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It's Complicated poster

It's Complicated

Parents guide · ClearAge age 15+ · Official M

Movie 2009 121 min Comedy, Romance Checked by Dan S · 21 Oct 2026
Official Rating M ClearAge 15+

Why our age differs

Official is M. We say 15+ because recurring affair sex scenes and pot use read as midlife M-rated comedy even with mild language

What we flagged

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Sex and Nudity
Strong
Language
Mild

Our take

Jane and her ex-husband sleep together even though he is remarried, and the film treats the affair with both comedy and hurt feelings. Bedroom scenes show mature bodies with partial nudity, friends smoke marijuana at a party, and wine flows at every dinner. Language is mild compared with the relationship ethics. We land at M and up because the adultery theme and bedroom humour target adults

Uplifting themes

Self-respect, honest conversation, and choosing a partner who respects you emerge by the finale. The affair itself is not glamorised as healthy Jane learns to advocate for herself, while Jake behaves selfishly for much of the story. The architect love interest models steadier respect

Story (may spoil tone)

Ten years after their divorce, Jane and Jake Adler unite for their son's college graduation and unexpectedly end up sleeping together. But Jake is married, and Jane is embarking on a new romance with her architect. Now, she has to sort out her life—just when she thought she had it all figured out.

What we flagged

View all categories

Sex and Nudity
Strong
Language
Mild

Details

Language Mild Expect strong language in arguments about the affair, including Occasio…

Expect strong language in arguments about the affair, including Occasional damn and mild insults. The script is far gentler than most R-rated comedies

Sex / nudity Strong Jane and Jake reunite in several bedroom scenes with moaning, skin, and…

Jane and Jake reunite in several bedroom scenes with moaning, skin, and post-sex banter. Dialogue openly discusses the affair with friends and therapists

Drugs / alcohol Moderate Wine at dinners and parties is constant, and one sequence shows friends…

Wine at dinners and parties is constant, and one sequence shows friends sharing a joint with comic paranoia. Adults never face serious consequences on screen

Mental health Mild Stress, jealousy, and midlife loneliness drive choices more than plot t…

Stress, jealousy, and midlife loneliness drive choices more than plot twists. A therapist scene frames feelings without deep clinical detail

Grief / bereavement Mild Divorce grief lingers in how Jane and Jake compare their new partners t…

Divorce grief lingers in how Jane and Jake compare their new partners to the past. It is more wistful than tragic

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

  • Jane enjoys the affair but also feels guilty. How does the film balance fun with the harm to other people?
  • Her grown kids react to the parents' choices. What would you want adult parents to tell teens in a situation like this?