What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that there is some very mild language (a post-it saying "remove stick from butt" is about as rough as it gets) and violence. There is some booty-shaking, implied comic nudity, and skimpy clothing, but when the girls have to run around the city wearing a robe and a towel both are no-nonsense cover-ups. There are a couple of kisses and one of the girls has a boy fall on top of her. There is also some crude potty humor. Parents will be more concerned about the behavior in the movie, including lying, cutting school, cheating, stealing, forgery, reckless driving without a license, and accepting a ride from a stranger, all with very little by way of consequences. Audience members may also find the portrayal of minority characters to be uncomfortably stereotyped. The African-American characters are kind, wise, and generous but they express themselves in a manner that is exaggerated and caricature-ish even beyond what is allowable for a comedy. The villain is a Dragon Lady right out of the old "Terry and the Pirates" comic strip, and Andy Richter's henchman who thinks he's Chinese so speaks in pidgin English is just awful.
- Families can talk about Shirl's comment that "It's the curveballs that make life interesting -- shows us what we're made of. And if we're lucky sometimes there's a miracle at the end of that wrong turn." How did the loss of the girls' mother make it harder for them to be close to each other? What was the most important thing that Jane and Roxy learned from each other? When do you have an opportunity to help someone the way that Trey, James, Shirl, and Mr. McGill help Jane and Roxy?