Parents' Guide to

You Again

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Great cast, but "mean girl" wedding comedy is mediocre.

Movie PG 2010 90 minutes
You Again Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 10+

Based on 18 parent reviews

Rick1607
Rick1607 Adult
April 3, 2021
age 12+

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
bellabobcat.
bellabobcat. Parent of 9-year-old
July 19, 2016
age 9+

Great cast! Great theme! Great comedy!

This movie is great! Me and my daughter watched it and I was in tears of laughter! I really enjoyed it too (but not as much as her, she's seen it ten times already)! This story carries a valuable message about forgiveness and revenge! Revenge is never good, and sometimes that is hard to believe. You shouldn't get stuck in the past, it's all about letting go. Marni Olsen is a bright and funny character who was very unpopular in high school, and bullied by JJ (a popular cheerleader). Years later, when Marni comes home from work, she finds out JJ and her older brother Will are engaged. She attempts to crash their wedding but things end terribly! She discovers who JJ is deep down.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 18 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Marni (Kristen Bell) is a successful, attractive public-relations executive in Los Angeles -- but in high school she was shy, pimply, and bullied incessantly by her class' queen bee, J.J. (Odette Yustman). On the plane home for her brother's wedding, Marni makes the horrific discovery that her future sister-in-law Joanna is actually her former tormentor. J.J. pretends not to remember Marni and is supposedly a sweet-as-pie nurse who has dedicated her life to helping people. Suspicious, Marni tries to prove to her brother (James Wolk) that his bride-to-be was once a heartless "mean girl." Meanwhile, it turns out that Joanna's wealthy Aunt Mona (Sigourney Weaver) was mother-of-the-groom Gail's (Jamie Lee Curtis) high school BFF ... whom she hasn't spoken to since senior prom. As the weekend progresses, the relationships between the women devolve into a series of competitions and confrontations that could ruin the wedding.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (18):
Kids say (62):

Bell is a talented actress with surprisingly sharp comedy chops, but a movie as clichéd and predictable as this one may leave audiences wondering where her comedy mojo has gone. At first glance, this wedding comedy seems like a winner based on the cast alone -- Weaver, Curtis, Victor Garber, Betty White as the zinger-throwing grandma. Unfortunately, director Andy Fickman -- a specialist in family-friendly titles like The Game Plan and Race to Witch Mountain -- doesn't infuse YOU AGAIN with any edge or any surprises (unless you count the cameos and the flashbacks). There's even a much-younger brother for comedy relief, a la Family Ties.

Aside from the cameos, the surprising finds of this broad comedy -- which includes such ludicrous details as two former cheerleaders who stay so close that they're both due on the exact same date and a bride who asks someone she only recently tolerated to walk her down the aisle -- are actors Wolk and Sean Wing (as a former crush). Both are charismatic and will hopefully take off in more roles. All weaknesses aside, if you're a mother with a teenage daughter looking for a teachable moment, this could be a good film selection: It shows girls that you don't have to be this way in high school ... and even if you are, you don't have to stay that way forever. Otherwise, skip it and stay home to watch Father of the Bride.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how high school behavior and bullying can impact people for the rest of their lives. How were all the women characters impacted by their high school selves?

  • Is there an expiration date for apologies? Was Marni right to want Joanna to apologize for her behavior in high school? What about Gail and Ramona? Did someone need to apologize in that relationship?

  • Are high schoolers really as mean as Joanna was to Marni? Is what happened to her believable? What other ways do today's teens have to bully each other?

Movie Details

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