Common Sense Media Review
By Angelica Guarino
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Coming-of-age drama explores sexuality, religion, addiction.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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The Starling Girl
What's the Story?
In THE STARLING GIRL, 17-year-old Jem Starling (Eliza Scanlen) is thrust into the world of sexual politics in her Christian fundamentalist community. All of a sudden, she's expected to "be mindful" of how her body appears to the men at church, as well as be ready to be "courted" by any male member of the church at any time. Without a safe space to explore what this means and how it makes her feel, Jem decides to pursue a sexual relationship with Owen (Lewis Pullman), her much older, married youth group leader, who has life experiences and alternative views that she finds intriguing. Jem and Owen must hide their relationship from everyone in the church, including Jem's parents (Wrenn Schmidt and Jimmi Simpson) and Owen's wife, Misty (Jessamine Burgum). Meanwhile, Jem's parents are preparing her for eventual marriage to Owen's younger brother, Ben (Austin Abrams), a boy she barely knows. As Jem and Owen's families slowly put the pieces together, it becomes clear that the consequences facing Jem are much more dire than they are for Owen.
Is It Any Good?
The Starling Girl is a movie that thrives in gray areas. It presents the events of Jem's life objectively and leaves it up to viewers to figure out how they feel about them. This provides nuance in a complicated situation and puts Jem, a young woman in an oppressive religious community, in the driver's seat. Jem actively makes decisions that seal her fate and is only held back by other people telling her she's gone too far. It's hard not to find yourself thinking that instead of watching teen girls like hawks, maybe the people in her community would be better off figuring some things out for themselves.
Though not all viewers will relate to the views that Jem's church has about sexuality and morality, many will probably remember what they were told during adolescence about how to navigate their own burgeoning sexuality. For those who are female-presenting, the invasive feeling of having every adult's eyes on you is all too familiar. The viewing experience then becomes partly about Jem and Owen, but it also offers space for reflection about how these experiences were (or are being) treated in the viewer's own life.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Starling Girl approaches the issue of teenage sexuality. How might Jem's story unfold differently if she were able to talk about her feelings with a parent or her friends?
Discuss the role that religion can play in a community. In what ways can it be a positive or negative influence?
What audience do you think this film is intended to appeal to? How can you tell?
Do you consider any of the characters to be role models? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 12, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : July 11, 2023
- Cast : Eliza Scanlen , Lewis Pullman , Jimmi Simpson , Wrenn Schmidt
- Director : Laurel Parmet
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Bleecker Street
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 116 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some sexuality
- Last updated : July 10, 2023
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