Head Over Heels – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Head Over Heels

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2001

12%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A critically demolished 2001 rom-com where supermodels give a makeover to an 'ordinary' girl who then spies on her crush. It's as bad as it sounds.

10%

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Head Over Heels

movie

PG-13, 2001

12%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A critically demolished 2001 rom-com where supermodels give a makeover to an 'ordinary' girl who then spies on her crush. It's as bad as it sounds.

10%

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be real: this movie is terrible. A 10% critic score and 27 Metacritic rating don't lie. This is one of those early 2000s rom-coms that was barely watchable when it came out and has aged like milk left in a hot car.

The premise alone is problematic - 'ordinary' girl needs supermodels to make her hot enough to deserve love, then spies on her crush and witnesses a maybe-murder. It's trying to be Rear Window meets She's All That and fails spectacularly at both.

The messages are garbage: beauty is everything, stalking is romantic, and women exist primarily as objects to be looked at. Even the audience score of 56% is generous - that's a D grade.

Unless you're a film student studying the death throes of the rom-com genre before it got a reboot in the 2010s, skip this entirely. There are hundreds of better romantic comedies that won't make you cringe or bore you to tears. This isn't 'so bad it's good' territory - it's just bad.

Age Fit

Technically rated for 14+ due to sexual content and innuendo, but honestly, why would you subject anyone to this? Even nostalgic millennials who saw it in theaters would struggle to rewatch it. It's not appropriate for kids and not good enough for adults.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The premise revolves around superficial makeovers and models 'fixing' an 'ordinary' girl, reinforcing problematic beauty standards. The romantic relationship is built on spying and mistrust. The film's tone emphasizes physical appearance as the key to happiness and success, which is emotionally unhealthy messaging.

Imaginative

This is a paint-by-numbers early 2000s rom-com with zero originality. The 'woman spies on man and thinks he's a murderer' plot is borrowed directly from Rear Window but stripped of any cleverness. The supermodel roommate setup is pure male-gaze fantasy with no creative exploration. Nothing here invites curiosity or creative thinking.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it 14+, suggesting some mature content but nothing extreme. Early 2000s rom-coms typically include sexual innuendo, some crude humor, and objectification of women. The premise involves witnessing what appears to be a violent crime. No graphic violence or explicit content expected, but the voyeurism angle and likely sexual situations make it inappropriate for younger viewers.

Enriching

With a 10% Rotten Tomatoes critic score and 27 Metacritic rating, this is critically panned. The film promotes shallow values (beauty = success, spying on romantic interests is cute), offers zero meaningful takeaways, and provides no cognitive or ethical growth. It's not even entertaining enough to justify watching - it's just bad.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

If you're doing a film studies project on 'How NOT to Make a Rom-Com,' this is exhibit A
The 56% audience score suggests some viewers found it mindlessly watchable in a guilty pleasure way
Could spark conversations about how media portrayal of women has (somewhat) evolved since 2001

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What to Watch For

Heavy emphasis on physical appearance and beauty standards as the solution to life's problems
Sexual innuendo and objectification typical of early 2000s rom-coms
The romantic relationship is built on literal stalking behavior presented as cute
It's genuinely boring and poorly made - even teens will likely tap out

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think the movie shows Amanda needing a makeover to be worthy of love?"
"How would you feel if someone was spying on you through a window?"
"What makes this feel so dated compared to rom-coms today?"

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