Joyful Noise parents guide

Joyful Noise Parent Guide

Whether you're a believer or not, this film's tuneful renditions make it easy to enjoy this joyful musical experience.

Overall B

Any hopes of making a "Joyful Noise" are lost when two discordant members of a gospel choir (Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton) fight over who and how they should prepare the group for a national competition.

Release date January 13, 2012

Violence B
Sexual Content C
Profanity C
Substance Use A-

Why is Joyful Noise rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Joyful Noise PG-13 for some language including a sexual reference.

Run Time: 118 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Joyful Noise may be pieced together with quaint homey adages from G.G. Sparrow (Dolly Parton) and jabs at her obvious penchant for cosmetic surgery. It may repeatedly play the stereotypical underdog choir note and be packed with several bigger than life characters. But I liked it. (Maybe I just needed something over-the-top to get me through January.)

In this case the clichéd writing seems almost purposeful, a way of making fun of itself while providing just enough storyline to introduce the next amazing melodic performance. And after all, what other purpose does dialogue play in the musical genre.

In the story, Vi Rose Hill (Queen Latifah) and G.G. Sparrow spar off as two parishioners vying for the position of choir director after the untimely death of their previous leader, G.G.‘s husband (Kris Kristofferson). Tensions rise when Pastor Dale (Courtney B. Vance) and the rest of the church council give the position to Vi Rose. But with a big competition looming in the near future, the singers have to focus on finding a new sound and energy to help them win the coveted trophy and bring hope to their financially decimated town.

While some sexual jokes surrounding two adolescent lovers and a string of moderate profanities strike a discordant chord in this screenplay, the strong musical performances may make this movie’s soundtrack even more popular than the film. Queen Latifah and Parton’s great vocal deliveries are to be expected. However Keke Palmer, Randy Garrity, Ivan Kelley Jr. and a cast of others prove to be equally capable performers.

Luckily church still provides a refuge and a sense of community for these members (although a couple of singers take the fellowship too far and end up spending the night together after groping one another outside the church doors). For Vi Rose, struggling to raise her daughter (Keke Palmer) and autistic son (Dexter Darden) on her own, performing gospel music also connects her with God. But whether you’re a believer or not, this film’s tuneful renditions make it easy to enjoy this joyful musical experience.

Directed by Todd Graff . Starring Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer. Running time: 118 minutes. Theatrical release January 13, 2012. Updated

Joyful Noise
Rating & Content Info

Why is Joyful Noise rated PG-13? Joyful Noise is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some language including a sexual reference.

Violence: A parent and child quarrel on several occasions. One argument results in a slap. A character runs into a tree branch and is knocked to the ground. Adults exchange words several times. Two women resort to brief, comedic physical violence in one scene. Death and a funeral are depicted. A young man takes off with a teen girl without parental permission. Boys engage in a fistfight. One character is hit in the groin. Bloody injuries result.

Sexual Content: Two unmarried adults spend the night together after kissing and groping one another outside of the church. Couples, including teens, kiss on several occasions. The script contains several sexual jokes aimed at a pair of adolescents. A girl makes a suggestive comment about her body. Characters at a nightclub dance evocatively. A boy teaches morally improper lyrics to another character.

Language: A string of moderate profanities, scatological slang, terms of Deity and some name- calling is used in this script.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Alcohol appears to be served with dinner in one scene.

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Joyful Noise Parents' Guide

Why is Vi Rose hesitant to let Randy join the choir? Does she have good reason to be wary of his motivations? Why is revamping the sound of the group a scary proposal?

Why is music often an important part of religious worship? How does singing in the choir inspire these congregation members, especially in the face of setbacks? How does singing help them feel the “Spirit” of God?

What relationship resolutions are portrayed in this film? Are they realistic?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Joyful Noise movie is May 1, 2012. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes; Joyful Noise

Release Date: 1 May 2012

Joyful Noise releases to home video with the following extras:

- Spotlight on a Song: Dolly Parton’s “From Here to the Moon”

- Inspiration of Joyful Noise

- Make Some Noise

- Leading Ladies

- Extended songs

Related home video titles:

Gospel music competitions fuel the scripts of the movies Sister Act 2 and The Fighting Temptations. Keke Palmer, who plays the daughter of one of the divas, gets involved in another kind of competition in Akeelah and the Bee.