Grown Ups: What Parents Need to Know Before Movie Night
Grown Ups has a PG-13 rating, but it's pushing that boundary hard. This 2010 Adam Sandler comedy is packed with crude sexual humor, bathroom jokes, and breast-feeding gags that will make most parents cringe. Despite the nostalgic premise about childhood friends reuniting, this isn't the wholesome family movie the marketing suggests. If you're looking for actual family-friendly comedies, check out The Mitchells vs. The Machines or Paddington instead.
Grown Ups is a 2010 comedy starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider as five childhood friends who reunite after their basketball coach dies. They spend a Fourth of July weekend at a lake house with their families, reminiscing about the good old days and trying to teach their kids about life beyond screens and privilege.
The premise sounds wholesome enough—friends reconnecting, appreciating simpler times, kids learning to play outside. And honestly, that's probably why so many parents consider it for family movie night. The poster shows a bunch of dads and their kids. The cast is recognizable. It's on Netflix or cable constantly. It feels like it should be fine.
But it's not.
Sexual Content and Crude Humor
This is the big one. Grown Ups is absolutely loaded with sexual jokes and references:
- Breast-feeding jokes throughout the movie involving a four-year-old still nursing, played for laughs in multiple uncomfortable scenes
- Constant references to women's bodies, including several scenes focused on cleavage
- Multiple jokes about arousal, erectile dysfunction, and sexual performance
- A scene where characters ogle a woman bending over
- References to pornography and masturbation
- Jokes about affairs and marital infidelity
The movie treats these as punchlines, but they're not clever or subtle—they're just crude. And they keep coming, scene after scene.
Language
The PG-13 rating allows for some language, and Grown Ups uses its full allowance:
- Multiple uses of "hell," "damn," "ass," and "crap"
- Several bleeped F-words (you know exactly what they're saying)
- Name-calling and insults, including fat-shaming jokes directed at one of the main characters
- The Lord's name taken in vain repeatedly
Bathroom Humor
If you have a kid who's obsessed with potty jokes, they'll love this movie. If you're trying to move past that phase, this will set you back:
- Extended scenes involving urination (including someone peeing in a pool)
- Flatulence jokes
- A character drinking spoiled milk and the aftermath
- Jokes about diarrhea
Drinking and Partying
The adults drink throughout the movie—beer, wine, cocktails. While drinking itself isn't necessarily problematic in a PG-13 movie, the constant presence of alcohol and the "party dad" vibe might send mixed messages, especially since the movie is supposedly about being present with family.
Bullying and Mean-Spirited Humor
Beyond the crude stuff, there's a consistent thread of mockery:
- Fat-shaming jokes targeting Kevin James's character
- Making fun of Rob Schneider's character for being with an older woman
- Kids being mean to each other without real consequences
- Adults modeling sarcasm and put-downs as normal communication
To be fair, Grown Ups tries to have a heart. The underlying message is about appreciating childhood simplicity, getting kids off screens, and valuing friendship. There are moments where the characters reflect on being better parents and spending quality time with family.
But these moments feel tacked on, like someone realized halfway through that a movie should have a point. The crude humor so overwhelms any positive messaging that it's hard to take the "meaningful moments" seriously.
Under 10: Hard no. The sexual content and crude humor are completely inappropriate, and younger kids won't understand the nostalgic elements that are supposed to make the movie appealing.
Ages 10-13: Still not recommended. While middle schoolers have probably heard worse language on the bus, the sexual jokes and breast-feeding scenes are uncomfortable and not the kind of content most parents want to normalize. If you have a mature 13-year-old who's already seen PG-13 comedies, you might consider it, but know what you're getting into.
Ages 14+: This is where it becomes a judgment call based on your family values. High schoolers can handle PG-13 content, and they've likely been exposed to similar humor. But ask yourself: is this the kind of comedy you want to watch together? Does it reflect your family's values about how we talk about women, bodies, and relationships?
If you're looking for genuinely funny movies that the whole family can enjoy without the crude factor, try:
- The Mitchells vs. The Machines - Hilarious, heartfelt, and actually about family connection
- Paddington or Paddington 2 - Genuinely funny for all ages with real heart
- The Princess Bride - Classic adventure comedy that holds up
- Encanto - If you haven't already watched it 47 times
- Ratatouille - Pixar at its best
For more options, check out our guide to family-friendly comedies.
Common Sense Media rates Grown Ups for ages 13+, but many parent reviews express regret about watching it with younger kids. The consistent feedback: "I thought it would be fine based on the rating, but I was wrong."
The breast-feeding jokes in particular catch parents off guard because they're so persistent throughout the film. It's not one throwaway line—it's a running gag that becomes increasingly uncomfortable.
Don't panic. One movie isn't going to permanently damage your kid's worldview. But it might be worth a conversation:
- Ask what they thought was funny - This gives you insight into what landed with them
- Talk about the difference between movie humor and real-life respect - Especially regarding how the characters talk about women and bodies
- Discuss the "positive" messages - Did they notice the themes about friendship and unplugging? What did they think about those parts?
- Set expectations for future movie choices - "This one had more crude humor than I realized. Let's look at reviews together next time."
Grown Ups isn't the worst movie ever made, but it's definitely not the family-friendly comedy it pretends to be. The PG-13 rating is technically accurate, but it's pushing every boundary of that rating with crude sexual humor and bathroom jokes.
The movie's biggest problem is false advertising. It looks wholesome. It's marketed as a feel-good reunion story. The cast is family-friendly. But the actual content is a barrage of juvenile humor wrapped in a thin veneer of "meaningful" messaging about friendship and family.
If you're an adult who enjoys Adam Sandler's style of comedy, watch it on your own time. But for family movie night? There are so many better options that will actually make you laugh without making you reach for the remote when an uncomfortable scene starts.
Before your next movie night:
- Check out our guide to choosing age-appropriate movies
- Browse family-friendly comedy recommendations
- Set up a family system for previewing content together—maybe watch trailers and read a couple reviews before committing
Want to dig deeper? Ask our chatbot about specific concerns
or explore why PG-13 ratings can be so inconsistent.
The good news: there are tons of genuinely funny, actually family-friendly movies out there. Grown Ups just isn't one of them.