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Parents' Guide to

The Full Monty

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Who knew male strippers could be so sweet?

Movie R 1997 91 minutes
The Full Monty Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 7 parent reviews

KMS2012
KMS2012 Parent of 16-year-old
March 27, 2015
age 15+

Complex and beautiful look at male friendships

The movie's premise weaves together a disparate group of men who are all struggling with making ends meet in an economically depressed city. They are rough guys (who swear and drink and tease eachother), but they develop deep love and respect for one another, and offer a beautiful support and understanding that is only rarely seen in movies. Beyond the male bonding, the movie also touches on the effects of job loss and financial struggles on the relationships the men have with their spouses and kids. And in the end, the love and acceptance given by family and friends seems to renew these previously broken men. I just loved the transformation.
1 person found this helpful.
RHMama
RHMama Adult
September 11, 2021
age 14+

This title has:

Great messages
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE FULL MONTY centers on Gaz (Robert Carlyle) and Dave (Mark Addy), a pair of former co-workers who, in post-steel boom Sheffield, England, are flat broke and in desperate enough need to consider putting on a Chippendales-style striptease act. They recruit four other men, including their former boss at the steel plant, to join in on their scheme. They start rehearsing their bump-and-grind; all leading up to the one night when they will bare all and, hopefully, make thousands of pounds.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7 ):
Kids say (3 ):

The great charm of this film is how all of the characters are allowed to possess recognizably human quirks. Each of them wants the stripping money for different reasons: Gaz needs to pay back child support so he can spend more time with his son. Dave does not want to take the security guard job his wife is pushing on him. Former steel supervisor Gerald (Tom Wilkinson) has not even told his wife he has been laid off yet.

Watching these men grow to be friends in the service of an admittedly odd quest is a much more tender experience than one expects in a story about a group of down-and-out peelers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about morals and ethics--do they have a price? How does the financial desperation of the characters convince them to do things they are uncomfortable with doing? How does looking at naked bodies in the context of public entertainment affect the way we think about sex and intimacy?

Movie Details

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