About.com Rating



MPAA Rating: PG, for some mild thematic elements
Genre: Comedy/Family
Age range: Ages 5 and up
Runtime: Approx. 110 minutes
Starring: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Madison Pettis, Roselyn Sanchez, Kyra Sedgwick, Morris Chestnut, Gordon Clapp, Kate Nauta, Paige Turco, Brian White
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

The Game Plan - Synopsis

Superstar quarterback Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) lives the high life, and he lives for the game.

Surrounded by trophies, awards, and pictures of himself, the only thing missing from his life is a championship title. At least, he doesn't realize that anything else could be missing, until he meets a certain young lady.

One day, out of the blue, a little girl claiming to be Joe's daughter knocks at his door. Peyton (Madison Pettis) is seven years old and claims that her mother, Joe's ex-wife, had to go to Africa and left her to stay for a month with the father she had not yet met. Complete with a letter from Mom and a copy of her birth certificate, Peyton's story seems to check out, leaving Joe and his manager to decide how to handle the extra pain and publicity.

Despite a few rocky moments in their relationship, Peyton and Joe find that a manly football star and a little ballerina do have some things in common, and they develop a true daddy and daughter bond. But when Peyton's story unravels, Joe's career could unravel too. His career now takes second place, though, becuase one thing has become more important to him - his love for his own child.

The Game Plan - Guide Review for Parents

The Game Plan, although predictable and a little bit cheesy, appeals to the entire family. Adults can enjoy a cute, funny flick without worrying much about offensive content, and boys and girls alike can find something fun in the football and ballet scenes that mix throughout the movie. At the center of the movie is the family bond, and the lesson that nothing the world has to offer is more important than loving and being loved.

For a story about family, it is fitting that the movie is pretty family friendly. Some scenes in the movie which depict Joe's lifestyle before he meets his daughter do show mild partying and brief drinking is shown. Joe is also heavily focused on material things and the praise of others. The most important thing that parents and guardians should know, though, is that one character in the movie has lost a family member, and this could be disturbing to some children. For more details on specific content issues, please see the outline below.

The Game Plan - Content Overview

The following lists two or three of the most prominent examples of possibly offensive content in the movie for each category (may contain spoilers):
Violence(Mild)
- Some general football plays are shown.
- A football player is injured badly and attempts to recover in the locker room.

Sex/Nudity(Mild)
- A woman calls Joe and he tries to pawn Peyton off on the neighbors in order to go out with her.
- A "romance" button on Joe's remotes causes the lights to dim and soft music plays.
- Some women look sexy at a party and in a couple of other scenes, wearing tight dresses and showing cleavage, and a woman and man kiss briefly.

Profanity(None)

Alcohol/Drugs(Mild)
- A couple of scenes in the movie show people holding drinks.
- Peyton threatens to tell someone that Joe gave her a margarita (he never did).

Bad/Disrespectful Behavior(Moderate)
- Peyton lies about the reason she has come to stay with Joe.
- Peyton is sometimes sassy and blackmails Joe into getting rid of the nanny.
- Football players make fun of each other and play jokes on a couple of guys.

Scary Scenes (Mild)
- Joe forgets Peyton at a public place and races back to find her.
- A character has an allergic reaction and must be rushed to the hospital.

Sad/Distressing Scenes (Moderate)
- A character is rushed to the hospital and almost dies.
- We find out that a character's mother has passed away.
- Peyton and Joe have a very difficult time when Peyton leaves to go home.

The Game Plan - Topics to Talk About

• Topics that children may have questions about include: death, allergic reactions, paternity tests, a child not knowing a parent, a father not knowing about his child, and materialism.