Some Like It Hot – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Some Like It Hot

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie1959

62%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Billy Wilder's legendary comedy is a masterpiece on paper, but black-and-white 1959 pacing means most kids will check their phones.

8.2/10

95%

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Some Like It Hot

movie

Approved, 1959

62%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Billy Wilder's legendary comedy is a masterpiece on paper, but black-and-white 1959 pacing means most kids will check their phones.

8.2

95%

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8.2/10

95%

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Screenwise Verdict

Some Like It Hot is objectively one of the greatest comedies ever made—the critics are right, the awards are deserved, the script is brilliant. But here's the truth: most modern kids will find it nearly unwatchable.

The pacing is theatrical, the humor is verbal and situational rather than visual, and it's in black-and-white with 1950s gender dynamics that require context. Common Sense parent reviews nail it: 'brimming with jokes if you blink you'll miss three' but 'younger watchers will miss few' because the references and timing don't land without cultural fluency.

If you have a film-loving tween or teen who's into classic cinema, this is a gem. If you're hoping for family movie night with kids under 13, prepare for glazed eyes and requests to watch literally anything else. It's not bad—it's just 66 years old, and that gap is real.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media says 11+, which is right for content but optimistic for engagement. Realistically, this works best for 13+ film buffs or families who watch classic movies together. Younger kids will find it slow and confusing; older teens might appreciate the craft if they're into comedy history.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Classic screwball comedy with good-natured humor and cross-dressing hijinks played for laughs rather than mockery. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre is treated comedically rather than graphically. Some romantic entanglements and innuendo that flies over younger heads but lands for tweens+. Models friendship and loyalty, though the deception premise is morally ambiguous. Pacing is theatrical and deliberate by 1959 standards—modern kids will find it slow.

Imaginative

Billy Wilder's script is genuinely clever with rapid-fire wordplay and visual gags that inspired decades of comedy. The premise—two musicians fleeing the mob in drag—was bold for 1959 and remains creative. Black-and-white cinematography is striking. However, it's not interactive or world-building in ways that spark creative play; it's pure comedic craftsmanship to appreciate rather than participate in.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it 11+, which tracks. The mob violence is cartoonish and off-screen. Sexual innuendo is pervasive but coded in 1950s language—references to drinking, smoking, and romantic pursuit that feel tame by modern standards. The cross-dressing is played for comedy without cruelty. No nudity, no graphic content, no modern trigger warnings. Main safety concern: some kids find the romantic scenes boring rather than inappropriate.

Enriching

It's a masterclass in comedic timing and screenwriting—95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 98 Metacritic, considered one of the greatest comedies ever made. Offers a window into late-1950s Hollywood and gender performance. But enrichment is mostly historical/cinematic appreciation. Modern kids won't extract life lessons beyond 'friendship matters' and 'sometimes you have to improvise.' Entertainment value is high for film buffs, middling for kids expecting Marvel pacing.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Genuinely clever wordplay and visual gags—this is comedy writing at its peak, studied in film schools for a reason
Cross-dressing premise handled with surprising warmth for 1959; more about survival and friendship than cheap jokes
Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon are magnetic—even kids who don't care about old movies notice the charisma
A rare chance to watch something that shaped modern comedy, from Tootsie to Mrs. Doubtfire to every mistaken-identity sitcom
No graphic violence, no modern vulgarity—the mob massacre happens off-screen, innuendo is coded enough to sail past younger viewers

⚠

What to Watch For

It's slow. Really slow. Theatrical pacing, long dialogue scenes, no action sequences—kids weaned on YouTube and TikTok will struggle
Sexual innuendo throughout (drinking, flirting, suggestive language) but all in 1950s code—think 'nobody's perfect' rather than anything explicit
Some kids find the romantic subplot boring; Common Sense reviews mention this repeatedly
Black-and-white can be a dealbreaker for younger viewers who associate it with 'homework movies'

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think Joe and Jerry had to pretend to be women? What would they do if this happened today?"
"The movie makes jokes about guys dressing as women—do you think it's making fun of them or celebrating how well they pull it off?"
"Marilyn Monroe was one of the biggest stars in the world when this came out. What makes someone that famous?"
"If you had to go into hiding, what disguise would you pick? Would it work?"
"The ending line is 'nobody's perfect'—what do you think that means in this story?"

Deep Dive

The "Doubtfire" ancestor

If your kids grew up on Mrs. Doubtfire, the DNA of this movie will feel familiar. I’d argue it is the gold standard for the disguise-as-survival trope. But while modern versions often lean into the broad physical comedy of a man failing to be a woman, this film is surprisingly sophisticated. The humor doesn't just come from the heels and the wigs. It comes from the two musicians realizing that being a woman in the 1920s involves a specific kind of social navigation they weren't prepared for. It is less about the "man in a dress" gag and more about the chaos of their predicament.

The pacing hurdle

Let’s be real about the 1959 of it all. This isn't a movie you can put on in the background while kids are on their phones. If they aren't locked into the dialogue, they will be bored within twenty minutes. The first act involves a mob hit and a slow-burn escape that feels more like a crime thriller than a zany comedy. To make this work for a family movie night, you have to treat it as an event. If you are trying to build a family film library that actually ages well, this is a foundational piece, but it requires a focused room.

Why critics are obsessed

With a 98 on Metacritic and a 95% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the professional consensus is near-perfect. That is because the script is a clockwork mechanism. Every line of dialogue in the first half pays off in the second. For a teenager who is starting to get into how stories are built, watching this is a masterclass. It is one of those classic comedy films that rewards you for paying attention to the details rather than waiting for a CGI explosion.

The "Nobody's Perfect" legacy

The final line of the film is arguably the most famous ending in comedy history. Without spoiling the context, it is a moment that feels remarkably modern. In an era where most movies ended with a very traditional moral, this one ends with a shrug and a laugh that still feels fresh. It is a great jumping-off point to talk about how much comedy has changed. If you are navigating age-appropriate classic films by grade level, this is the perfect "intro to the classics" for a 13-year-old who thinks old movies are all stiff. It proves that people were just as weird and funny nearly seventy years ago as they are now.

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