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Parental Guidance

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Johnny depp's potential return in pirates of the caribbean reboot addressed by producer, "i'm so proud": star wars responds perfectly to hugh jackman's revenge of the sith tribute, parental guidance is ultimately okay, not terrible: small things add up high enough to prevent what could've been the next little fockers from being painful to watch..

The Parental Guidance synopsis sounds like an (unimaginative) executive's pitch for a high-concept yuckfest pairing two senior citizen comedians who are past their prime. Thirty-year veteran minor league baseball commentator Artie Decker (Billy Crystal) is forced into retirement - re: declared obsolete and fired -   just  before he and his peppy ex-weathergirl wife Diane (Bette Midler) commit to babysitting their grandchildren for a week.

That, in theory, will offer their uptight daughter Alice (Marisa Tomei) and her blithe husband Phil (Tom Everett Scott) time alone together, while the latter receives an award for his new domestic-living technological breakthrough (essentially, Siri for the entire house). Do hijinks ensue, once old-fashioned Artie and Diane clash with their Generation Z grandchildren (raised on their mom's 21st-century PC parenting methods)? Spoiler: yep.

Parental Guidance uses the feature-length sitcom narrative format, complete with episodic developments, farcical humor and a third act that ties everything together (with the requisite life-affirming lessons). It's a lightweight piece of family-friendly fluff in every meaning of the term. However, it's also surprisingly sweet-tempered, has little interest in pushing the boundaries of its PG Rating, avoids overstaying its welcome - and is (shockingly) thoughtful about select aspects of modern American life and the cross-generational gap. And yes, that's despite multiple gags involving Crystal's crotch and a kid with bathroom issues

Flimsy sitcom comedy frequently suffers from the writers' (lack of) understanding about real-life material they are exaggerating for broad laughs. Parental Guidance benefits from how screenwriting couple Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse ( Surf's Up ) possess a genuine comprehension of what actual longtime married people are like. Here, Crystal is the harmless wise-cracker who appreciates traditional Americana values; Midler is a loyal housewife and forward-thinker, who embraces the changes in ordinary living (ex. we're introduced to her leading a pole dancing class). These are caricatures, no doubt, but being based on relatable archetypes that exist in the real world makes them feel like more than something a screenwriter cooked up to get cheap laughs.

Crystal and Midler have a relaxed chemistry that allows them to interact as though they have indeed been married for several decades. Their characters do not have to suffer contrived conflicts like infidelity; though, their pop cultural cluelessness is often over-played (as you might expect). Tomei jumps head-first into what begins as a thankless role - the neurotic helicopter parent - but evolves into something (a bit) more satisfying. However, Scott is stuck as a bland supportive husband; it's a variation on the usual paper-thin domestic wife stereotype, but (unfortunately) just as disposable.

Kid-actors Kyle Harrison Breitkopf, Bailee Madison and Joshua Rush each get their own side-plot; moreover, like the adults, the humor comes from their individual idiosyncrasies (not being allowed to eat sugar, having OCD tendencies, etc.), which allows them to possess actual discernible personalities. The same goes for Gedde Watanabe as restaurant owner Mr. Cheng; at first, he threatens to come off as a racist stereotype, but the joke gracefully shifts to him being just kind of an odd guy (who's way too attached to Breitkopf's imaginary kangaroo). No surprise, most of this humor is either too airy or kid-oriented to appeal to most people who're above a certain age; still, they go by so quickly as to occasionally be amusing (and avoid being obnoxious in the process).

Director Andy Fickman ( The Game Plan , Race to Witch Mountain ) and editor Kent Beyda ( Scooby-Doo , Yogi Bear ) seemingly know better than to assume any one punchline is going to land. Hence, every scene and cut move at such a brisk pace that even the lamest of jokes (be forewarned, there's a healthy amount of those) fly by without being offensive; the same goes for the by-the-beats plot, as the film's gentle mood makes the predictable trajectory easier to take. Similarly, the cinematography from Dean Semler ( Click , Date Night ) incorporates a handful of expressive touches (like a 'Vertigo-shot') that elevate Parental Guidance  above its generic movie comedy pedigree.

That, in a nutshell, summarizes why Parental Guidance is ultimately okay, not terrible: small things add up high enough to prevent what could've been the next Little Fockers from being painful to watch (or feeling cynical in construction). Those looking for a theatrical showing that has something to offer everyone in the family over the winter holiday (or, at least, will go down easy with them), Parental Guidance  is a reasonable choice; otherwise, this flick's best left for rental or cable viewing.

Here is the trailer for Parental Guidance :

Parental Guidance is Rated PG for some rude humor. It is now showing in theaters around the U.S.

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Parental Guidance

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In Theaters

• December 25, 2012
• Billy Crystal as Artie Decker; Bette Midler as Diane Decker; Marisa Tomei as Alice Simmons; Tom Everett Scott as Phil Simmons; Bailee Madison as Harper Simmons; Joshua Rush as Turner Simmons; Kyle Harrison Breitkopf as Barker Simmons; Jennifer Crystal Foley as Cassandra; Rhoda Griffis as Dr. Schveer; Gedde Watanabe as Mr. Cheng; Cade Jones as Ivan Halloran; Mavrick Moreno as Cody; Madison Lintz as Ashley; Tony Hawk as Himself; Steve Levy as Himself

Home Release Date

• March 26, 2013
• Andy Fickman

Distributor

• 20th Century Fox

Movie Review

Different generations parent differently. That’s the crux of the conflict in Parental Guidance , a sweet, funny story about what happens when old-school Grandpa and Grandma show up to take care of three coddled-and-sheltered kiddos so that new-school mom and dad can head out of town.

Alice and Phil are the epitome of the contradiction that is parenting in the 21st century. On one hand, they’re so engrossed in their never-ending, boundary-blurring jobs (he’s a high-tech inventor, she’s a website designer for ESPN) that they argue over who needs to put down the smartphone to tend to their three children’s basic needs—like, say, making them breakfast.

But that list of basic needs is longer than it’s ever been. It includes making sure 12-year-old Harper gets violin practice done so she can ace an audition to get into a prestigious prep school that will qualify her for Julliard which is the launching pad for a spot in the Berlin Philharmonic. It includes taking middle child Turner, an oft-bullied stutterer, to speech therapy, where he’s not actually required to speak, lest the demand inflict more damage on his psyche. And it includes making conversation with Carl, an invisible kangaroo who is the companion of Barker, a wild, willful terror who never goes anywhere without Carl—and woe to anyone who acts as if the kangaroo isn’t there.

And then there are the restrictions. No sugar. No MSG. No dairy. No gluten. No real eggs in the kids’ “eggless” salad sandwiches. No real meat in their “soysages.” No outs or keeping score at Pee Wee baseball (lest anyone feel bad). No hot dogs at the games (lest anyone get cancer). No coloring inside the lines (lest anyone’s imagination be impaired). No raising of voices when angry.

For Alice and Phil, then, parenting represents an endlessly demanding task, lest their precious flowers experience any damage, any disappointment, any discouragement that might prevent them from reaching full, magnificent bloom.

That’s not how Alice herself was raised, of course. No, Alice’s parents—the other grandparents, the ones who are only called in when utterly, absolutely necessary, and probably not even then—raised her a bit … differently .

Artie Decker is the longtime announcer for the Fresno Grizzlies, a minor league baseball team. For 35 years, his career took him this way and that, with wife Diane and Alice always in tow, always playing second fiddle to Dad’s vocational dreams. As for Diane, well, she lands somewhere between “free spirit” and “loose cannon” on the discipline spectrum.

But when Phil gets unexpectedly invited to a conference where he might receive an award for his high-tech “R Life” smart-house invention, Artie and Diane are the only ones who can take care of the kids on short notice.

What was that about parental guidance, again?

Positive Elements

Alice and Phil want the best for their children. So do their grandparents. The rub? These two pairs of adults have vastly different ideas of what that looks like.

Alice and Phil’s approach majors in eliminating risk and tending to their children’s every need. That, however, has resulted in three very demanding kiddos who always have to have things exactly their way.

Artie and Diane, in contrast, prize a more fluid, free-form life experience. And that results in chaos occasionally.

Lessons can be learned by watching both approaches.

At first their grandparents prove disorienting to the kids. But we see them begin to adapt, even having a few breakthrough moments, such as experiencing the joy of playing a messy, old-fashioned game of Kick the Can.

Alice is deeply fearful of her parents undermining the work she and Phil have done. And, truth be told, she has some reason to feel that way. But in the end she realizes that her parents’ influence has been a positive one. Along the way, she and her father also (in a poignant way) mend years of damage that his self-absorbed ways have unintentionally inflicted. And she comes to grip with the reality that her overwrought approach to everything in her children’s lives might not be the best way to do things after all.

For his part, Artie is forced to do some growing and stretching too. Diane confronts her husband about his selfishness, and Artie admits that he’s made some mistakes. Those admissions pave the way for a renewal of his relationship with Alice.

Diane also encourages her daughter to spend as much time working on her marriage as she does tending to her children.

Sexual Content

We see Phil and Alice in bed. (She’s wearing conservative pajamas bottoms and a spaghetti strap top.) They flirt and kiss. And it’s suggested that “romance” is on the menu when these two overworked parents have a chance to get away. Diane later tells her daughter it doesn’t matter that her bag was on another flight because, “I don’t think [Phil] wants you in clothes.”

Diane wears some cleavage-baring outfits. She brags about how she used to wear tight dresses to get jobs as a TV weather woman. When Alice wants to get Harper a conservative dress for her violin audition, Grandma picks out a sleeveless cocktail number instead. Diane pushes the tweenage Harper further into her budding relationship with a boy, helping her get dressed in a slinky getup and putting on makeup to go to a party at his house.

When Artie talks about licking his wounds after being fired, Diane suggestively says, “ I’ll lick your wounds.” Trying to get Barker out of his car seat, Artie jokes, “This is harder than one of your grandma’s bras.” He says of a skateboarding move called the melon grab, “My cousin got arrested for melon grabbing on the subway.” At a Fresno Grizzlies game, we see two couples kiss. Speaking about the Facebook practice of “poking,” a man tells Artie, “I wouldn’t want to poke you.”

Diane and several of her friends do a pole dancing exercise routine.

Violent Content

Artie counsels Turner to confront a bully named Ivan. He does, and the result is black eyes for both boys. (Their fight isn’t shown.) Ivan also hits Artie in the crotch with a baseball bat. The pain causes Grandpa to vomit on the boy. Artie falls about six feet to the floor from an auditorium balcony. Playing Kick the Can, Artie accidently clocks Diane in the face, giving her a bloody nose.

Barker’s imaginary kangaroo Carl eventually runs away into a street and gets hit by a car. Barker narrates what he sees at the imaginary scene of the accident, saying the animal’s head has been cut off.

Crude or Profane Language

One to three uses each of “freaking” and “gosh.” Disparaging comments include “stupid.” Grandpa tells his grandkids they can call him Artie, and Barker responds, “Can I call you Fartie?” The name sticks.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Phil and Alice are shown drinking beer and wine on vacation. After a confrontation between Alice and Harper, Mom is shown with a glass of wine. A hard morning getting kids to school prompts Artie to say, “It’s 9:00 a.m. I need a martini.”

Diane not-so-helpfully tells her granddaughter that one night she got “bombed” before a big TV audition. Harper responds, “So you’re saying I should drink?”

Newsreel footage of an old baseball game shows a man smoking a cigar.

Other Negative Elements

Artie lies to his wife. And no matter what you might think about Alice and Phil’s rules, there’s no excuse for her parents to defy them so flagrantly.

In a misguided attempt to connect with Turner, Artie decides to watch the horror movie  Saw with him (despite the film’s content warning—which we see as well—alluding to strong graphic violence, nudity and language). They don’t watch much before turning it off with shocked expressions on their faces. Grandpa repeatedly pays Barker cash to get him to do what he wants him to do (such as not wearing high heels).

One goofy gag revolves around a water pistol, Artie’s pants and Diane trying to dry his crotch area. Artie refuses to take Barker to the bathroom during an X Games announcing audition. The boy then urinates (we see the stream) on the skateboarding half pipe, causing skating legend Tony Hawk to wipe out. Another bathroom snicker has Artie singing to Barker in a public restroom. Apparently it’s the only way the boy can overcome his constipation. And so the song begins, “Come out, come out, Mr. Doodoo,” and goes on from there. The joke amps up a notch when other men in the restroom can’t see Artie’s feet and wonder what’s happening. There’s talk about toilet paper preferences and a scene in which Artie runs out of the paper.

At a Grizzlies game, Artie comments meanly about a man’s choice of bride as images of the pair getting engaged flash across the big screen. He treats Turner’s speech therapist rudely. Diane does the same to Harper’s demanding violin teacher.

While being patted down at an airport, Artie tells a TSA agent, “What are you looking for, sailor? I’ll help you out.” Then he turns his head and coughs.

Plugged In knows a thing or two about parental guidance. Our publication actually started out with that phrase as its moniker. So it was with some anticipation that I settled in to watch what Hollywood might do with the concept. Turns out, Walden Media’s Parental Guidance delivers a story that pulls off sweet and sentimental without being cloying or annoying. Billy Crystal and Bette Midler are believable and (mostly) likeable as grandparents who split the difference between reckless zaniness and old-fashioned horse sense when it comes to raising kids.

But given that title, it seems especially appropriate for me to point out content that parents might want to be aware of, such as a fairly long list of mild toilet humor gags, endless repetitions of Fartie , and some sly sexual innuendo. Not so sly are the pole dancing exercises and Grandpa showing Saw to a kid.

Thankfully, it’s a negative-elements list that’s certainly much shorter than what I’d have to compile while watching virtually any sitcom on primetime TV these days. Not deafening applause, I know. But it is still praise. And I’ll end with another morsel of it: Parental Guidance clearly illustrates the value of family and the importance of intergenerational wisdom when it comes to bringing up kids in 21st century.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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Parental Guidance (2012)

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Parental guidance: film review.

Billy Crystal and Bette Midler hustle to peddle the threadbare material that makes Andy Fickman's comedy a perfectly tolerable, if uninspired, moviegoing experience.

By THR Staff

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Billy Crystal and Bette Midler's film opens in theaters Nov. 2.

The schmaltz is piled on thick, and if the comedy were any broader it would require an Imax screen, but still there’s something touching about how hard Billy Crystal and Bette Midler hustle to peddle the threadbare material that makes Parental Guidance a perfectly tolerable, if uninspired, moviegoing experience.

PHOTOS: Holiday Stuffing: Why Long Movies Hit the Box Office This Season

The Bottom Line It’s Grandparenthood, as Billy Crystal and Bette Midler do their best to keep this generic family comedy aloft.

As “the other grandparents” who are given a golden opportunity to bond with their seldom-seen grandchildren, Billy and Bette work double time, well aware that it’s not just the juvenile characters they have to entertain, but also the paying audiences who could count on both of them for a good laugh back in the day.

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That they manage to pull their weight even when the achingly formulaic plotting threatens to drag them under is a testament to their “let’s-put-on-a-show” spirit. The end result should appeal to audiences, including bonding grandparents and grandkids, looking for a little undemanding holiday cheer.

Crystal is Artie Decker, who has just lost his longtime gig as “De Voice of the Fresno Grizzlies” when the minor-league baseball team decided to upgrade the outfit with the sort of talent that knows its way around a Facebook page or a Twitter account.    

Already despondent, he’s not exactly jumping up and down over the news that he and his wife Diane (Midler) have been recruited to babysit their daughter Alice’s ( Marisa Tomei ) three kids when she and her tech-geek husband Phil ( Tom Everett Scott ) get a last-minute opportunity to have some out-of-town alone time.

As expected, uptight Alice’s no-sugar-allowed helicopter parenting clashes mightily with Artie and Diane’s old-school approach to child-rearing, not to mention the fact that Phil has programmed his smart home to be intuitive within an inch of its inhabitants’ lives.

Also as expected are the resulting gags built around technologically challenged Artie. Fortunately, old pro Crystal comes armed with an arsenal of rim-shot-ready rejoinders that hit the mark more than they miss.

GUEST COLUMN: Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, New Movies and Noses: A Sitcom Writer’s Jew Review

While his character has been given more of an emotional arc than Midler’s (unsurprising, since the genesis of Parental Guidance came from a newly minted grandparenting experience in producer Crystal’s life), it’s still nice to see Midler strutting her stuff in her first onscreen comedy role in years.

And Tomei is always a welcome presence, even when she’s saddled with what’s essentially a one-note character for most of the film.

It would have been nice if director Andy Fickman ( Race to Witch Mountain ) and husband-and-wife screenwriters Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse ( Surf’s Up ) could have mined some fresher stuff from this frequently played ballgame, but at least when you’ve got Crystal calling the shots, you can still count on the occasional change-up.

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Parental Guidance Reviews

A simple family film that should prove appealing to multi-generation families looking for a film the whole family will enjoy this holiday season.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Sep 19, 2020

Parental Guidance is simply not very funny, which given its attempt to incorporate constant humour, poses quite the problem.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 7, 2019

It's definitely a feel good movie, making it the perfect family friendly holiday pick - just remember not to grumble when it doesn't offer any more than that.

Full Review | Oct 22, 2018

A series of contrivances born of some unholy union between America's Funniest Home Videos and Leave it to Beaver.

Full Review | Aug 21, 2018

It's about how grandparents are important even though they say weird things and make bad jokes and try to get you excited about boring things, like baseball.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 27, 2017

There is nothing profound here, but if Artie being called "Farty" by a pre-schooler takes your fancy, then you'll have a laugh.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 11, 2017

A more clichd, cloying, and predictable treacle fest than 'Parental Guidance' you will not find-if you're an adult. That's why it's a pretty good film for small children!

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 20, 2016

A strong candidate for the worst movie I've seen all year.

Full Review | May 5, 2016

The kids are mostly a drag and the schmaltz is poured on as thick as maple syrup, but if those by-the-numbers Disney '60s comedies with Suzanne Pleshette and Dean Jones...are your thing, Parental Guidance will warm you up over the holidays

Full Review | Jun 27, 2014

A joyless and crude comedy that celebrates bathroom humor.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Jun 30, 2013

The film's gags are predictable and fairly lame, but the stars' diehard fans will enjoy Crystal's snarky one-liners and, yes, Midler's singing.

Full Review | Jun 16, 2013

Borscht Belt humor combines with serious schmaltz to produce this gummy formulaic family comedy.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Mar 29, 2013

People with brains they can't turn on and off for 90 minute stretches of holiday family togetherness will be driven to take some kind of painkiller before the final credits roll. Everyone else will be fine

Full Review | Original Score: 0.5/5 | Mar 14, 2013

If 'Parental Guidance' is the drivel that's passing for family fare this winter, then it's best to just keep your family warm and entertained at home.

Full Review | Original Score: .5/4 | Feb 3, 2013

... a shameless mix of obnoxious slapstick and relentless bodily-function humor that results in shots to the crotch for Crystal and blows to the brain for moviegoers.

Full Review | Jan 14, 2013

I don't know if it's reassuring or scary that in such an American film the kids seems to be UK-style victims of both health and safety rules and political correctness at the same time.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 4, 2013

Poor Crystal. There remains a scintilla of dignity in his sad clown. He may beatbox while wearing wraparound sunglasses, but, thankfully for you and yours, he does not dance the robot.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jan 4, 2013

This grating family comedy resembles a sitcom in its flat lighting, patronizing music cues, and frames supplying little visual information apart from the actors' mugging faces.

Full Review | Jan 3, 2013

The underlying issues make for a surprisingly relevant film.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 3, 2013

A yappy pile-up of grandparents-know-best shtick, gross-out bathroom humor and sentimental claptrap.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Jan 2, 2013

PARENTAL GUIDANCE

"old school vs. new school".

What You Need To Know:

(BBB, PP, L, V, M) Very strong moral, pro-parent, pro-family worldview with some strong but brief content supporting traditional American values of tough love and competition satirizing today’s feely touchy liberal parenting and liberal antagonism against teaching children how to compete in sports; no foul language but some scatological content that younger children may emulate such as 3-year-old boy calls his grandfather “Fartie” instead of Artie and pees on skateboard ramp; some slapstick violence such as cake fight, two or three groin hits, man on skateboard tumbles when skateboard hits liquid; no sex scenes but married couple leaves children with grandparents to go on a trip to be alone; no nudity; no alcohol use; no smoking or drugs; and, joke between grandmother and mother when grandmother says granddaughter should wear a dress that shows off her “cute heinie.”

More Detail:

PARENTAL GUIDANCE is a funny, often delightful, family movie about parenting. It has some content with scatological humor, however, so parents will want to be cautious.

Alice and Phil suddenly need a babysitter to take care of their three children during their upcoming vacation together. Phil suggests they use Alice’s parents, Artie and Diane. Alice reluctantly agrees, as do her parents.

Sure enough, Alice’s fears seem to be well founded. Her father, Artie, is preoccupied with just having lost his longtime job as a minor league baseball radio announcer. He’s also upset that some of the modern rules in his grandchildren’s lives don’t make sense to him. For example, he causes a ruckus because the older son’s Little League baseball team doesn’t keep score. In addition, Artie’s not too fond of his daughter’s “helicopter” parent way of raising her children.

Making matters worse, the 3-year-old grandson proves difficult to handle. Also, the older grandson and granddaughter have unique problems of their own. The grandson has a stuttering problem, and the granddaughter wants to forego violin practice for a birthday party. Artie and Diane are reluctant to use their “old school” parenting methods, which don’t match their own daughter’s more lax, modern way of parenting.

Finally, however, Artie has had enough. He and Diane start parenting their grandchildren their way. Everything vastly improves, but a couple crises may derail the whole shebang.

PARENTAL GUIDANCE has lots of humor and lots of heart. It will make viewers laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. Billy Crystal and Bette Midler are very funny as the grandparents. They are a joy to watch. Also, Crystal delivers an impassioned plea for common sense parenting in one scene that many parents will want to stand up and cheer. His speech also promotes the value of competition and achievement as the best ways to build self-esteem.

However, PARENTAL GUIDANCE has some scatological content, mostly involving the 3-year-old boy. Please see our CONTENT section for details.

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Find Family Movies, Movie Ratings and Movie Reviews

IF Parent Guide

Despite an often somber tone, this is a warm-hearted film that offers a whimsical and rewarding option for family audiences..

Theaters: A young girl begins to see abandoned imaginary friends and look for new buddies for them.

Release date May 17, 2024

Run Time: 104 minutes

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by shannon bugg.

Twelve-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming) is going through some tough times. Her mother has passed away, so when her father needs heart surgery, she goes to stay with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw). Anxious about her dad’s health, Bea is fortunate to meet her grandmother’s mysterious neighbor, Cal (Ryan Reynolds). His friends, Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and the gigantic Blue (Steve Carrell) are the first of many Imaginary Friends (IF) Bea will meet in Cal’s company – and they will change her life.

Cal has a unique goal: introducing IFs to new children when the kids who imagined them into existence grow up and forget them. He brings Bea to an IF retirement home where they begin their matchmaking efforts. With a new focus for her energies and emotions, Bea starts to cheer up. However, the matchmaking task isn’t as straightforward as it appears, and much adventure and mayhem ensue.

That said, the film is blessed with an abundance of talent and a positive focus that persists through the movie’s darker moments. I brought my granddaughters to the film (ages 5, 9, and 12) and each enjoyed it at their own level. Even the five-year-old understood what was happening and appreciated the story. The girls admired Bea’s courage and cheered her on, while also picking their favorite IF. They were dancing in their seats to the upbeat music and laughing at all the right places. During the really touching parts, I could see that each girl was engaged in the on-screen action. The ending of the movie is a real tear-jerker, and the nine-year old told me afterwards that she was “crying on the inside, but in a good way.”

IF teaches many lessons along the way, including the power of storytelling, family ties, imagination, and love. I recommend it as a fun night out for the whole family – not only is it an entertaining watch, but you can also enjoy debating which IF would be the most fun!

About author

Shannon bugg, watch the trailer for if.

IF Rating & Content Info

Why is IF rated PG? IF is rated PG by the MPAA for thematic elements and mild language

Violence: A child is deeply concerned about a potentially fatal medical condition of her father’s: her mother died previously. A child wakes up when a man and fairy enter her room and argue with a giant being hiding in the closet. A toasted marshmallow creature catches fire and one of its eyes fall off. There are several chase scenes. A girl is chased by a creature. A child is warned that a creature might explode. Two sword-wielding knights fight a fire-breathing dragon. Sexual Content: None noted. Profanity: The script contains a couple of anatomical terms and three mild profanities. There are some terms of deity and occasional name-calling. Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.

Page last updated May 17, 2024

IF Parents' Guide

Have you ever had an imaginary friend? What traits did your IF look like?  If you could pick one of the imaginary friends in the film, which one would you choose? Why?

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Parental guidance.

• Parents say (36)
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Based on 36 parent reviews

Keep looking elsewhere

Report this review, funny- great messages—no political or woke agenda.

This title has:

Not for young ones.

Really good, for older kids, all star cast headlines a family film that has it's moments that overall is disapoiting., a bit of historical insight into childhood., varies, but i suggest.