Parents' Guide to

Home Movies

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Witty animated show about young filmmaker is best for teens.

TV Cartoon Network Comedy 1999
Home Movies Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

John R.
John R. Parent of 10-year-old
March 18, 2023
age 10+

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Accurate P.
Accurate P. Parent of 15-year-old
February 24, 2023
age 12+

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Brendon (voiced by HOME MOVIES creator/writer Brendon Small) is a budding filmmaker at age 8. Along with his best friends Jason (H. Jon Benjamin) and Melissa (Melissa Bardin Galsky), he's constantly planning his next shoot, talking about dialogue, or filming a scene. This clever animated series shows the lengths that a persistent young artist is willing to go to pursue his craft, even if it sometimes means ignoring homework or bending a few rules to gain access to just the right location for a key sequence.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (11 ):

While Home Movies (which originally aired from 1999-2004) is about three young kids, the show's jokes and situations are clearly aimed at an older audience. When the series isn't focused on Brendon's films, it also touches on family relationships. Brendon lives with his single mom and adopted sister and sometimes interacts with his dad and stepmother. Jason and Melissa also seem to have vaguely dysfunctional relationships with their parents (although, really, who doesn't?).

In this series, the kids have to deal with many of the same issues as real-world kids -- including divorce, under-employed parents, and watching their single parents negotiate the dating world. Brendon's entertaining films offer the trio an entertaining and creative escape and sometimes seem like a metaphor for needing to escape.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about divorce. What do you think about the way Brendon's single mom is portrayed? What about his dad and step-mother? Does this seem like an accurate look at divorce? If your parents are divorced, or if you have friends whose parents are divorced, does this show get it right?

  • What do you think about Brendon's devotion to making movies? Is he showing an early interest in the craft, or is he a bit too focused on his hobby?

TV Details

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