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Parents' Guide to

The Perfect Score

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Not terrible, but this MTV teen movie falls flat.

Movie PG-13 2004 98 minutes
The Perfect Score 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 2 parent reviews

LightBoi36
LightBoi36 Adult
April 1, 2021
age 16+

Good

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Monera
Monera Adult
September 10, 2015
age 12+

Not as Bad As One Thinks

The plot isn't as superficial as other teen movies (Or adult ones for that matter). Yes, there is a character involved with drugs and they are cheating and breaking into a building. However, thinking kids will literally follow that example is taking it too far. There are other subtleties in the movie that go deeper than the teen mischief aspect. For example, all of the characters want a better future but feel trapped. Matty feels worthless without his girlfriend, Anna feels too much pressure being such a high achiever, Desemond doesn't want to go to the school his mother insists on and Roy, the one who takes drugs has hidden intelligence behind his addiction. Also, Francesca feels neglected by her father who owns the building they broke into. Each character brings deep questions such as "Is it healthy for Matty to base his worth off his girlfriend?" "Should Anna confide her feelings about being pressured?" "Does Roy have intelligence in him his addiction hides?" for example. Also, in the end, they don't end up cheating and take the test on their own merit. The movie overall has insightful themes to think about.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE PERFECT SCORE is a Breakfast Club-like heist movie in which a diverse group of high school seniors, each with his or her own reasons, unite to steal the answers for the SATs. Each character has two characteristics, one superficial and one hidden. That gives us Kyle (Chris Evans), the generic leading man who needs to learn what his real priorities are; Francesca (Scarlett Johansson), the offbeat chick whose wisecracks mask her vulnerability; Anna (Erika Christensen), the straight-A princess who would like to be less perfect; Roy (Leonardo Nam), the stoner with unsuspected depth; Matty (Bryan Greenburg), the best friend to everyone who needs to be a better friend to himself; and Desmond, the star athlete who can't tell his mother that he wants to skip St. Johns College and turn pro (Darius Miles).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

The Perfect Score was produced by MTV, which may be why it feels more like a product created by a focus group than anything involving characters or story or a point of view. The characters even mention The Breakfast Club as slacker shorthand so that no one has to think too hard, screenwriters or audience.

The film is so slackly directed it might have been assembled by a focus group. Everything that someone thought might appeal to a teen audience is thrown into the mix. We get a little romance, a little angst, a little family pressure, a little (very little) low (very low) humor, a batch of MTV-friendly soundtrack tunes, and a lot of happily ever after. It's not a bad movie; it's just not a very good one.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how each of the kids defines his or her future happiness. What is most important to them? Are they following their own dreams or just responding to the dreams or behavior of their parents?

Movie Details

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