What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the story is set in an L.A. music "scene," which means that characters drink, do drugs, and smoke. Characters seek fame, behave badly, cheat on each other, and fight briefly hand-to-hand; one girl is paid to seduce a young man. They use brief obnoxious language ("hard-on," "sucks", "screw"), argue, kiss, cuddle, and show romantic yearning, in handheld close-up (if you're averse to mobile framing, this film is not for you). One brief fight. The rock star phenom appears shirtless and sweaty on stage. Two agents discuss and then consume horse tranquilizers in a bar. Women wear revealing clothing, one young man appears in bed with two barely clad women.
- Families can talk about the film's portrayals of manipulative show biz people. Even the heroine -- a model and wannabe actor -- seems unable to be honest with herself, her friends, and her boyfriend. Among the movie's quite unanswerable questions: why does Brier set up Luke to be a rock star when she so dislikes rock stars? Why does Clea go along with this scheme, when she knows Luke doesn't want that life? How does the movie set up the young characters as naïve and older characters as cynical and opportunistic?