Endless Love parents guide

Endless Love Parent Guide

This remake should have been left unmade.

Overall C-

In this story of star-crossed lovers, a high society girl falls (Gabriella Wilde) for a lowly local boy (Alex Pettyfer). Feeling the poor boy is an undesirable choice for his daughter, the rich dad (Bruce Greenwood) does all in his power to end their professed love.

Release date February 14, 2014

Violence C
Sexual Content D+
Profanity D+
Substance Use D+

Why is Endless Love rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Endless Love PG-13 for sexual content, brief partial nudity, some language and teen partying.

Run Time: 103 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

In Endless Love, Bruce Greenwood plays a dad so bad that all his apprehensions are negated—even if there is truth to them. Unable to put the untimely death of his son behind him, he domineers the lives of his other children, Keith (Rhys Wakefield) and Jade (Gabriella Wilde). He detaches from his marriage leaving his wife Anne (Joely Richardson) pretending to be a devoted wife in a loveless union while he carries on an affair.

In reality Hugh’s (Greenwood) worries would be justified. His daughter Jade has spent all four years of high school with her nose in a book or glued to her parents’ side. Then after graduation, the late bloomer decides to act like a teenager when she falls in love with classmate David Elliot (Alex Pettyfer). In an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet (complete with the balcony scene), this rich-girl and poor-son-of-a-mechanic stay out late, sneak into an establishment after hours to get high, and have sex on the floor of her family’s living room. They call it endless love. But Dad sees trouble written all over the face of the brooding teen boyfriend.

However Alex Pettyfer, at 23, hardly looks like a teen. And while the ethereal Gabriella Wilde could pass for someone much younger than her 24 years, playing these characters as young adults would have made the story more believable—but not necessarily less painful. Unlike the 1981 original of Endless Love starring a young Brooke Shields, this movie doesn’t have the creepy, dark obsessive emotion. It’s sexual passion. Jade’s gauzy, see-through nightgown and the teens’ steamy tryst on the floor confirm this story is more about libido than love.

But when confronted about what could easily be called a summer fling, the star-crossed lovers defend the depth of their infatuation. They spout the kind of arguments you’d expect—silly things like, “all we need is love.” That’s easy to say when you still live at home. And although it’s a beautiful sentiment, it shows this couple hasn’t thought through the realities and responsibilities of a mature union. Unfortunately, this is probably the kind of tale every teen who feels misjudged will embrace. After all, both sets of parents in this movie aren’t exactly models of long-term commitment themselves.

In addition to the sexuality, this script employs profanities (including a strong sexual expletive) and implied illegal drug use. There are also repeated depictions of punching. It’s the way David resolves issues and though he always does it in defense of others, it is still an action that lands him in jail more than once.

Hollywood, as of late, has been obsessed with remakes and reboots. While that worked with Star Trek this remake should have been left unmade. True, there are moments when the characters rise above themselves and show a shred of sensibility. But real wisdom takes time to develop. Maybe somewhere down the road, with a lot of growing up, this unlikely couple could make a go of it. But for the moment, their definition of endless love looks a lot more like inexhaustible lust.

Directed by Shana Feste. Starring Gabriella Wilde, Emma Rigby, Alex Pettyfer, Rhys Wakefield. Running time: 103 minutes. Theatrical release February 14, 2014. Updated

Endless Love
Rating & Content Info

Why is Endless Love rated PG-13? Endless Love is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sexual content, brief partial nudity, some language and teen partying.

Violence: A man treats a valet rudely. Teens take a joy ride in a customer’s car. Several characters are punched in the face, resulting in bloody lips, facial bruising and jail time for the perpetrator. A man makes cruel comments and threatens a young man. There are discussions of domestic violence. A character is involved in a car accident. Characters are caught in a house fire. Characters sneak into an establishment after hours to party.

Sexual Content: A character makes a crude sexual comment about a young girl. A sex scene involving teens depicts partial breast nudity, passionate kissing and bare backs and shoulders. A couple is caught making out in a closet. They kiss passionately on numerous occasions including in the public library. A married man is involved in an affair with a colleague.

Language: The script includes scatological slang, terms of Deity, profanities and a strong sexual expletive, along with some sexual references, dialogue and comments.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Numerous characters, including teens, are shown drinking. Teens plan to get high on illegal drugs.

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Endless Love Parents' Guide

Jade is initially depicted as a fragile, reticent girl. How does this portrayal make her seem more vulnerable when she falls in love? How does it give David the opportunity to play the role of the knight in shining armor?

Why is Hugh so consumed by the loss of his son Chris? How does that affect his relationship with his other children and his wife? Does Jade really believe her family has healed from the death? Or does she just want to make herself believe they have?

Would Hugh’s concerns be more credible if he wasn’t portrayed so negatively in the story? In the long run would Jade likely be content with the kind of lifestyle David is presently planning on providing?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Endless Love movie is May 27, 2014. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Endless Love

Release Date: 27 May 2014

Endless Love releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) witht eh following special features:

- Extended Ending

- Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes

 

Related home video titles:

Girls from affluent families create strife when they choose men beneath their social status in The Notebook and The Vow. The ultimate tale of star-crossed lovers is Romeo and Juliet.

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