doing things with her crush (out loud, sometimes graphic but not explicit) who is 11 years older. A teen thinks she's pregnant but is still a virgin. A teen often wonders if nuns where underwear in the shower. A woman kisses her daughters crush. A woman goes to bed with a man on the first date, it's talked about and they're seen in bed partially clothed. A teen has sex for the first time (unprotected) and there's some fast paced groping and clothes removed but no nudity, this happens for about 10-15 seconds. A woman appears promiscuous and talks about how she got pregnant with her kids with two different men. Some tight clothes worn throughout. Bath & shower scenes with no nudity. There's smoking throughout, some drinking, a teen and her child sister get drunk together. Religious stuff throughout. 13++ viewers!!

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In the enchanting and complex coming-of-age story MERMAIDS, Charlotte Flax (Winona Ryder), the nun-obsessed daughter of a Jewish mother. Mrs. Flax (Cher) is gutsy, creative, and enchanting -- and when things go poorly with her paramour, she skips town, preferring to start a new life in a new town. That's how the family ends up in Massachusetts, where Charlotte meets Joe (Michael Schoeffling), the resident of a convent. While she decides what to do about Joe, she copes with feelings about her absent father and spars with her strong-willed, promiscuous mom. Missteps and teen-sized mistakes ensue.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (6):

Not only is Ryder's powerhouse performance spot-on and moving -- when she cries at the end of the film, the viewer is likely to, too. Mermaids isn't the one-note sex comedy of American Pie or the inspirational drama of Gracie. It's a film that turns the most painful years of many people's lives into entertainment -- realistic, sympathetic entertainment.

Charlotte has an inner monologue that's completely different from the one she shares with the world. In her head, she's thinking, "I kissed a boy and I think I might be pregnant." But when Mrs. Flax begs her to talk, all she can do is shrug and roll her eyes. What parents and teens won't be able to relate to this? Add on the fabulous performances of Bob Hoskins and Christina Ricci and you have an adorable and moving coming-of-age movie that's likely to be as prescient today.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about coming-of-age movies. How is this movie similar to and different from other movies in which teenagers experience their first forays into adulthood?

  • This movie was based on a book. What would be the challenges in adapting a novel into a movie? How does the movie attempt to convey the innermost thoughts and feelings of the lead character?

  • How does this movie address topics like family, religion, sex, relationships, and growing up? How would the movie be different had it been set in current times?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate