A few kisses and embraces between adult couples. One teenage kiss (as well as some tentative flirting). A rekindled romance is one of the movie's key subplots.
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Some slapstick falls, bumps, and bruises. A few scenes in which Ramona imagines scary things happening (thanks mostly to her sister's suggestions...). A brief kitchen fire. A pet's death is sad but handled gently.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Sure, she's unpredictable and impetuous, but Ramona Quimby is also loyal, imaginative, hardworking, passionate, creative, curious, and enthusiastic. Her family and friends are ultimately supportive and loving, even if they do get frustrated with her sometimes. Ramona's parents -- especially her dad -- stay upbeat despite tough circumstances; her dad offers an example of someone finding a silver lining within what seems like a pretty dark cloud.
Positive Messages
a lot
The movie is full of positive messages about the importance of family, believing in yourself, and being true to who you are. It embraces individuality, integrity, and imagination and suggests that it's never too late to do what you love or be a better version of yourself.
Educational Value
very little
The movie is intended to entertain rather than educate, but kids will take away important lessons about friendship, family, and self-confidence.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Ramona and Beezus is an adaptation of Beverly Cleary's classic children's books about impulsive, imaginative Ramona Quimby and her older sister Beezus (played by tween favorite Selena Gomez). It's a sweet, age-appropriate story about family and friendship. The plot revolves around Ramona's father losing his job, which may resonate all too well for some families in today's economy, but the tone is light overall, and the ultimate message is that believing in yourself and the people you love can help overcome any obstacle. There are a few sad moments relating to a pet's death, as well as some mild flirting and kissing between both adult couples and a pair of teenagers. Ramona gets into her share of mischief, but she always intends well, and she apologizes when she makes mistakes. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
The cat dies and the dad loses his job but it’s a great movie to watch but the older sister is not very kind either so it’s not the best movie but it’s worth watching anyway
It's a challenge to find quality films suitable for the whole family, but we LOVED this movie. Hubby and I watched this with our strong-willed 8 yr old daughter, and to say that we related to Ramona's struggles is a huge understatement. John Corbett is outstanding as the dad who loses his job but sets a positive example with his attitude and outlook. We cherished the portrayal of this loving dad-daughter relationship. I will definitely watch this again with my daughter. Joey King is superb as Ramona. Sandra Oh is hilarious as the strict and standoffish teacher. This film took us through an emotional range of highs and lows appropriate for a young audience, and depicts how loving family bonds can weather the storm no matter what life brings. To me, this is some of the highest quality content I've seen in a while, and I'm puzzled why it doesn't have better reviews overall. The plot, dialogue, acting and cinematography are a caliber way, way above the typical Spy Kids-type movie. Highly recommend!
What's the Story?
In RAMONA AND BEEZUS, grade-schooler Ramona Quimby (Joey King) lives with her family -- Mom (Bridget Moynahan), Dad (John Corbett), older sister Beezus (Selena Gomez), and baby sister Roberta -- on Portland's charming Klickitat Street. Everywhere she looks, Ramona sees the potential for adventure and imagination -- but even though she always means well, sometimes her enthusiasm leads to sticky situations ... and exasperated friends and family members. All of Ramona's optimism and imagination are put to the test when her dad unexpectedly loses his job; she's sure she can help save their house, whether that means selling homemade lemonade or auditioning for a TV commercial. Meanwhile, Ramona's Aunt Bea (Ginnifer Goodwin) is rekindling a romance with former high school sweetheart Hobart (Josh Duhamel), and Beezus starts looking at longtime friend Henry Huggins (Hutch Dano) in a new light.
This book adaptation might not break any cinematic molds, but it's gentle, upbeat, and kid-friendly -- and that goes a long way. Fans of Beverly Cleary's beloved children's books about Ramona will quickly realize that Ramona and Beezus combines elements from more than one of them; the central job-loss storyline comes from Ramona and Her Father, while other incidents are borrowed from different books in the series. But while it may frustrate purists, the blending doesn't make the movie any less sweet or charming. Much of that is thanks to King -- she sells Ramona's particular mix of earnestness and mischievousness perfectly. You always believe her when she says she's sorry for her latest misadventure ... even though you know another one is just around the corner.
The rest of the cast is fine; Moynahan's character isn't particularly well developed, but Corbett's Mr. Quimby is warm and relatable -- his relationship with Ramona is one of the nicest things about the movie. Gomez, who's sure to be a big draw for tween fans (and also sings a song on the movie's soundtrack album), is cute as the often put-upon Beezus, and Duhamel is quite charismatic as reformed committmentphobe Hobart.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Ramona's behavior in Ramona and Beezus . Does she ever mean to get in trouble/make mistakes? Why does it sometimes happen anyway?
What makes Ramona different from other kids? Kids: How are you different from your friends and classmates? Does that ever feel like a bad thing? How do you handle that?
Is Ramona and Beezus' relationship believable? How well do you get along with your sibling(s)? What are the good and bad parts about having a brother and/or sister?
Fans of the Ramona books can talk about how the movie compares to what they've read. Which do you like better? Why?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Betsy Bozdech
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
