Passing reference to dating and mention of cruising and hiding one's sexuality. Michael puts a shuttlecock down his shorts on stage and then throws it into the crowd. Talk of underwear being thrown on stage by fans.
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Strong language includes "f--k," "f---ing," "s--t," "s--tting," "bastard," "piss," "sod," "sodding," "bloody," "hell," "slagged," and "arse." The British swear word "wankers" is also used, as is "oh my God" as an exclamation.
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Numerous magazine covers shown with the duo featured on them. Viewers might be inspired to buy some of Wham!'s work, but there is no explicit marketing.
Positive Messages
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Friendship is key, and it's important to support people you love. The adoration of others can't replace acceptance of yourself. Courage, perseverance, and teamwork are important for success.
Positive Role Models
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Both George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley show a great love and respect for each other, alongside courage, perseverance, and teamwork. Ridgeley in particular is happy to step back and support Michael in his dreams as they outgrow the band, is understanding about the difficulty with hiding his sexuality. Michael is hardworking and dedicated to his career, though at cost to his personal life and ability to live as an out gay man. Ridgeley has more of a happy-go-lucky personality, gets up to mischief behind the scenes, but is similarly talented and hardworking and shown to be the driving force in the early days.
Diverse Representations
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The band has two multi-heritage male leads: One's family were from Egypt, the other's father from Cyprus. But Michael changed his Cypriot name to a stage name in order to be more marketable. Michael was gay, though in the closet during his time in the band. His homosexuality and reasons for keeping it secret are touched upon. Depression is also briefly mentioned. Two women were backup singers in the band -- Pepsi and Shirlie -- one was Black. But neither are interviewed or focused on in much detail.
Parents need to know that WHAM! is a celebratory documentary about the famous pop band and charts their rise from school friends to their final concert together. Friendship is central to the duo (George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley), and courage, perseverance, and teamwork are shown to be important to their success. There is strong language throughout, including "f--k" and "s--t," and drinking is shown on a video shoot in which the band and friends are seen drunk. There is passing mention of cruising and of depression, but neither are spoken about in detail. Michael's homosexuality is discussed, with both himself and Ridgeley talking about his reasons for keeping it secret and his difficulties with doing so. Overall, it is an upbeat documentary that sheds light on the duo's friendship and climb to fame, with plenty of archive footage and more recent audio interviews. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
In WHAM!, documentary filmmakers chart the rise of pop duo George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley from school friends to music icons. Using archive footage and interviews, the movie shows the behind-the-scenes journey that saw the talented pair conquer the world, from their first record contract to their farewell concert at Wembley.
Celebrating the duo's success without ever crossing over into hero worship, this fun, lighthearted documentary captures the youthful energy of the band as they set out to conquer the world. In WHAM! a variety of archive footage -- from TV appearances, concert performances, and studio time to school days and trips abroad -- helps build a warm and likable picture of both Michael and Ridgeley, putting their friendship front and center as a strong driving force. Viewers get to share in the original demo of "Careless Whisper," the making of the "Last Christmas" video, and the band's first TV appearances, for which they came up with a dance routine in their childhood homes. Alongside their success, the struggles are shared too: Michael's closeted sexuality, the backlash from the music press, and their financial strife in the early days after signing their first contract. Fans will obviously flock to watch this, but so ingrained is the band's presence in popular culture that most people will find plenty to like here -- not least a reminder of that catchy back catalog.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the theme of sexuality in WHAM!. How did the film portray George Michael's sexuality and explore his reasons for keeping it hidden? Do you think the expectations from the industry, media, and fans are any different today?
The film uses archival footage and interviews to tell the story of the band. How did it compare with other music documentaries that have taken a similar approach?
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 Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
