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Our take
This is a sharp, grown-up comedy-drama set in the cut-throat world of high fashion. The strain is mostly emotional, coming from a demanding boss, brutal hours, dieting culture and the price of chasing status. There is some moderate swearing, social drinking and a brief affair, but nothing violent or frightening. It works for older tweens and young teens who can follow an adult story about ambition and what people give up for it.
Uplifting themes
Under the glamour, the film keeps asking what you hand over for success, and whether any job is worth your friendships and your sense of who you are. It settles on holding to your own values over someone else's approval The lead finds her backbone and in the end chooses her own path, while the people around her run from inspiring to cold and outright cruel. That blend of good and bad behaviour is really the whole point The film offers a light, insider peek at how a glossy magazine and the wider fashion business actually tick, from photo shoots to runway shows. All of it comes dressed up for comedy
Story (may spoil tone)
A young woman from the Midwest gets more than she bargained for when she moves to New York to become a writer and ends up as the assistant to the tyrannical, larger-than-life editor-in-chief of a major fashion magazine.
Details
Language When tempers fray a few harder words slip out, including the a-word and…
When tempers fray a few harder words slip out, including the a-word and the s-word, alongside milder hells and damns. It never runs constant, though swear-sensitive homes will certainly notice it
Sex / nudity One thread has the main character drift into an affair, and there is so…
One thread has the main character drift into an affair, and there is some flirty, suggestive chat around photo shoots and a night away. Nothing explicit appears on screen, but the romantic choices sit firmly in grown-up territory
Drugs / alcohol Wine and cocktails are poured freely at work events and dinners, and on…
Wine and cocktails are poured freely at work events and dinners, and one character jokes about having had a bit too much. Smoking gets only a passing mention. All of it comes across as ordinary adult social drinking
Bullying / discrimination The office runs on belittling, icy put-downs and the ever-present threa…
The office runs on belittling, icy put-downs and the ever-present threat of being replaced. Jokes about how people look and dress are played for laughs but can sting, and that edge sits through much of the film
Eating disorders / body image Being thin is framed as the cost of fitting in, through sample sizes, r…
Being thin is framed as the cost of fitting in, through sample sizes, relentless dieting and a joke about being one stomach bug away from a goal weight. It runs right through the fashion satire and is worth talking over with teens
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- The film treats extreme dieting and thinness as normal. How do you and your teen feel about the pressure to look a certain way?
- The main character keeps saying yes to a boss who treats her badly. When is it worth walking away from a job or a goal?
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