Parents' Guide to

Take Me Home Tonight

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

All-night-party movie mixes raunch and warmth.

Movie R 2011 97 minutes
Take Me Home Tonight Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Kathy T.
Kathy T. Parent of 15-year-old
March 31, 2017
age 16+

Iffy for 16+

Good movie about MIT guy who works at a video store
Americanplaya217
Americanplaya217 Adult
March 17, 2013
age 15+

excellent movie

See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

It's the 1980s, and math genius Matt Franklin (Topher Grace) has graduated from MIT but can't decide what he wants to do with his life ... so he works at a video store. One day his old high school crush, Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer), walks in, and to win a date with her, he lies about being a successful banker. She invites him to a party, and Matt shows up with his best friend Barry (Dan Fogler) -- a loud, precocious car salesman who has just lost his job. Accompanied by Matt's sister, Wendy (Anna Faris), they steal a car to make the ruse complete. While Barry experiments with cocaine, a dance-off, and sex with strange women, Matt must figure out a way to keep Tori interested without letting his lie get out of control.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (5 ):

Anyone who loved Sixteen Candles back in the 1980s will love TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT, too. Thanks to the fine casting and the earnest devotion to the old, all-night-party genre, the movie works its warm, funny magic and casts a spell that's both nostalgic and naughty. It's so good-natured and sweet, in fact, that somehow the heavy language, sex, and drugs don't seem particularly shocking or offensive (but that doesn't mean that it's an age-appropriate pick for younger viewers).

Grace is nicely cast as the former high school nerd, and Fogler gets to be a bit more than the goofy sidekick; he actually gets most of the movie's action. Palmer has an undeniable spark, and Faris is one of our best current screen comediennes. The combination of the four is nearly unbeatable. And Canadian director Michael Dowse balances everything admirably, despite his uneven previous movies (It's All Gone Pete Tong, etc.).

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the sex in the movie. What is the movie saying about sex and relationships? Do some characters have more meaningful experiences than others? What message does that send?

  • Barry tries cocaine -- as well as alcohol -- after a terrible day in which he loses his job. Is that an excuse for his behavior? What kinds of consequences could that have had in real life?

  • Why would Matt be afraid of doing something with his life? Why is he hiding? Does that make him more sympathetic or relatable?

  • Who do you think this movie is intended to appeal to -- today's teens or older audiences who were teens/young adults during the '80s? Why?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate