What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that director Rob Reiner's coming-of-age story inspired by Wendelin Van Draanen's book Flipped tracks the progression of a childhood friendship/crush over the main characters' elementary and middle school years. In a sweet, almost old-fashioned way, Reiner captures the shifting emotions and loyalties of friendship and first love while also tackling larger questions about character, environmental awareness, and class. Save for a handful of salty words, the movie's content is pretty squeaky clean -- though the themes of longing, changing friendships, and the importance of character make it most age-appropriate for older tweens.
- Families can talk about the movie's messages. What is it saying about both friendship and romance? Does Bryce and Juli's relationship seem believable?
- Why do you think Bryce is so resistant to Juli's charms. She seems nice enough, sowhy the cold shoulder? What changes later? Is the shift believable?
- Though they live across the street from each other, the Bakers and theLoskis appear to be on different financial footing. How is thisdiscrepancy explored in the movie? Does it change the way each familytreats the other?
- How does the movie compare to the book?