Parents' Guide to

Here on Earth

By Randy White, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Contrived plot purposely pulls at heartstrings.

Movie PG-13 2002 97 minutes
Here on Earth Poster Image

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

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

wonder dove
wonder dove Adult
November 17, 2013
age 13+

Teens will enjoy!

Not a bad teen romance film! I watched this several times many years ago when it first came out, it's a great story for teens. Much like A Walk to Remember, but better in my opinion. Leelee Sobieski and Chris Klein have great chemistry on screen. Samantha (Leelee) and Jasper (Josh Hartnett) are not just a cute couple, they are also best friends. Sam seems kind of bored in their relationship because Jasper doesn't seem too exciting. Her parents own a diner where people go to eat and hang out. Kelley (Chris Klein) often shows up but for only one reason, to annoy Jasper and see Sam. His bad boy reputation and constant flirting with her upsets Jasper, ending in a wild car race between a group of them. However, it ends bad when they destroy the diner by crashing into it which causes a massive fire. The two boys must attend court and Kelley's wealthy father makes him stay at a guest house with Jasper's family to help rebuild the restaurant. Meanwhile, Sam and Kelley bond to the point where Sam eventually falls for him, seeing as how he's not what she thought. This hurts Jasper but in the end, he realizes why she chose him. Being with Kelley was more thrilling, more exciting. When Samantha's knee starts acting up from a past accident, she discovers she has cancer and that it's spreading. With only a short time left, she tests Kelley's love by seeing if he will stay with her until the end or go off to college as planned. The language isn't bad but a few uses of sh*t, d@mn, no f-words, the middle finger shown by a small child. Violence contains lots of arguments, yelling and bickering between enemies, friends and family. A car race between teens leads to a crash with an explosion. Talk of a graphic suicide. Some hurtful remarks. Cancer and death of a character. Sexual content includes some crude jokes throughout, kissing of couples, cheating, a couple sleep together which shows some skin & kissing, they wake up cuddling and under sheets. A guy is shown shirtless in a few scenes and in a towel in one scene. There's some underage drinking. Fine for the 13+ crowd!!
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What's the Story?

HERE ON EARTH centers on Kelley (Chris Klein) and Samantha (Leelee Sobieski), who have just graduated from high school. Over the summer, the two begin to fall in love despite the fact that Kelley's family is wealthy, while Samantha's folks are working class. When Samantha is diagnosed with cancer, Kelley must decide whether to go off to college like his parents want him to or stay with Samantha.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Events in Here On Earth aren't triggered by character motivation, but by writers setting up phony conflicts so they can bring about saccharine resolutions. One teen girl, who was the target audience for this effort, was unimpressed, especially during the movie's second half. The story initially held her interest, but too many gooey eyes in slow motion and endless fistfights had her yawning and fidgeting. The same teen viewer also pointed out that none of the characters were realistic. Leelee Sobieski's character is so saintly that she's always lit from behind to create a halo effect. These kids can't even seduce each other awkwardly. Worldly adults in a film noir are less smooth than these kids when it comes to flirting and wooing.

But the movie's biggest crime is its manipulative use of cancer to end the story. Unable to decide if Kelley should disobey his master-of-the universe father or dump his small town girlfriend, the filmmakers simply kill off the poor girl. And then they have the gall to attempt a happy ending. To top if off, parents may not like the message that following your heart is more important than listening to the advice of friends and family.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the difficult situation faced by Kelley and Samantha in Here on Earth. Does the plot seem realistic to you?

  • What do you think the movie's goal is? Does it want you to feel a certain way?

Movie Details

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