Parents' Guide to

The Last Five Years

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Musical adaptation has charming stars; some racy stuff.

Movie PG-13 2015 94 minutes
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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

At the beginning of THE LAST FIVE YEARS, a grief-stricken Cathy (Anna Kendrick) sings about the demise of her marriage to Jamie (Jeremy Jordan). In the next song, the story rewinds to Jamie falling into bed with Cathy for the first time. As in the original off-Broadway musical's stage performances, the movie alternates between the two main characters singing about their relationship, except that her story moves backward and his forward. Cathy is a struggling actress hoping to avoid yet another summer working in regional Ohio theater, while Jamie is a successful debut novelist whose book is toast of New York City publishing. As his star rises and her insecurities get the best of her, their sweet early romance turns into a challenging, resentful marriage.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (5 ):

This is a heartbreakingly honest musical, with two charming actors in the lead roles. Fans of Jason Robert Brown's semi-autobiographical two-person musical (which in effect is two one-person shows with one duet in the middle and one at the end) will appreciate seeing it translated to the big screen. But those without any background knowledge of the musical may not immediately understand the overriding concept (that their stories are told on two different timelines) or why there's quite so much singing compared to dialogue.

Whether you like musicals or not, there are a few numbers that work remarkably well visually: "ShiksaGoddess" and "A Summer in Ohio" are both funny; Jamie goes through a list of his ex-girlfriends (whom the audience can see lined up) in the former, and in the latter, Cathy reveals the hilarity and embarrassment of working in an Ohio theater troupe with an eccentric cast of characters. Jordan and Kendrick excel at the humor, so those songs, in addition to Jamie's story-within-a-story "The Schmuel Song," are both visually appealing and fun to see performed. The sweet engagement duet "The Next Ten Minutes" is also done with loving attention using Manhattan as a backdrop. Director Richard LaGravenese clearly adores the musical, but despite the enthusiastic performances he coaches from his stars, there's not enough "between" the songs to make The Last Five Years appeal to those unfamiliar with the unique musical romance.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the popularity of movie musicals. Although many musicals are family friendly, is The Last Five Years appropriate for younger audiences? Why, or why not?

  • Do you prefer musicals like this one, with more singing than dialogue, or do you prefer more story with your musicals? Do you think this would appeal to audiences who aren't already familiar with the musical?

  • Do you think the story favors one person over the other? What are its messages about romantic relationships?

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