Parents' Guide to

The Brady Bunch Movie

Movie PG-13 1995 88 minutes
The Brady Bunch Movie Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

By Heather Boerner , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 12+

Campy, affectionate send-up of a classic TV show.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 12+?

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age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

TikiDad2
TikiDad2 Parent
September 14, 2019
age 14+

Cynical Take on a Family Classic

The Brady Bunch Movie, while a funny spoof, is a very cynical take on the original TV show. While the original show emphasizes the importance of family values and living a kind life, it is these very morals that the movie mocks. While the movie does turn it around in the end by showing that kindness and being part of a family is important, most of the film is crass and sarcastic. There is also some very awkward sexual tension between Marcia and Greg as step siblings. While the original TV show was great for all ages, I would recommend using good judgment for anyone under 13.
Owen14
Owen14 Parent of 11, 13 and 14-year-old
September 1, 2019
age 2+

Awesome

The greatest movie ever! An instant classic and a must watch!
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE takes the classic storylines from the TV show and twists them, making them bawdier, lewder, and freakish -- basically, it turns the perfect, happy Brady family into freaks. The whole gang is back in the film spoof: Carol (Shelley Long), Mike (Gary Cole), Greg (Christopher Daniel Barnes), Marcia (Christine Taylor) and the rest of the gang are still wearing their vintage 1970s fashions. But in the outside world, it's the 1990's. Teens wear grunge flannels and dark colors, the parents are horrible or alcoholic and greed rules the day. When the Bradys discover that they owe $20,000 in property taxes in a week or they'll lose their house, they try to find a way to avoid the inevitable. But can they get the money before sleazy neighbor Larry Dittmeyer (the perfect Michael McKean) buys their house and turns the neighborhood into a strip mall?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (4 ):

For those who grew up watching the TV show, The Brady Bunch Movie is deeply satisfying and the best part is its nostalgia. Sure, it's fun to see the Bradys treated as freaks. But the heart of the film is a campy, affectionate interpretation of the TV show.

The film takes all the most iconic moments -- Cindy struggling to get rid of her lisp, Jan's sibling rivalry with Marcia, Peter's (Paul Sutera) cracking voice, Marcia's "Oh my nose!" moment, and Greg's Johnny Bravo delusions -- and inserts the heckling that hipsters have done at the show for years. So instead of Jan just being jealous of Marcia, she's got voices in her head telling her to kill people, and her school counselor, RuPaul, tells her to "work it, girl!" It's good, '90s-specific humor.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about parodies. Why do you think a show like The Brady Bunch was an easy target? Kids who are behind on their reruns can have parents explain some of the in-jokes. Do you think life in the early '70s was as innocent and tame as the TV show made it out to be, or was the Brady attitude an escapist one even back then? What other movies or even Youtube clips have you seen parody mainstream entertainment?

Movie Details

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