Sisters Movie Poster Image

Sisters

(i)

 

Fun but predictable comedy has swearing, drinking, sex.
  • Review Date: December 18, 2015
  • Rated: R
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Release Year: 2015
  • Running Time: 118 minutes

What parents need to know

Positive messages

Amid the rowdy chaos is the message that while sisterhood has its highs and lows, in the end, nobody supports you more than beloved siblings. Other themes include building a life after divorce and forging a stable relationship with your child after a rocky start.

Positive role models

Maura is disciplined, meticulous, and caring (perhaps a bit too much so), while Kate is ill-tempered and irresponsible -- but her heart is in the right place, and she's supportive of her sister no matter what. 

Violence

A rowdy party gets out of hand, and windows, doors, and other things get broken. Long scene in which a character falls onto a child's toy, which results in two other characters trying to remove it from his rectum. Sisters tussle when an argument escalates. Yelling between family members.

Sex

Lots of crude gestures and innuendo, and in some scenes characters openly discuss their sexual exploits. Many references to male genitalia, and one character, while on drugs, dips his penis into a bucket of paint and uses it to paint a portrait of said penis on the wall; the painting is shown throughout the movie. One character reads a high school diary out loud, detailing the many guys she bedded. Two adult sisters walk into their parents' apartment and nearly catch them in the act. Their mother is seen in a robe and heels, and the father appears to be hiding in a corner, seemingly nude, though viewers don't see more than his bare chest. 

Language

Frequent use of every expletive you can imagine, from "f--k" and "sh-t" to "ass," "d--k," "c--t," and more.

Consumerism

Brands/products mentioned or shown include Apple, Skype, Diet Coke, Jose Cuervo, Kohl's, YouTube, and more.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Lots of drinking; some drug use. The sisters throw a party and offer booze to their guests, who proceed to get pretty drunk pretty quickly. Pot use, and one character, a drug dealer, opens a bag to reveal his extensive inventory, which he then describes in detail, mentioning drugs like Molly, OxyContin, and heroin. A character appears to have snorted way too much of a substance called Cloud 10, a Molly/Adderall blend. 

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Sisters is a rowdy comedy starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler about growing up, growing old, and learning how to be a better sibling. Though it does touch on some serious concerns -- such as building a life after divorce and forging a stable relationship with your child after a rocky start -- ultimately it's an over-the-top comedy with tons of swearing ("f--k," "s--t," and much more), lots of sexual innuendo and crude references (including some detailed descriptions of past sexual exploits and scene in which a man who's high uses his genitalia to paint on a wall), and frequent partying/drinking (definitely to excess) and drug use (mainly pot and a substance that mixes "Molly" with Adderall). There's also a long scene in which a character falls onto a child's toy, which results in two other characters trying to remove it from his rectum.

What's the story?

Kate Elllis (Tina Fey) and her sister, Maura (Amy Poehler), find themselves plunged back into their high school years when they discover that their parents (James Brolin and Dianne Wiest) are selling their family home. Maura, a disciplined nurse with a big heart and a need to take care of everyone, is overwhelmed by nostalgia and realizes she spent much of her teenage years not taking any risks; for Kate, a trip back home could be just the reset she needs after a string of job misfortunes -- some of which is of her own doing -- and an estrangement from her daughter. But being home reminds Kate of just how long she's been irresponsible. Can the sisters host one last big party and reinvent themselves at the same time?

Is it any good?

QUALITY

It wouldn't be fair to say that SISTERS is a disappointment, because it's plenty funny; but it wouldn't be right to say it's a proverbial home run, either. No question, Fey and Poehler elevate the film with their spectacular chemistry, which may be the best reason to see the movie in the first place. But there's nothing much here that we haven't seen before. Audiences will spot the ending a football field away. And the jokes, though funny, aren't really surprising, save for a few gags that escalate into true can't-stop-laughing hilarity. Go for the the stars, not for transcendent comedy. 

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about how Sisters depicts drinking and drug use. Are they glamorized? Are there realistic consequences?

  • Is Maura and Kate's relationship a healthy one? How does it change over the course of the movie? How is Sisters different from -- or similar to -- other films about sibling relationships? Teens: If you have siblings, how do you think your relationship will change as you get older?

  • Is Kate an irresponsible mother or just one who's having a hard time? How does the film characterize her relationship with her daughter? 

Movie details

Theatrical release date:December 18, 2015
DVD release date:March 15, 2016
Cast:Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz
Director:Jason Moore
Studio:Universal Pictures
Genre:Comedy
Topics:Brothers and sisters
Run time:118 minutes
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:crude sexual content and language throughout, and for drug use

This review of Sisters was written by

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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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What parents and kids say

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Parent Written byDan G. December 18, 2015

Way too much objectionable material to be for kids of any age

The whole movie is one objectionable piece after another. I would not even want my 20 year old daughter to see it. The movie portrays random casual sexual activity as being just fine, illegal drug use is portrayed as all well and good, some of the sexual activity that is portrayed is abusive, and of course, that's OK, too. And, of course, the movie shows that you can have all this "fun", and there are NO consequences! Almost all the humor is sexual related, and when it is not, it is about pooping and peeing. Bad language of the worst kind is used from one scene to the next, stuff that would definitely get your kid thrown out of school if they decided it was OK to use it, as the movie seems to suggest. And finally, some characters use their middle finger to signal their anger at others. What is redeeming about this movie? Values? No. Funny? Yeah, kinda, but at what expense? Having to sit through a bunch of stuff that really should make people blush, not laugh.
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Teen, 15 years old Written byambkas December 31, 2015
Being the great comics that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are, this movie is filled with clever jokes, however raunchy. Many include sexual innuendos and references to past experiences. Frequent swearing occurs throughout the majority of the movie, arguably to excess. Since it follows two sisters reliving the parties they used to throw when they were in high school, the use of drugs and alcohol is commonplace. Everyone at the party is drinking and most are also doing drugs, such as marijuana. While it has been dramatized for the sake of the movie, it shows how out of hand people can get while under the influence. We feel as if if kids have not been exposed to these things before and they don’t feel comfortable with them, then this is not a good movie for them to see.
What other families should know
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Parent of a 10 and 14 year old Written by3girls520 December 19, 2015

Disagree with 16+

Funny, ADULT movie. Drugs, sexual innuendos galore and language are right up there with the raunchiest rated-R comedies. We had a ladies day out and saw it - lots of laughs, but not for kids/teens.
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

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