Parents' Guide to

Never Been Kissed

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Sweet, romantic story for teens has some edgy scenes.

Movie PG-13 1999 107 minutes
Never Been Kissed Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 11 parent reviews

Adaline B.
Adaline B. Adult
February 22, 2023
age 14+

Enjoyable high school story with a slightly uncomfortable twist...

The movie has a reflective and interesting take on high school experiences. The plot line, if you didn't know, is that an adult news reporter returns to high school to write an article on teenage life, while facing intense flashbacks from her own high school experience. Any current high school student feeling insecure about their popularity or social relations will be reassured that they are doing just fine when shown scenes of teenage Josie. But Josie is not left in this weird fish-out-of-water state, as returning to high school enables her to find competence and a chance to fit in. The story definitely covers the social stress of navigating friend groups, when you have one group where you fit in and feel happy, but must leave them to be popular or fit in. But Josie did not neglect her 'unpopular' friends, but stood up for them in the very end, providing a great example to adolescents. However, I was slightly irritated by the depictions of Josie's relationship with her teacher. Had her teacher fallen in love with her after (spoiler alert) she revealed she was a news reporter in her twenties, I would have felt fine about their relationship. However, this grown man developed feelings for what he thought was a teenage girl. He also overstepped many boundaries, including sitting by her on a ferris wheel, where other teens were clearly making out. I think almost any student being treated this way by a teacher would feel some level of discomfort, and I do not appreciate the subtle idea that being good in a subject can initiate a teacher-student love story the way it did for Josie. But besides this awkward relationship, I loved the movie.
jerry D.
jerry D. Adult
February 6, 2022
age 15+

Adults and Minors!

SPOILERS: Drew Barrymore plays a 23 yo writer undercover as a 17yo HS student, whose teacher comes on to her! Her 20-something brother pretends to be a teenager too, and starts dating a 16 yo! VERY CREEPY and painfully awkward to watch. The popular kids hate the smart kids and the smart kids seem to be just as nasty to the pop kids. In the end Drew mentions there's always one kid who's got it together and makes school worth coming to. ...And it's a boy! The movies stars a woman, it's about a woman, and produced by Drew, but it's a BOY people come to school for. Then she and the teacher kiss and everyone's happy. TOTALLY wacko messages.
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In NEVER BEEN KISSED, Josie Geller (Drew Barrymore), a former high school ugly duckling ("Josie Grossie"), is now a copy editor for the Chicago Sun-Times. Eager to prove herself as a reporter, she goes undercover as a high school student to report on what's going on in the lives of teenagers -- and quickly discovers that she's desperate to use her adult competence to triumph over her hideously humiliating memories of being unpopular and find a way to fit in. But it turns out that the skills it takes to succeed as an adult have nothing to do with the skills it takes to succeed in high school. When Josie does find a place with "The Denominators," the school's brainy (nerdy) crowd, she's happy. But, pressed by her editor to fit in with the cool kids, she relives her old experiences of frustration and embarrassment. Meanwhile, her brother, Rob (David Arquette), has found that everything that made him successful in high school has been of no use since. Wanting to help Josie -- and to return to the place where he was happiest -- he, too, re-enrolls in high school; not only is he immediately dubbed "cool" by the entire student body, but he's also able to make Josie cool, too. Quickly, she gets noticed by the most popular boy in school and is thrilled when he invites her to the prom. But she's also falling in love with her handsome English teacher (Michael Vartan). All of the predictable complications ensue, leading to a finale that's more romantic than persuasive, but fun.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11 ):
Kids say (32 ):

This is a genuinely sweet and romantic story with some perceptive comments about life in high school. Never Been Kisssed also has a heroine who believes in waiting for the right person to kiss, even if that wait takes quite a while, and Barrymore is completely adorable.

Parents should know that there are some sexual references (Josie's friend at the office brags about her sex life but envies Josie's views on love) and uncomfortable "relationships" between teens and twentysomethings who are pretending to be teens (as well as between a teacher and a girl he believes to be a teen). Luckily, nothing goes too far -- for instance, a teen girl offers to have sex with Rob, but while he's clearly tempted, he knows that it would be wrong, and he turns her down. Ultimately, characters make decisions about sexual involvement based on love and maturity.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why high school is such a clique-ish stage of life. Do you think Never Been Kissed is a good representation of high school? Teens: What do think will be different in college and afterward?

  • Why does Josie want so badly to meet the limited standards of high school popularity? Why did her friends at work envy her? Why didn't she tell the truth earlier?

  • Is it funny or awkard when Josie and Rob flirt with teens -- or when Josie flirts with her teacher, who thinks she's a teenager? Is it all OK b/c the audience knows the characters' true ages?

  • How does the movie portray drug use and drinking? Are the consequences of Josie's pot brownie "adventure" realistic?

Movie Details

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