A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
some
Acknowledges power of female friendship. Reflects on the difficulties of accepting adulthood, and taking responsibility for one's own actions ("living our best lives, making choices, taking risks"). Promotes: open communication, integrity, empathy, and gratitude. Nevertheless, young women drink and use drugs casually and to excess, never suffering consequences for that behavior.
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Positive Role Models
some
A trio of best friends exhibit loyalty, empathy, integrity, perseverance, gratitude, and teamwork. Each of them is flawed, but evolve in a positive way over the course of the film. Though the story is told via a female perspective, the significant male characters are portrayed favorably, as well. Gay characters are treated with respect. Ethnic diversity.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a lot
Multiple sexual encounters, both casual and ardent: kissing, embracing, intercourse, partial nudity. Sexual discussions, jokes, and references. A lesbian romance blossoms.
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Language
a lot
Consistent swearing and profanity, including: "f--k," "bitch," "ass, "s--t," "d--k," "p---y."
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Products & Purchases
very little
Ketel One vodka, Sprite, Coca-Cola, Rolling Stone magazine, Sony Hall.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a lot
Pervasive on-camera drug use and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Characters smoke cigarettes, weed, and vape. The friends purchase "Molly" from an upscale drug dealer. Multiple discussions about drugs: present use and past. Characters get high, though no one appears excessively intoxicated; the behavior is more social/casual than based on an addictive need.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Someone Great is a bawdy comedy with a heartfelt story about the passage to adulthood at its core. After a young woman's "forever" partner breaks up with her before she makes a long-distance move, her two best friends quickly come to support her. Deeply saddened, she asks them for "one last epic day with my girls.... we owe it to the city." Over that one day in NYC, the "girls" live what seems like a lifetime of bonding, partying, closing doors, and opening new ones. Alcohol, casual drug use, swearing, and sex are front and center; it's part of their ongoing conversation and the contemporary culture in which they live. Characters drink, often to excess, smoke marijuana, ingest "Molly," visit a drug dealer. Viewers can expect non-stop profanity, including "s--t," "d--k," "bitch," "p---y," and all forms of "f--k." Sexual conversation is frequent, and sexual activities include kissing (straight and gay), partial nudity, and brief scenes showing intercourse. Despite the raunchy nature of the film and the excesses of behavior, the characters (including most of the males) are caring, smart, wise, and on the verge of becoming insightful adults. For mature audiences. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
In SOMEONE GREAT, Jenny Young (a sparkling, convincing Gina Rodriguez) has just suffered the break-up of a nine-year relationship. Jenny's taken a dream job writing for Rolling Stone and is prepping for her move from New York City to San Francisco. Her boyfriend, Nate (Lakeith Stanfield) has decided that committing to a bi-coastal relationship is not what he wants. Devastated, Jenny turns to her long-time best friends, Erin (DeWanda Wise) and Blair (Brittany Snow) for solace. Hoping to cheer Jenny, the three begin partying before breakfast, play hooky from work, and spend the whole day together. When a pop-up music festival for that night is announced, the young women are overjoyed. It will be the climax of their day. As the trio preps for the festival by obtaining tickets, clothes, booze, and drugs, and does some soul-searching -- both Erin and Blair are in midst of their own existential crises, too -- Jenny's memories resurge. The nine years she spent with Nate are vivid and telling, filling her with joy, sorrow, and new insights about their relationship. When Jenny, Erin, and Blair finally get to the festival, absolutely nothing goes as expected yet everything that happens seems right.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Someone Great portrays drug use and alcohol consumption. Does the movie glorify that behavior? Are there consequences? What would be the real effects of ingesting such copious amounts of alcohol and drugs in one day? Why is it important for young viewers of movies like this one to be aware of the potential danger of those substances?
Music plays a major role in telling this story; one might say it's even a "character" in this film. Think about the filmmakers' very careful selection of the music. How did the songs enrich your understanding of the characters and enhance the mood and place?
In this film, who do you think the Someone in the title is referring to? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: April 19, 2019
- Cast: Gina Rodriguez, DeWanda Wise, Brittany Snow, LaKeith Stanfield
- Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
- Inclusion Information: Female directors, Female actors, Latino actors, Black actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Friendship
- Run time: 92 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: drug content, drinking, sexual material, and language throughout
- Last updated: August 21, 2023
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