Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green, based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 13+
Characters drink, take drugs, cheat in holiday romance.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Our Little Secret is a holiday romance that stars Lindsay Lohan and features characters who cheat on their romantic partners and lie to or blackmail each other. The film also contains swearing ("s--t" and "hell"), and some kissing and sexual references (mention of "S-E-X," attractions, affairs, unhappy marriages, lingerie, and "going at it like jackrabbits"). Adults (and one 18-year-old) drink or get drunk, and one gets stoned (accidentally).
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Several characters are cheating on their partners. They get caught sneaking in late at night, making out in a closet, or lying. There is kissing and mention of "S-E-X," attractions, affairs, unhappy marriages, lingerie, and "going at it like jackrabbits."
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Language
some
"S--t," "hell," "hellion," "Satan," "jeez," "Oh my God."
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Scenes of adults and one 18-year-old drinking alcohol or behaving drunk, and discussion of a 21st birthday binge that's not remembered. A woman eats a bunch of gummies she doesn't realized are laced with THC, and she gets stoned. The gummies belong to an 18-year-old.
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Violence & Scariness
very little
A wife/mother has died, and her family grieves her for years. A small dog is taken to a vet, who talks about the unpleasant procedures he'll have to do to save the pet.
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Products & Purchases
very little
Wealthy characters are concerned with earning money and maintaining their social status. Mercedes, Bitcoin, Uber.
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Positive Messages
some
Family relationships are more important than money or career. The holidays are about coming together. Creativity and honesty can be more important in business than the size of a company or the profits promised. Lying usually doesn't pay off.
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Positive Role Models
some
Avery and Logan have to break up and be with other partners before they see what's really important. Characters keep secrets and cheat on their partners and spouses. One blackmails others.
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Diverse Representations
a little
Characters are mostly White plus one family of color (dad is Black and mom is played by an actress with Dominican roots who speaks a couple of lines of Spanish in the movie). They all come from middle and wealthy classes. Some are very focused on earning money and maintaining their social status. A family attends church at the holidays, where the priest (who is Asian) refers to them as "fair-weather worshippers."
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Our Little Secret
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What's the Story?
Avery (Lindsay Lohan) and Logan (Ian Harding) are best friends growing up in OUR LITTLE SECRET. Their friendship blossoms into romance, only to end abruptly when Avery decides to take a job in London, even despite an ill-timed marriage proposal from Logan. Flash forward ten years, and the pair meet up again by circumstance when the people they're now dating turn out to be siblings (Jon Rudnitsky and Katie Baker). Invited home for the holidays to meet the siblings' parents (Kristin Chenoweth and Dan Bucatinsky), Logan and Avery pretend not to know each other. It's just one of many lies the various characters tell each other, making Christmas extra spicy this year.
Is It Any Good?
This holiday romance rises above other of its genre by taking a more dramatic tone. This may reflect the touch of Our Little Secret's experienced director, Stephen Herek (Dog Gone, Mr. Holland's Opus), because the script could easily have gone in a different, more slapstick direction. The tone plays to star Lohan's strengths; she carries the dramatic scenes better than the comedy. For example, a scene where she mourns her mother and the loss of her childhood home is more believable and interesting than the sequence where she's supposedly stoned at church. Co-star Chenoweth can carry the comedy all on her own.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Avery and Logan break up, and what still binds them together years later, in Our Little Secret.
How is this film similar to or different from other holiday-set romances you've watched? Did it need to be set at Christmas? Why?
Lohan has been acting most of her life. How has her career evolved? What other child actors can you think of who continue to work as adults? Where can you find more information?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 27, 2024
- Cast : Lindsay Lohan, Ian Harding, Kristin Chenoweth
- Director : Stephen Herek
- Inclusion Information : Female actors
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Holidays
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating : NR
- Last updated : November 25, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
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
Our Little Secret
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