Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Personalized picks at your fingertips

Get the mobile app on iOS and Android

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

Up Close and Personal

By Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Glitz! Glamour! Love! TV news ethics?

Movie PG-13 1996 124 minutes
Up Close and Personal Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

Sallyanne Atwater (Michelle Pfeiffer) is a former beauty contestant from Nevada who becomes the personal assistant to hotshot Miami news producer Warren Justice (Robert Redford). Justice mentors his ambitious protégé, first as a weather girl, then as a field reporter. Sally has to call herself Tally, because that's how a misprint on the station's teleprompter introduced her. Warren still occasionally sees his ex-wife (Kate Nelligan), but he falls for Tally. They often clash and eventually Warren leaves the station when his pride is hurt. But when a story they're supposed to be working on together turns dangerous, Warren comes riding back like a white knight to rescue Tally.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

The good news: Up Close and Personal is a sumptuously old-school, glossy, larger-than-life romance that Hollywood does so well. The bad news: It's a sumptuously old-school, glossy, larger-than-life romance that Hollywood does so well -- meshed uncomfortably with portrayals of crusading TV news reporters and their coverage of riots, wars, and politics.

The two-faced script focuses more on Warren's romance with dream-girl Tally than news journalism, and it's the man who takes the lead in just about everything. Tally can't seem to make a right move without Warren's constant coaching and criticism. Yet some kids who get into the film's charming leads and whirlwind pace might be tempted towards journalism as a career.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the messages of journalistic substance over style, and Warren's boot-camp lessons in being a crusading reporter. Do his arrogant actions match his heroic words? Would he seem so brash and compelling if he were played by an actor far less handsome than Robert Redford? Does the news you watch follow his sterling example? You could also have kids read about the life of Jessica Savitch and determine if the lessons in that story are at all similar to the ones in this movie.

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate