Approved for 12+

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

He's the kid who made "wimpy" cool, in a family comedy based on the best-selling illustrated novel Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, the first in a series that has thus far sold 24 million copies. 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' chronicles the adventures of wise-cracking middle school student Greg Heffley, who must somehow survive the scariest time of anyone's life: middle school.
8
Negative Rating
12345
SexLanguageViolenceDrugsNudityOther
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Positive Rating
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FaithIntegrity

Dove Review

Wise-cracking Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) is about to begin Middle School at Westmore and he plans on being popular. His friend Rowley Jefferson (Robert Capron) is immature for his age and still says things like, “Come on over and play later.” Greg attempts to help Rowley dress better and become more hip, but as time goes by it is Rowley who is becoming popular and when the boys end their friendship, it is Greg who realizes he is the one who maybe needs to change.

I had hoped this film would be more affirming and uplifting but there is a lot of gross humor in it, and parents need to check the content listing below to decide for themselves if they want to take the kids to see it. However, a reconciliation in the movie is nicely done. We award our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal to this movie for ages twelve and above. This movie is about one wimpy kid who comes through in the end.

Dove Rating Details

0
Faith

None

0
Integrity

Some cartoons in the opening credits hit each other as the kid narrator speaks; kids in play at school throw apples at each other during the play when they're not supposed to; a wrestler is hit in the crotch; a girl threatens to beat up a boy as she did in the past; a neighbor's statue deer head is knocked off accidentally by a boy; a boy is struck accidentally while riding on a small bike and he breaks his leg; Some boys accidentally mess up the paint on a truck with a weed whacker and the teens who own it chase them; water hose is turned on boys to try to harm them.

2
Sex

A teenager hides a magazine under his bed which features a girl on a motorcycle showing a lot of cleavage and skin; a comment about a girl looking "hot"; a boy remarks he heard a girl say another boy has a cute "butt".

1
Language

G/OMG-3; Butt-6; Wuss-1; Geez-1; a lot of "moron" and "idiot" and "stupid" remarks, "poop" comments and a "loser" and "hippo" comment.

2
Violence

Some cartoons in the opening credits hit each other as the kid narrator speaks; kids in play at school throw apples at each other during the play when they're not supposed to; a wrestler is hit in the crotch; a girl threatens to beat up a boy as she did in the past; a neighbor's statue deer head is knocked off accidentally by a boy; a boy is struck accidentally while riding on a small bike and he breaks his leg; Some boys accidentally mess up the paint on a truck with a weed whacker and the teens who own it chase them; water hose is turned on boys to try to harm them.

0
Drugs

None

1
Nudity

Strong cleavage seen on magazine cover; boy in boxers; man in swim wear and shirtless.

2
Other

A lot of gross humor including teen putting his armpit over his brother's nose and kids eating old rotten cheese picked up from the school parking lot; kids are seen on a toilet several times; a young child sits on potty at breakfast table; a kid accidentally pees on his brother in the bathroom when his brother scares him; belching; on the first day of school kids throw paper airplanes and empty trash cans out on floor; a boy lies to his parents and authority figures a few times; kid narrator says his mom doesn't understand anything about kids his age; a kid sneezes on his shirt sleeve a lot and wipes his nose on shirt sleeve; a scene of a dad accidentally throwing water on a girl and her mother at Halloween the year before when he thought they were going to toilet paper his house; father throws water on kids accidentally; kids throw toilet paper roll at house; a character has little kids go down into a cement hole to hide when he as a safety guard tries to hide from teens who are after him; some boys hide in fear in a place called "The Devil Worshiper's Woods"; a girl says some boys in the class are heading down on the evolutionary ladder; a boy acts like his arm is infected and bandages it to gain sympathy; a kid picks his nose; a booger is seen on a paper after a kid first chases another kid around a house with it.

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