Parents' Guide to

Sherrybaby

By Heather Boerner, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Gyllenhaal shines in gritty, haunting drug drama.

Movie R 2006 96 minutes
Sherrybaby Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

When single mom and drug addict Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal) gets released from prison and is returned to her hometown, all she can think about is getting her daughter (Ryan Simpkins) back from her brother and sister-in-law who have been raising her. But after being locked up and fighting to stay sober, it's no easy task, especially when she's still haunted by the demons of a tortured childhood and by breathtaking immaturity. When she finds that her sister-in-law is coaching her daughter to call her Sherry instead of Mommy, and when she is treated badly by her father, Sherry loses it. Can she stay sober? And can she do what she needs to do to stay close to her daughter and finally learn how to be a good mother?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

There's a reason Gyllenhaal was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance. What starts as the depiction of a tough woman who's heavy on the sexiness grows into a complex portrait of a woman trying to learn how to live and how to recover -- not just from drugs but from lots of other things, too. You can see on Gyllenhaal's face that her Sherry is a woman with a lot of things on her mind, who's overwhelmed and in despair. That's no small thing to communicate with a look, and Gyllenhaal does it with an authenticity that's staggering.

If anyone needed a reason to stay away from drugs and alcohol, SHERRYBABY is a great example of what substance abuse, combined with self-loathing, sexism, and sexual abuse, can do to a woman's life. If there's a regret in this film, it's that Gyllenhaal's breasts are her costars. She's naked so often in this film that her natural sex appeal -- though it makes sense for the film -- runs the risk of making her sad and desperate life seem glamorous to teens unable to sense the difference.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how drug and alcohol addiction have affected Sherry's life. Do drugs and alcohol seem appealing in this film? What about casual sex? Is Maggie Gyllenhaal sexy as Sherry? Why or why not?

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.

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