Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Family drama with teen rebellion, heavy-handed lessons.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Smitty
What's the Story?
After a lifetime of moving around a lot and always being the new kid in school, 13-year-old Ben (Brandon Tyler Russell) is a disrespectful, disobedient, downright petulant brat. So no one is surprised when he falls in with a bad crowd at his latest school, vandalizes a restaurant, and ends up on the wrong side of juvenile court. His options: spend three months on a farm with the grandfather he's never met (Peter Fonda) while hapless single mom Amanda (Mira Sorvino) finishes a nursing degree, or spend three years in juvie. He chooses the farm, and along the way gets his hands dirty, meets a loyal dog, and some hardscrabble characters, including Mr. Smith (Louis Gossett Jr.), who teach him the meaning of hard work, family values, and showing some respect.
Is It Any Good?
SMITTY is engaging enough; its intergenerational conflict, old-fashioned lessons, and basic plot will sound a lot like the terrific On Golden Pond. Both feature a single mom with a wayward teen who gets straightened out by a grumpy old Fonda who really cares, deep down underneath all that crotchety blowhardiness. It also has all the same sentimentality, but falls considerably short on the comic relief. Unfortunately, that lack of comic relief means the movie's first half feels like an all-too joyless distillation of every thing every old person ever told you growing up about how to act right.
Luckily, it warms up a little on the way out as the characters, and the film, find its way. Kids will enjoy the relationship Ben has with the smart, loyal farm dog, and everyone within earshot will be relieved to see Ben learn, at last, how to say "thanks" and "please" without scowling. Added bonus: Adults of a certain age may also enjoy seeing Peter Fonda nowhere near a motorcycle.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about other films that address values like respecting your elders and following through on your commitments. Can you think of examples?
The movie also deals with peer pressure. Have you ever been pressured by so-called friends to do something illegal and against the rules? How did you respond?
The dog in the film was adopted from a shelter. Families can talk about the epidemic of stray animals and the good work of humane shelters to find homes for dogs who've been abandoned.
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : April 10, 2012
- Cast : Jason London , Louis Gossett Jr. , Mira Sorvino , Peter Fonda
- Director : David M. Evans
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Phase 4 Films
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Animals , Friendship
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : mild thematic material and some language
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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