Joyful Noise Review
Set in a small-town in Georgia, Joyful Noise centers around a gospel singing church choir, whose goal is to win the national choral competition. Even with amazing choir leaders such as Vi Rose (Queen Latifah) and G. G. Sparrow (Dolly Parton), the choir still had many complications and struggles to overcome, while trying to win the national championship.
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: May 1, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12 and up
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
There were many relationship issues; the two matriarchs of the choir, (Vi Rose and G. G.) didn’t particularly get along, they competed with each other, especially when Vi Rose was chosen to be the new choir director. Things got even more heated when G.G.’s headstrong teenage grandson, Randy (Jeremy Jordan), unexpectedly showed up; he not only joined the choir, he fell madly in love with Vi Rose’s daughter Olivia (Keke Palmer), and once again conflict occurred.
The film could spark some great parent/ child conversations especially with teenage daughters and mothers. We saw several confrontations with Vi Rose and her 16 year old daughter.
The film had some nice messages of forgiveness, and had a religious element to it; with gospel songs and many conversations about God and love throughout the film. This could also spark some great conversations as well.
One part of the storyline I especially liked was with G. G.’s grandson, Randy, and Vi Rose’s son Walter. Walter has Asperger’s Syndrome, and felt uncomfortable around people. Randy befriended him, and taught him how to handle some difficult situations.
The audience seemed to have love the movie! They were laughing throughout most of the film. One lady walked out saying, “That was a great movie!”
Randy, (Jeremy Jordan), wasn’t the best actor, but I could see how he would appeal to pre-teen and teenage girls. He was cute, fun and energetic.
The film didn’t seem to flow smoothly, it was a little choppy in parts, also a little too long at 118 minutes.
Sexual Content: Mild
- There were passionate kisses.
- There were some sexual references and comments. For example; one man died while in a sexual encounter, this was a constant joke throughout the film.
Violent Content: Mild
- Two teenage boys got into a fist fight, we saw blood and a bruised face.
- The two women, Vi Rose and G. G. got into a food fight, which turned into a mild brawl.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- There were about 9 swear words ranging from the b-word, s-word to the a-word. This was a sore subject for Vi as she didn’t like swearing.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- There was a scene at a night club, where we saw several people drinking alcohol.
Joyful Noise, a musical dramedy, was similar to Glee and other musical films. While I didn’t particularly love this film, I felt it was appropriate for pre-teens and teens, though they may find it a little slow and long in parts. Having said that there were some fun musical arrangements, nice messages, and appealing teenage characters that may entertain kids. This is an appropriate movie for kids ages 12 and up.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.