Iffy for 16+
Drug use and cliches mar unoriginal indie dramedy.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that that Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding is an indie dramedy about clashing values between a straightlaced New York lawyer (Catherine Keener) and her aging-hippie mother (Jane Fonda). The movie finds laughs in their conflict and seeks heart in their attempts to find common ground. There's occasional swearing (including "s--t"), some flirting and kissing, a few quick shots of nude men from behind, drinking, and smoking. But the biggest issue for most parents is likely to be the movie's drug use; almost everyone smokes pot, even the high school student. The movie makes light of Fonda's character's dope habit, even when she's arrested for dealing, in an effort to contrast her free-spirited lifestyle with that of her regimented daughter.
- Families can talk about how Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding depicts drug use. Is it presented as a positive or negative thing? Are there realistic consequences?
- Do the aging Woodstock residents seem like stereotypes or realistic characters?
- What do you think about Grace's do-as-you-please philosophy? How do her choices impact others?
The good stuff
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Messages: It's important to be yourself and to understand who you are and what you believe in. But it's just as important to realize that other people are entitled to be who they are and that even though you may disagree with some of their beliefs, their opinions are just as valid as yours. If you approach others with an open mind, you might just learn something important, even from people you disagree with.
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Role models: Grace, an aging hippie/free spirit, happily encourages everyone around her to do whatever feels good (which does include smoking pot and other things that some might find iffy). Her adult daughter is more high-strung and points out the ways that self-indulgent behavior can affect others. Eventually they find middle ground.
What to watch for
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Violence: Two characters hit a deer while driving at night and are forced to shoot the injured animal to put it out of its misery. Some arguing.
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Sex: Some flirting and kissing, and two quick shots of naked men seen from behind (while skinny-dipping and posing for a painting). One couple has sex off screen, which becomes an important topic of conversation in later scenes. An aging hippie happily recounts her past sexual exploits, while her adult daughter is less pleased with her mother's endorsement of "free love."
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Language: Occasional swearing includes "s--t," "c--k," and "damn."
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Consumerism: The film has a strong anti-consumer message.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Just about everyone smokes pot, including teens. There are joints, roaches, pipes, bongs, and a giant hookah. One of the main characters makes her living selling pot and proudly shows off her high-tech growing operation. Some characters also drink beer or wine at parties or with meals; several smoke cigarettes. In one scene, a group of women gets smashed on tequila shots.
Fan Reviews provided by 
5
PEACE ,LOVE AND MISUNDERSTANDING by streetheart
No explosions ,no violence ,no radioactive flying mutants (not that I have anything against flying mutants) -just a well acted character driven beautiful movie with some great insights ,a lot of laughs, some touching tears and one of my original songs.Go see it!!
1
Peace, Love and Misunderstanding by Peneflix
This film tries desperately to find a balance between three generations and fails miserably..
Jane Fonda is "Grace" a fossil of Woodstock (1969) with salt and peppered tresses flowing, like "Rapunzel", down her back; garbed in kaftans of a bygone era; growing and selling marijuana; an embarrassingly, practicing, septuagenarian "sex goddess"; spewing platitudinous drivel; still protesting war, any war (most likely waving leftover placards from the Vietnam debacle)...
Rent "Woodstock", 1970 Oscar winner for best documentary; starring Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Joe Cocker; they epitomized the "age of Aquarius" and grew up...
ONE STAR!
***For full review please visit peneflix.com
5
Must See by slbpmiller
This movie is now only on ppv and I've bought it many times. Can't wait til it comes out on dvd. I love this movie & my husband and teenage son & daughter love it too!
5
Peace, Love & Misunderstanding is a must go by jeromejerome
Loved it. Need one say more. The characters are wonderful and the script is wonderful. Go see pronto.
5
wonderful flick
What a special movie. Great story, wonderful acting, superb casting and delightful in every way.