What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this cute family comedy features
football violence and pratfalls. Lots of people, including
young girls, fall and only get minor injuries, and a parent's
death is addressed. Peyton runs away to find her father and
ends up in some very mildly perilous situations (being left
alone at a club, etc.). It's worth noting that although the
film makes fun of the insane commercialism of football, it also
mentions more than a dozen products and plugs the Disney
Channel and Elvis movies.
Families can talk about why kids want to see this movie -- because of the story, or because of Disney's marketing campaign? What usually makes you want to see a movie? Families can also discuss the importance of telling the truth and being generous. Why does Joe feel differently about his game after spending time with Peyton? And, parents, remind kids about why they need to stay with safe adults and not run off on their own, as Peyton does.
Common Sense Media Review
THE GAME PLAN isn't
Baby Boom, but it's close. For years, Hollywood has been
making movies in which anti-maternal women are saddled with
kids and become better people. Well, switch the driven career
woman for a football player, throw him in some ballet tights,
and you've got THE GAME PLAN -- an adorable, if predictable,
family movie from Disney.
NFL star Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) thinks a lot of himself. He calls himself "the king," has giant pictures of himself around the house, proudly displays his collection of trophies, and works hard to make sure everyone else loves him, too. He's not just a man -- he's a brand. He's got action figures with his likeness, hawks limited-edition sneakers that bear his name, and does lots of fast-food tie ins. He's also on the verge of having the biggest year in his career. As quarterback for the (fictional) Boston Rebels, he could take it all the way to the championships this year.
But there's something missing. None too subtly, an ESPN announcer intones: "Joe, you're 30-something now, not 20-something. The clock is ticking, ticking on your career." Something else just might be ticking away, too: his bachelorhood. Before long, adorably doe-eyed and curly-haired Peyton (Madison Pettis) shows up at Joe's door all but swaddled and pinned with a note from the stork.
Surprise, Joe -- you have a daughter! And for a month, he has to figure out how to be a dad, prepare for the play-offs, and defend his way of life from tutus, Bedazzler, and lack of respect for his protein shakes and carbo-loading. But when Peyton gets seriously sick and returns home, can Joe go back to his playboy life? Does he even want to?
The answer should be obvious. What Disney always does well -- and what it does well here again -- is to create a world of safe adults in which kids can have their adventures. Peyton may have snuck away from home, but she's surrounded by mythic football players: They're all giant, harmless teddy bears whose worst qualities is their penchant for playing practical jokes on each other. Even when she's left at a club, she's never really in danger. That kind of mild peril is perfect for children.
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