Is Where'd You Go Bernadette Kid Friendly?

I didn’t read the book Where’d You Go, Bernadette, but I wish I had. Perhaps it could have answered some questions for me. Though the movie was not full of a lot of action and had slow-moving parts, I left satisfied, yet still wanting more if that makes sense. Is Where’d You Go, Bernadette kid friendly? Language and mature content are the main reasons for the PG-13 rating, but I would take my teen daughters, and wish we had watched this together.

Is Where’d You Go Bernadette Kid Friendly?

If you’re asking whether Where’d You Go, Bernadette is ok for kids, I would recommend it for ages 13+. I would watch out for language plus some drug use and talk of prescription drugs. There is no violence or sexual content.

Language in Where’d You Go Bernadette

I counted at least 1 damn, 2 uses of a–, 2 uses of bit-h, 2 uses of hell, 4 uses of sh–, 1 use of bastard, and 2 uses of f–k you. There are a lot of uses of the Lord’s name in vain with 4 OMGs, 9 other uses of g-d, and 1 use of Jesus Christ.

Mature Content

There are some mature topics like prescription drug use, smoking, agoraphobia, troubled marriages, interventions, and anxiety. There is a kiss plus a mention of a possible affair.

Should You Take Your Daughters?

Based on the bestseller, Where’d You Go, Bernadette is about Bernadette Fox (Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett), a loving mom who becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of sacrificing herself for her family. This hits close to home as I’m sure it does for many mothers, both working moms and stay-at-home moms.

Bernadette also seems to have agoraphobia, a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed. You sense some of this from the get-go as Bernadette avoids social situations, uses a virtual assistant from India to do all her tasks and shopping, and her house, is well…however, she can still venture out places and is not a recluse.

She maintains a wonderful relationship with her daughter, Bee, and together, they avoid the busy bodies of the school, whom Bernadette refers to as GNATS. When Bee convinces her parents to take her to Antarctica before she goes to Prep School on the East Coast, it sets Bernadette on a downward spiral that is relatable but also hard to watch. She goes missing and Bee is desperate to find her.

I would take my teen daughters, so that we could have conversations about motherhood, anxiety, and the pressures of being a mom while still maintaining your identity.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette Review

Cate Blanchett does a wonderful job capturing the complexity of the character, but the story jumps all over the place with little time for other character development. It felt rushed even though the movie is 2 hours long. And I’m glad they brought to light the topic of anxiety. Whether they portray it accurately or do it justice is a topic for another discussion.

Perhaps I’m a little more forgiving with the plot holes, because I could relate to Bernadette. As we get a tiny glimpse into her past as a genius architect, an old friend and mentor says, “People like you must create or you’ll become a menace to society.” I’m definitely not on the scope of genius or creative genius, but I know what it feels like to need a creative outlet.

I did sacrifice a lot raising my 5 daughters, and I’m thankful to now have found a career that allows me to work from home, while still being able to create and write. Sometimes I have social anxiety, sometimes I dislike people, and sometimes I just want a virtual assistant to do it all for me. Where’d You Go, Bernadette allowed me to laugh at these situations, perhaps not laughable in some instances, but it felt good to laugh.

There’s also a fun little nugget in here for Disney fans. Where’d You Go, Bernadette, disjointed and lacking in some areas, does allow me to feel okay about questioning who I am outside of being a mother. And that’s worth a watch for me.