Everything Everything makes tween girls swoon and giggle

Movie Title:  Everything, Everything

Grade:  C-

Rating:  PG-13, 1 hour 36 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This chick flick coming-of-age story reminds us to live our lives, instead of just observe them.   

Based on the popular teen romance Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, tweens and girls will swoon; parents probably won’t.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Words spoken in the air tend to go unheeded.  Words put to paper do not.” – Nurse Janet (Marion Eisman)
• “Love is worth everything.  Everything.”

Things I liked:

• Amanda Stenberg is compelling to watch as Maddy.  She's just lovely.
• Nick Robinson is the newest heartthrob who all of the squealing girls in the audience loved.
• It was nice seeing Ana de la Reguera again.  I haven’t really seen her since Nacho Libre.
• You learn about Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID) in a short cartoon explanation in the beginning of thefilm and learn that most kids don’t make it past 2 years old. 
• I liked Maddy’s cool, hanging chair in her favorite room.
• Beautiful blue ocean and perfect sandy beach.
• You see a short clip of Cher in Moonstruck, which she won an Academy Award for.
• I think it’s great that Maddy writes book reviews!
• She mentions the book The Little Prince, which is one I would highly recommend!
• I’ve heard the movie is a very accurate adaptation to the book.
• Race and color aren’t mentioned, which is refreshing.  The biracial romance is simply two people falling in love.
• Twist.  I love twists. 

Things I didn’t like:

• Maddy's and Olly's bedroom windows sure are close to each other.  I'd hate to be that close to my next door neighbor.  Well, unless I'm in love with him, eh?
• Maddy disobeys her mom.  Nice message, right? 

• If Maddy never leaves the house, why would she need a big wardrobe?  Why would she own a party dress? 

• Teenagers may not know who Nurse Ratched is who Maddy refers to.  She was a cruel nurse in the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 

• Maddy's yellow bathing suit was really immodest.  I hear that in the book, it's pink.  If this movie is for teen girls, let's teach them to wear modest bathing suits and not throw themselves at guys, OK?

• It’s ridiculous how Maddy would know how to swim if she had never been in water any deeper than a bath tub in her entire life.
• It's super cliched and predictable.

Funny lines:

• “He wears black all of the time, but he’s not as cynical as he looks.” – Maddy
• “Just try not to breathe.” - Olly

Interesting lines:

• “You’re not missing out on anything.” – Dr. Whittier (Anika Noni Rose)

“Nah, just everything.” – Maddy

• “I own 100 white t-shirts.  It’s my standard uniform.” – Maddy
• “At least I have the internet.” – Maddy
• “Love can’t kill me, Mom.” – Maddy
• “Why would anyone set themselves up for a broken heart?” - Maddy
• “I feel like an astronaut, stranded in space.” – Maddy
• “When I talk to him, I feel like I’m outside.” – Maddy
• “He thinks I’m funny, smart, and beautiful…in that order.” – Maddy

“As he should.”  - Dr. Whittier

• “I can’t think when I’m around you.” – Maddy

“Thinking is overrated.” – Ollie

• “Credit cards are surprisingly easy to get.” – Maddy   True.  I hate how people think they can just get a card and then buy things with no intention of ever paying off the credit card.

 Dumb lines teenage girls laughed at in the theater:

• “My mom made a bundt.  It’s not very good.” – Olly
• “Is it always like that?” – Maddy
“It’s never like that.” – Olly

Tips for parents: 

• Your kids may not know the word “morose.”  Tell them it means “gloomy, sullen, ill-humored.
• No profanity.
• The book and movie basically glorify romance above everything else.  As a mom, I'm not humored by Maddy's disobedience.  Her behavior is reckless and disrespectful.  For that matter, so is Olly.  If he really loved her, he would have kept her safe and not put her at risk.  Of course, the mom made mistakes too.
• Suggestion of pre-marital relations.
• There is a brief confrontation outside between Olly and his abusive father. 

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice