What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that although this film is relentlessly dumb, kids -- especially those who like slapstick violence and watching other kids outsmart adults -- will probably want to see it. (That said, during one preview screening, after about 30 minutes, a 6- or 7-year-old asked his mother if they could please go home.) The stranded kids misbehave both with and without adult supervision, throwing candy and toys, destroying furniture, and piling on top of the man assigned to watch them. They order food they can't pay for, steal a motorized cart, steal items from abandoned luggage, let loose a caged dog, sneak out of the airport, and watch as adults fall, crash, and rage (a chase on sleds/rafts leads to a crash and one man's bloody and bruised face). An aunt drinks herself into unconsciousness (played as comedy), and a boy finds a bra in a suitcase where he's trapped. Some minor name-calling.
- Families can talk about the movie's premise. How realistic is it that something like this could happen? If real kids did get stranded at an airport, do you think they'd act like this? Kids, how would you behave in that situation? What issues are brought up by kids traveling alone, especially during the holidays. What precautions can families take to make sure these trips go off smoothly? And for fun, what sorts of activities can you come up with during a "snow day"?