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Sweetheart
By Alistair Lawrence,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Coming-of-age comedy drama has LGBTQ+ themes, language.

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Sweetheart
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What's the Story?
SWEETHEART follows AJ (Nell Barlow), an awkward British teen, who falls for local lifeguard Isla (Ella-Rae Smith) while on holiday.
Is It Any Good?
This modern update of a familiar teen holiday romance movie stands out for its honest portrayal of social awkwardness, sexual anxiety, and living as a young queer person. Despite a lot of familiar cliches, Sweetheart manages to keep its bickering characters interesting enough to keep us wondering how Brooks' 17-year-old AJ will deal with her first real crush. Less compelling is a voiceover of AJ's internal monologue, which lets debut writer-director Marley Morrison fill in too many of the gaps between what isn't said. It results in a lot of predictable dialogue, with Brooks' performance sometimes becoming too one-note and single-paced.
Building out Smith's character -- and the object of AJ's desires -- Isla to be more than the kind of free-spirited dream girl who always seem to populate this type of story, might've helped add some depth. Likewise, the movie's one even-tempered, level-headed character, Steve (Samuel Anderson), is also sidelined as AJ's sister's always-obliging boyfriend, when perhaps he could've been utilized with a bit more imagination. If you can forgive the cliches, this is still a warm-hearted and inclusive look at growing up, which offers glimpses of plenty of talented newcomers in front of and behind the camera.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the drinking, smoking, and drug use portrayed in Sweetheart. Did it glamorize it? Did the characters need to do these things to look cool? Were there consequences?
Discuss the relationship between AJ and Isla. Did it unfold how you were expecting? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Talk about AJ's arguments with her family. Why did their different world views and lifestyles cause them to fall out? How did they overcome this?
Discuss some of the language used. Did it seem necessary, or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
How did AJ change throughout the movie? What did she learn about herself and other people? What examples of compassion, empathy, and gratitude can you give from the movie?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: May 6, 2023
- Cast: Nell Barlow , Jo Hartley , Ella-Rae Smith
- Director: Marley Morrison
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Film Movement
- Genre: Drama
- Character Strengths: Compassion , Empathy , Gratitude
- Run time: 103 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: May 12, 2023
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