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Parents' Guide to

They Came Together

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Predictable romcom send-up has racy sex scenes, language.

Movie R 2014 83 minutes
They Came Together Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 1 parent review

Raybolay
Raybolay Adult
March 27, 2020
age 9+

characters are not believable

I would not waste your time, very few laughs, all too predictable!
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In THEY CAME TOGETHER, Joel (Paul Rudd) is extricating himself from a unsatisfying relationship, while Molly (Amy Poehler) has recently broken up with someone. They must be perfect for each other! Unfortunately, he's an executive at a corporate candy conglomerate that's about to put her small sweet store out of business, which makes it hard for them to realize that they're meant to be together in this spoof of the classic romcom formula. The strong cast also includes winning appearances by Cobie Smulders as Joel's ex, along with Bill Hader, Ellie Kemper, and Ed Helms.

Is It Any Good?

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

There are so many reasons why They Came Together ought to be a runaway hit; unfortunately, it's a big miss. It's confounding, considering the cast is practically an assembly of comedy all-stars. And then there's the premise -- make a movie skewering the romcom genre's worst habits by referencing the classics (including You've Got Mail and Jerry Maguire), and make it winning and witty at the same time. But They Came Together feels the same way it does when you smile for too long: strained.

Part of the problem is how the film mimics what it's critiquing. Yes, it's supposed to, given the plot device. But just because it's easy to make fun of the genre's predictability doesn't mean the movie also has to be predictable. A twist near the end isn't enough to make a difference ... guess it just wasn't meant to be.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how They Came Together compares to the romcoms it's trying to spoof. Which films do you recognize in the story here?

  • What's the point of satirizing something? Is it just for laughs, or can there be a larger purpose/message?

  • What do you think about Joel and Molly's relationship? Why are they perfect for each other?

Movie Details

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