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Avg. Critic Score: 72 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
16 Iffy for 16+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 90
    Washington Post | Stephen Hunter

    It's funny and human and really pretty damned wonderful, all at once. Read full review

  • 90
    Los Angeles Times | Kevin Thomas

    For an American film it is a groundbreaker in exploring the realm of sexual fluidity, and it does so with wit, wisdom and in a completely entertaining fashion. Read full review

  • 80
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Westfeldt and Juergensen are smart, sexy knockouts, finding just the right mix of fun and tenderness in their writing and performances. Read full review

  • 80
    Washington Post | Desson Thomson

    The performers bring freshness to what could have been cliched roles. Read full review

  • 80
    Variety |

    Pure pleasure. A fresh take on sex and the single girl, this buoyant, well-crafted romantic comedy blends pitch-perfect performances with deliciously smart writing. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Right now, she's like the grade-school girl at the spin-the-bottle party who changes the rules when the bottle points at her. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle |

    Charming and witty, it's also somewhat clumsy. Read full review

  • 67
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    All too content to be a comedy of surfaces and stereotypes. And because, for all the novelty of the bisexual romantic angle, there's something about Jessica, her New York-singleton ticks and her Jewish-family tocks, that feels...old. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    One of the film's strengths is that nobody -- male, female, gay, straight or Jewish mother -- is reduced to stereotype. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | A.O. Scott

    Amusing but extremely derivative. Read full review

View more reviews for Kissing Jessica Stein on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 16+ Sweet comedy about when a girl meets girl.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that that this film explores a young woman's sexual orientation as she tries out a lesbian relationship. The movie has intimate scenes depicting same sex relationships and some scenes of sexual activity.
  • Families can talk about different expressions of sexuality, and societal pressures. They may want to use the title character's relationship with her mother as a springboard for discussing their receptiveness to their childrens' own personal choices.
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: While the film does include highly critical characters, it also depicts various individuals struggling with love, sexual identity, and commitment.
What to watch for
  • violence false0 Violence: Not an issue
  • sex false3 Sex: The film shows one of the main characters engaging in spontaneous and non-monogamous sex. It depicts semi-graphic scenes of both straight and lesbian sex.
  • language false3 Language: Profanity is present (mostly euphemisms for sexual organs and acts), but kept to a minimum.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Inclusion of multiple instances of social drinking, but not drunkenness.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

Kissing Jessica Stein Movie Ratings + Reviews

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