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Licorice Pizza poster

Is Licorice Pizza OK for Kids?

DramaComedyRomance
17+
R⭐ 7.1 / 102021 · 2h 13m
Paul Thomas Anderson

Where to Watch

United States

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Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay
🗡️Violence
Mild▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Cartoon / Comedic
4
Action & Peril
0
Injuries & Death Shown
0
Graphic & Disturbing
  • Gary is tackled, handcuffed, and falsely accused of murder by police officers at the Teen-Age Fair
  • Jon Peters repeatedly threatens Gary with graphic violence, saying he'll 'choke your brother,' 'shove excuse up your penis hole,' and 'kill you and your family'
  • Jon Peters aggressively wrestles a gas pump nozzle away from other drivers during a gas station confrontation
  • Jack Holden performs a motorcycle stunt jump over a golf course obstacle at Tail o' the Cock with a watching crowd
  • No one is seriously injured or killed on screen; violence is mostly verbal threats, chaotic confrontations, and a stunt sequence rather than graphic harm
💬Language
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Mild Words
(damn, hell)
11
Moderate
(ass, b**ch)
78
Strong
(sh*t)
0
Extreme
(f**k)
  • 'F**k/f**king' is used 47 times and 's**t/shitty' 19 times throughout the film
  • 'B**ch' is used 6 times, 'a**hole' 3 times, and 'd**k/dickhead' 3 times
  • Milder language includes 'da**/godda**' (8 times) and 'hell' (3 times)
  • The sheer volume and frequency of strong profanity, especially 'f**k,' makes this comparable to hard-R adult comedies
👻Scary Scenes
Mild▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
2
Mildly Tense
1
Startling Moments
0
Genuinely Scary
0
Deeply Disturbing
  • Gary's arrest scene is tense, with police sirens and an officer falsely claiming he's 'armed and dangerous' and accused of murder
  • Jon Peters' aggressive threats toward Gary and his family are startling and unpredictable in tone
  • A suspicious man is shown staring at the campaign office all day and later appears at a dinner, creating a low-grade sense of unease
  • None of these scenes involve horror imagery or supernatural threats; they resolve without lasting harm to characters
💕Romance
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
2
Crushes & Holding Hands
2
Kissing & Dating
4
Suggestive
0
Sexual Content
  • 15-year-old Gary repeatedly pursues 25-year-old Alana romantically, asking her to dinner and pressuring her despite the age gap
  • Gary and Alana kiss in a car with implied intimacy beyond the kiss itself
  • Alana shows Gary her breasts in his bedroom and he asks to touch them; she refuses and sets a boundary ('If you ever say anything to anyone, I'm never speaking to you ever again')
  • Alana's waterbed sales pitch includes flirty double entendres about 'wet beds' and physical sensations, and there are repeated waterbed commercial references emphasizing romance
  • Councilman Joel shows romantic interest in Alana, and Matthew asks Alana about having a boyfriend during an intimate conversation
  • The film's ending implies Gary and Alana marry ('Mrs. Alana Valentine'), cementing the relationship that began with a major age and maturity gap
🍺Substances
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
1
Mentioned in Passing
4
Shown Casually
1
Featured Prominently
0
Glorified or Abused
  • Gary and Kirk discuss using weed to help sell waterbeds at the Teen-Age Fair, and there's detailed dialogue about offering marijuana to customers to make them more susceptible to sales pitches
  • Kirk mentions finding LSD, and Gary tells him to 'keep it with the grass'
  • Gary smokes cigarettes; Alana warns him he'll 'throw up like a little b**ch'
  • Adult characters are shown drinking martinis casually at restaurants and bars
  • There are passing references to Vietnam and 1970s drug culture in political context
  • Drug use is treated casually as part of the sales-culture setting rather than glorified or punished
⚡Stimulation
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Gently Engaging
1
Exciting
3
Intense
0
Overwhelming
  • A fast-paced, reckless car chase through Los Angeles with Jon Peters includes running stop signs and coasting without gas
  • Jack Holden's motorcycle stunt jump sequence features a crowd, torches, and multiple cameras, creating a high-energy spectacle
  • The Teen-Age Fair sequences combine loud music, crowds, and sudden police action
  • A dinner confrontation scene between Joel, Matthew, and Alana builds mounting emotional tension
  • Sensory-sensitive children may find the chase and stunt sequences overwhelming due to their rapid pacing and chaotic energy
Licorice Pizza — Heads Up for Parents

Despite its nostalgic, comedic surface, parents should be aware the film's central plot is a romance between a 15-year-old boy and a 25-year-old woman that includes a scene of her showing him her breasts and an ending implying they marry — content easy to overlook given the film's light tone.

About Licorice Pizza

Set in 1970s Los Angeles, 'Licorice Pizza' follows 15-year-old actor/entrepreneur Gary Valentine as he pursues a relationship with 25-year-old Alana Kane while building various business ventures like waterbeds and a pinball arcade. The film has a loose, nostalgic, comedic tone but includes volatile adult behavior, political campaign work, and an uncomfortable age-gap romance at its center.

👨‍👧
Best watched together
The sustained age-gap romance between 15-year-old Gary and 25-year-old Alana, combined with extreme language (47 uses of 'fuck') and detailed drug-related sales dialogue, means older teens (17+) would benefit from a parent present to unpack why this relationship dynamic is presented uncritically.

Family Takeaways from Licorice Pizza

What it gets right

  • ✓The film shows Gary's genuine brotherly love for Greg and his drive to build businesses through hard work and innovation
  • ✓Alana's arc into political campaign work highlights values like fighting corruption and protecting public lands

Licorice Pizza Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Values & Themes
●Traditional family values

The film centers on Gary's close relationship with his single mother and their family business, portraying their bond and mutual support as the emotional foundation of his character throughout his coming-of-age journey.

Community Notes

  • Some critics and viewers have raised concerns about the film's central age-gap relationship between 15-year-old Gary and 25-year-old Alana being framed as a romantic arc rather than an inappropriate dynamic.
Cast:Alana HaimCooper HoffmanSean PennTom WaitsBradley Cooper

Is Licorice Pizza Appropriate for Your Child's Age?

✗Age 5: Not recommended for 5-year-olds
✗Age 8: Not recommended for 8-year-olds
✗Age 10: Not recommended for 10-year-olds
✗Age 12: Not recommended for 12-year-olds
✗Age 13: Not recommended for 13-year-olds
✗Age 15: Not recommended for 15-year-olds
✓Age 17: Generally appropriate for 17-year-olds

Individual children may vary — use your judgment.

Parents also ask about Licorice Pizza

  • Is Licorice Pizza appropriate for a 17-year-old?
  • Does Licorice Pizza have violence?
  • Is Licorice Pizza OK for kids?
  • What is the age rating for Licorice Pizza?

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