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Parents' Guide to

So B. It

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Beautiful coming-of-age drama tackles tough topics.

Movie PG-13 2017 98 minutes
So B. It Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 10+

Based on 7 parent reviews

age 11+

Look at the hidden meanings in someone's words

This title has:

Great messages
age 11+

One of the best movies Talitha Bateman has acted in

Really good! Best for tweens and up. A very good choice for families

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Sad, beautiful, and unique, this sympathetic coming-of-age tale based on Sarah Weeks' novel about a determined young girl with a mysterious past will resonate with adults, tweens, and teens. It's not that Heidi is unhappy, exactly, even though she seems to know only one child her own age, and even though her mom, while loving, needs Heidi to care for her rather than the other way around. But, like most 12-year-olds, Heidi is starting to question the staus quo. Why are things the way they are? Where's the rest of her family? Who took care of her mom before they landed in Bernadette's lap? Since Bernadette has no answers, Heidi digs into the mystery on her own -- and what she finds is neither pleasant nor simple.

What's ultimately uplifting about a story that could be really depressing is So B. It's focus not just on the terrible things that can happen to people but also on how the love and support of other people -- blood relations or not -- can make these realities bearable. Heidi's past is tragic, her present complicated. But she is loved, and she is accepted. And So B. It's ultimate sweet message is that sometimes that's enough.

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