Parents' Guide to Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u

Movie NR 2022 76 minutes
Rodrigo poster

Common Sense Media Review

Jennifer Green By Jennifer Green , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Some language, lots of heartbreak in pop singer docu.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 10+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 10+

Based on 14 kid reviews

Kids say this film is a must-watch for fans of Olivia Rodrigo, praising its engaging content about her music and artistic journey, while noting some mild profanity in the songs. However, a few viewers found it repetitive and felt it lacked substantial information beyond musical performances.

  • fan engagement
  • mild profanity
  • artistic journey
  • repetitive content
  • age appropriate
Summarized with AI

What's the Story?

Actor and recording artist Olivia Rodrigo invites viewers into the process of writing and recording her latest album in OLIVIA RODRIGO: DRIVING HOME 2 U. There's minimal background about her rise to fame before Olivia sets off on a drive from Utah to California, the same drive she made when she composed this album. She performs versions of her songs at places along the route, and these are interspersed with footage of professional performances and recording sessions.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 4 ):
Kids say ( 14 ):

This mellow album documentary adds a welcome complement to others in the genre. This could be chalked up to Rodrigo's young age, or the way Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u is filmed as a combination of road trip and walk down memory lane. The languid pace and lull of expansive scenery -- drone shots capture lonely highways and fluffy clouds reflecting off placid water -- evoke the feeling of resting against a warm window on a long car drive. The film has a decidedly vintage look, attractively capturing the orange-red sunsets, neon-lit diners, and mid-century motels of the American West.

This '70s aesthetic is almost ironic considering Rodrigo was born in 2003. Her album also revolves around young love and (public) heartbreak. She comes across as genuine, a young woman barely a foot's length out of childhood, trying to figure life out. She talks about being a child actor, suffering a fear of failure, being overly critical with herself, and feeling inferior. She mentions the role her dad has played as a truth-teller for her. It would have been nice if the film had incorporated more of her family and friends, and some background to how she trains and improves her craft, to give viewers a more well-rounded view of the performer.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the pressures of fame, discussed directly and indirectly in Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u.

  • What do you know about this artist that didn't make it into this film? Does it feel like a full and accurate portrayal of her? Why or why not?

  • How would you describe the look of this film? Does it match the aesthetics of any of Rodrigo's music videos or album covers that you've seen?

Movie Details

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