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The Honor List
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Teen friendship drama has sexual themes, alcohol abuse.
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The Honor List
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Based on 2 parent reviews
wow this was good.
What's the Story?
During senior year of high school, three former best friends reunite to finish THE HONOR LIST. Back when they were freshmen, Isabella (Sasha Pieterse), Piper (Meghan Rienks), Honor, and Sophie were an inseparable quartet of BFFs. But by senior year, the four had somehow drifted apart. When Honor unexpectedly dies, she leaves behind the request that the remaining three find and finish the bucket list they created of things to do before graduation. As they cross each item off the list, a lot of pain from the past comes back as well; they realize that they lost more than they knew when they lost each other.
Is It Any Good?
This friendship drama has too many shortcuts in the story to appeal to a broad audience, but it should really resonate with teens in the throes of those years when friendships are everything. The Honor List's biggest shortcut is that the reason the friendships ended in the first place is never fully explained. Using the flashbacks to eventually reveal what really happened would have added interest, intrigue, and a satisfying payoff. But the way it's put together leaves an unsatisfying, "But why?" in the back of your mind.
The characters are engaging and diverse, not only physically but in terms of strengths and flaws, too. A wide range of teen viewers, girls especially, will easily relate to them and root for the power of friendship. The story's pretty predictable and ends on a hopeful, hanky-ready note. For teens mature enough to handle the sexual content and alcohol use, it's an OK choice for a sleepover movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the sex in The Honor List. Is it realistic? How much is too much to show in movies?
What about the alcohol use? Is it realistic? Do the characters experience any consequences?
What other movies have you seen about friendship? Which one do you like best? How does this one compare?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: May 11, 2018
- Cast: Meghan Rienks , Sasha Pieterse , Karrueche Tran , Arden Cho
- Director: Elissa Down
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Asian actors, Black actors
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , High School
- Character Strengths: Teamwork
- Run time: 103 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: Crude sexual material, thematic elements, alcohol use, language, and brief nudity all involving teens
- Last updated: December 21, 2022
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