Movie Review: The List
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this sweet romance has a fair
amount of sex for a made-for-TV movie airing on ABC Family.
There's kissing, groping, and other types of foreplay, as well
as a brief scene that shows a couple having sex in bed (no
nudity). Female characters often dress in skimpy outfits and
flirt like crazy -- a supporting male character revels in it,
but his upstanding friend (the main character) steadily turns
them down in favor of a meaningful relationship. Language like
"damn" and "bitch" is common, and there's some social
drinking.
Families can talk about how the media shapes our ideas of dating and romance. Are TV and movie relationships realistic? How do celebrity body images, fashions, and mannerisms influence how people think about the opposite sex? Teens: Would you want your boyfriend/girlfriend to look and act like the people you see in the media? Families can also discuss relationships in general. Is there such a thing as one "right" person for marriage?
Common Sense Media Review
For Lewis Bond (
Wayne
Brady), it seems like life is moving full speed ahead. He
has a successful career that he enjoys, he's in love with a
terrific woman, and he's planned out every aspect of his
upcoming marriage proposal, which will take place on live
television.
But when the big day comes and -- to his shock -- girlfriend Cynthia (Tatyana Ali) turns down the ring and dumps him in front of a live audience, Lewis discovers that not only has he misjudged her, but also his belief in true love. After days of soul-searching, he grabs a pen and paper and scratches out a list of the qualities he wants in a future wife.
As luck would have it, the next few weeks bring a chance encounter with a beautiful stranger named Cecile (Sydney Tamiia Poitier), who fills so many of his "requirements" (loves Marvin Gaye, sings on key, is bilingual, etc.) that Lewis is soon double-checking his list in disbelief. Though she's often reserved and appears to be keeping him at bay, his affection for her makes him naïve about her mysteriousness.
Meanwhile, Cecile is secretly ironing out the kinks in her rocky life, including divorcing her self-centered, washed-up athlete husband, Randy (Malcolm Jamal-Warner), and beginning her own acting career.
As their relationship progresses, Lewis starts to think that his long wait for a soul mate is over. But when the truth comes out about the plans behind their not-so-chance encounter, he feels his world crumbling beneath him yet again and wonders if true love is just a fairy tale after all.
THE LIST is a cute romantic comedy that will have starry-eyed viewers believing that love really can conquer all. Although the plot often borders on the predictable (boy meets girl, they fall in love, mishaps threaten their future, chance steps in to save the day), the movie is bolstered by great performances from Brady and Poitier, who have good onscreen chemistry.
That said, there's a fair amount of strong language for TV (especially for ABC Family) and several sexy scenes (including one that briefly shows a man and woman having sex, though there's no nudity), so it's best for teens and up.
Fans might also enjoy other cutesy romances like The Cutting Edge and Serendipity .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
