Ricki and the Flash Movie Poster Image

Ricki and the Flash

age 13+
(i)

 

Teen-friendly dramedy tackles big issues; some edgy content.
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  • Review Date: August 7, 2015
  • Rated: PG-13
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Release Year: 2015
  • Running Time: 100 minutes

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What parents need to know

Positive messages

Many mistakes are made, but the ultimate message is that it's possible to fix your mistakes, even if they're major and even if they were long ago. You just have to really want to repair the damage.

Positive role models

Ricki is trying to fix her damaged relationships with her three grown children, whom she essentially abandoned as kids. She's flawed, but she clearly wants to be there for her kids now, even if they still don't see eye to eye on lots of things.

Violence

Some heated arguments. Reference to a character's recent suicide attempt (nothing shown).

Sex

Many sexual references/innuendoes. A couple is shown kissing and starting to disrobe. Woman wrapped in a towel.

Language

Language includes "s--t," "a--hole," and a use of "f--k."

Consumerism

Brands/products seen include Jet Blue, Sony, and Gibson guitars.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

One character drinks fairly heavily as a coping mechanism after her divorce and is shown hungover. References to people needing drinks during emotional moments. Two adults and their adult daughter smoke pot together and are shown giggling while high. Social drinking by adults.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Ricki and the Flash doesn't shy away from showing mother-child (and ex-spouse) conflict. It talks quite openly about why the characters' relationships are a mess, though its ultimate message is that you can fix your mistakes if you really want to. Some of the issues at play are fairly heavy -- abandonment, parent-child estrangement, conflicting political viewpoints, accepting someone's sexual identity, etc. -- making it pretty intense for younger viewers. Other mature content includes strong language (including "s--t" and one "f--k"), sexual innuendo, kissing/starting to take clothes off (though nothing graphic shown), drinking (sometimes too much; hangovers are shown), and pot smoking.

What's the story?

In RICKI AND THE FLASH, Ricki Rendazzo, aka Linda Brummel (Meryl Streep), is the star of a past-its-prime-but-still-good band who's forced to go back to her past -- literally and figuratively -- and make things right when her daughter's husband walks out on her soon after their wedding. For the first time in years, Ricki goes home to Indianapolis, this time in an effort to help her daughter (Streep's real-life daughter, Mamie Gummer) and possibly realign the course of her broken relationships. But old habits die hard, and forgiveness doesn't come easily. Will Ricki ever become a mother whose children are willing to accept her love?

Is it any good?

QUALITY

This well-intentioned but cliched dramedy, while entertaining, suffers from a people-pleasing affliction that robs it of its bite. It's far too easy to see where the movie's headed: It relies on many cliches about estranged parent-child relationships and ex-wife/current wife tensions. And the pacing's strangely flat.

But somehow Ricki redeems itself, in no small part due to Streep's empathetic portrayal of Ricki. She simply won't allow the script's over familiarity to overcome all of its promise. It's wonderful to see her act opposite Gummer, who also rises to the occasion, as does the rest of the cast. They infuse the film with such authenticity that it almost doesn't matter that the script needs work or that the rhythms are off (except for the musical interludes, which are truly enjoyable) or that interesting subplots are discarded without a second look. Thanks to its star, Ricki and the Flash is fun enough to be worth a watch.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about how Ricki and the Flash portrays drinking and drug use. Are there realistic consequences? Is substance use glamorized at all?

  • What is the movie saying about the role of mothers in our society? What kind of a mom is Ricki? How do you think the story might be different if the Ricki character was a man/father?

  • How does the film depict divorce? Does it seem cliched, or does it put a new spin on the topic?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:August 7, 2015
DVD release date:November 24, 2015
Cast:Meryl Streep, Mamie Gummer, Kevin Kline
Director:Jonathan Demme
Studio:Sony Pictures Releasing
Genre:Comedy
Topics:Music and sing-along
Run time:100 minutes
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:thematic material, brief drug content, sexuality and language

This review of Ricki and the Flash was written by

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

Quality

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging; great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging; good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging; good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging; OK learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Teen, 16 years old Written byJflores14 August 17, 2015
age 14+

Fun music filled drama has some intense themes

this movie is laugh out loud funny and a great light film for teens and up. There was a little language and some sexual innuendo, but other wise it was pretty mild for a PG-13. CONTENT: VIOLENCE- a girl talks about how she tried to kill herself with pills, some fights get pretty heated SEX- couples kiss in bed and start removing clothes, but no nudity is seen, one daughter talks about a guys "boner getting flat" and about her mothers boyfriend "getting it in", couples makeup on stage as well as in bed. A man leaves his wife and another cheats on his wide with a stripper, a daughter tells her mother she looks like a hooker. LANGAUGE- one blurred f**k, one d**k, 2 of bitch, and eight of shit. Innuendo Drugs- a dad, mom, and daughter smoke pot MY RATING- PG-13/ for thematic material, some sexual content, language, and brief drug use
What other families should know
Great messages
Great role models
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Teen, 13 years old Written byhunterroadhouse1 August 17, 2015
age 7+

Very good

This movie is to interesting and can hold your attention. This is a family movie and would to commend it to anyone!
What other families should know
Great messages
Great role models
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Adult Written bythebaileyh August 22, 2015
age 14+

Heart Warming, but teens only.

I loved this movie so much. The music is beautiful, and so is the acting, from all of the characters. Meryl is timeless, and it turns out that all of the other cast members are quite impressive too. Anyway, there is hardly any language, nothing your kids haven't already heard. No violence, mild drinking, but nothing I would consider inappropriate. A couple smokes pot, but this isn't shown, just referenced too. The s-x is what makes it for teens only. There isn't a lot of s-x, but there isn't a small amount either. One s-x scene, but not much is shown. Just some heavy breathing and kissing. It's also a pretty quick scene too. Other than that there are a few kissing scenes, and casual s-xual references such as hooking up, erecti-ns, and cheating on spouses. However these references are just occasional and the movie isn't overloaded in this content like some films are. I suggest it to all lovers of Meryl, lovers of comedy/dramas, and lovers of music.
What other families should know
Too much sex
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