Crossroads parents guide: Is the Britney Spears classic good for a girl who is not yet a woman?

Way back in 2002, history was made. At the height of her stardom, Britney Spears starred in the theatrical movie Crossroads, a road trip movie that changed the course of cinema forever.

Okay, maybe not forever, and in fact at the time the movie was critically panned and didn’t exactly crush it at the box office. However, with the movie now streaming on Netflix, you might be thinking of revisiting the camp classic with your family. Or at least with teens and tweens. You know, someone who is not a girl, but not yet a woman? That sort of thing.

Before we get to the breakdown of whether this is a good watch for the whole family, here’s the plot. Lucy (Spears), Kit (Zoe Saldana), and Mimi (Taryn Manning) decide to fulfill their childhood dreams by taking a cross-country road trip to California. Along the way, there is plenty of drama and plenty of singing and dancing… While this isn’t a musical, technically, it did debut a Britney cover (“I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”) and featured several of her songs on the blockbuster soundtrack.

So that out of the way, let’s get into it. Is this good for kids? Or should they be overprotected from this movie?

Crossroads Parents Guide: Explaining The PG-13 Rating

According to the MPA, this is rated PG-13 for “sexual content and brief teen drinking.” Which gives you a preview of the below, but how accurate is it?

Sex & Nudity: There’s no nudity in the movie, but there are some oblique references to sex. Sexual situations are set up, but nothing is really seen, just implied. Discussions of losing virginities might raise questions, as will a reference and discussion about rape. And while this is tangential to this category, there’s a remarkably dramatic miscarriage scene, though again, nothing is explicitly seen, just discussed.

Violence: Britney kills a man, just to watch him die. Just kidding, there’s a bar fight, and a slap fight at one point, but that’s it.

Language: Nothing beyond the PG-13 range, though plenty of s-word and others.

Drinking & Drugs: There’s some teen drinking on the road trip, and the trio get drunk.

Overall Verdict: What Age Is Crossroads Appropriate For?

The PG-13 rating is pretty appropriate here. This is a teen movie, down to the female bonding and songs throughout. It’s also pretty cheesy (complimentary) and could lead to many a-giggle at a viewing party. However, the dramatic scenes are surprisingly realistic, due to the script by Shonda Rhimes. So be aware that you may be engaged in discussions about rape, abortion, and miscarriage after watching this movie. But frankly, your kids will be… Stronger… For it.