Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 12+
Charming, pretty 1950s musical with dated gender roles.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that, scratch below the pretty surface of this iconic 1950s musical and some dated and slightly racy themes appear: about how important it is to make your man happy and whether it's better to be a wife or a mistress. Still, tweens and teens who give it a try will be entranced by the splendidness and charm of it all, and will likely put such plot points within the film's historical context. There's no swearing or nudity, and any drinking and smoking is done so socially.
- Families can talk about why Gigi is being trained to become a great courtesan/mistress? Why is this a lofty (at least in Paris during that time period) goal? Or isn't it?
- What makes Gigi so appealing to Gaston? Is there something off-putting in the idea that an older family friend like him ends up dating a younger woman he's known since her teens? (Gigi's age isn't specified, but there are references to her being young.)
- Clearly, some themes in the film are dated (specifically the role of women), but they're worth discussing. What do you think of how men are fought for in this society, and the women who are groomed to please them?
The good stuff
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Positive messages: Given its age, there are many old-fashioned beliefs: That women need to please men; that physical beauty is very important. And though the film sort of pushes against some of these suppositions, it doesn't much stray away from them. But like other musicals of this era, all's well that ends well thanks to true love.
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Positive role models: Gaston and his uncle are fairly dismissive of the women in their lives, and Gigi and her relatives buy into the belief that being kept is a worthy pursuit.
What to watch for
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Violence: Not an issue
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Sex: No nudity, or even close to it, but Gigi is being groomed to become a kept woman, and that's central to the plot. A lead character is a playboy and dates many women.
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Language: Not an issue
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Consumerism: Not an issue
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: As appropriate for the times, characters drink and smoke in social situations. There's even a song about champagne.