To the Stars

Two scenes show young women throwing rocks at truck of young men who were harassing them. Parents fight loudly with each other over the mother's drinking. A father hits his daughter for disobedience, yelling at her that she'll be thrown out if there's more bad behavior. She has a bruise that lingers. A group of men gather around a woman's home, threaten her, damage her car, run her out of town. It's implied that a young woman has drowned (upsetting scenes as authorities scour a pond), but she's later thought to have run away. A young woman slaps a classmate on the cheek. Arguments/yelling. Story about someone who died via suicide in a local pond.

A few kissing scenes. Two nonexplicit sex scenes. In one, it's dark and outdoors, and the couple is partially clothed. In the other, viewers hear kissing noises and know two people are in bed together, but camera shows someone witnessing the act rather than the couple involved. An adult woman flirts with a teen farmhand. Friends go skinny-dipping together (once it's just two female friends; later it's a coed group, with bras/underwear). A couple goes into a pond in their underwear.

Strong language includes "f--k," "motherf----rs," "cow f--kers," "bastards," "son of a bitch," "bitch," "piece of s--t," "chickens--t," "a--hole," "goddamn," and "damn." Insults include "ingrate," as well as "crazy," "smelly," "stinky," and "stinky drawers" (to a character with nervous incontinence).

Teens drink beer at an unsupervised get-together; at least one teen gets drunk. An adult day-drinks and gets drunk. Cigarette smoking.

Parents need to know that To the Stars is a coming-of-age drama set in 1960 Oklahoma. It's about an introverted, small-town outcast (Kara Hayward) whose life changes when she meets a smart-mouthed, sophisticated, newly arrived "city" girl (Liana Liberato). Because of the movie's intentionally homogenous small-town setting, there's little to no diversity in the cast -- or at least it seems that way in the beginning. Expect frequent strong language, including "f--k," "f--ker," "s--t," and "bitch," as well as an upsetting scene where a father strikes his daughter, causing a bruise. There's another sequence in which an angry, intolerant mob runs someone out of town. Scenes suggest that a young woman has drowned herself, and there are stories about a girl who did die that way years before. Characters kiss; there are two brief sex scenes, but they're not explicit. Teens and adults drink and get drunk, and there's cigarette smoking. There are plenty of thought-provoking themes in the story for parents and teens to discuss, and the overall message is about the power of acceptance and friendship.

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