the last song movie reviews

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Parents' guide to, the last song.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 31 Reviews
• Kids Say 105 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Sweet Miley Cyrus drama depicts first love, family troubles.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this sweet-but-sad and fairly predictable coming-of-age story will likely appeal to hordes of Miley Cyrus' young fans, but it's best for older tweens and teens thanks to the heavy topics of divorce, abusive relationships, and death. The romance (including some passionate kissing) will send…

Why Age 11+?

No drug use, though one scene shows teenagers drinking.

Some uses of "bitch," but much of the dialogue is only slightly salty: "pissed,"

More talk than action. One character discusses another’s conquests. Some passion

A boy takes a crowbar and tries to hit another with it during a fight. He also m

Some signage for Mobil gas stations, restaurants.

Any Positive Content?

Love transforms even the most hardened souls, though it’s not always enough to s

While initially not a great role model, Ronnie ultimately comes around. When she

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Some uses of "bitch," but much of the dialogue is only slightly salty: "pissed," "brat," "suck." Also, a couple uses of "God" as an exclamation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

More talk than action. One character discusses another’s conquests. Some passionate kissing, and a guy makes a pass at another even though he has a girlfriend.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

A boy takes a crowbar and tries to hit another with it during a fight. He also menaces his girlfriend and manhandles her. A local is suspected of arson.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive messages.

Love transforms even the most hardened souls, though it’s not always enough to sustain marriages. But forgiveness helps bridge the gap. Also: Happy families might only appear that way, so it’s best not to judge from appearances. And music can bring you joy.

Positive Role Models

While initially not a great role model, Ronnie ultimately comes around. When she arrives in town she’s been arrested for shoplifting and though she’s been accepted at a prestigious music conservatory, she plans on not going. She’s also disrespectful of her parents, especially her father. However, she’s the one who changes the most in the movie, softening and finding the will to forgive. Other characters include a young girl who appears willing to stay in a relationship that clearly devalues her; her boyfriend who manhandles her; and two young men who’ve helped destroy a neighbor’s reputation. All but one learn their lesson in the end.

Parents need to know that this sweet-but-sad and fairly predictable coming-of-age story will likely appeal to hordes of Miley Cyrus ' young fans, but it's best for older tweens and teens thanks to the heavy topics of divorce, abusive relationships, and death. The romance (including some passionate kissing) will send fans' hearts a-flutter, and a tear-jerking storyline will leave them surprisingly moved. There's little swearing ("bitch") and some sexual banter, but most everything's pretty clean-cut. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (31)
• Kids say (105)

Based on 31 parent reviews

Sad but good

What's the story.

Sent along with her younger brother to spend the summer on Tybee Island with their father ( Greg Kinnear ), Ronnie ( Miley Cyrus ) resists enjoying their time together. She's been estranged from him since he divorced their mother ( Kelly Preston ), and refuses to forgive him for what she feels is abandonment. Post-high-school-graduation, life in general feels tenuous to Ronnie. She's been accepted to Juilliard, the prestigious music conservatory, but she's determined not to go, despite having been a musical prodigy. Her father was her teacher, and she can't bear to sit at the piano again since it reminds Ronnie of him. But an unexpected romance with a popular local boy, Will ( Liam Hemsworth ), softens Ronnie's heart, and paves the way for a reconciliation with her father. Sadly, it may prove too short.

Is It Any Good?

Miley Cyrus won't be winning any acting awards anytime soon. Her delivery is rat-a-tat, and she operates in two modes -- pouting and not. But despite rote dialogue and plot swerves one could spot a mile away, Cyrus manages to seem authentic, especially in scenes with Kinnear and Hemsworth, with whom she shares incredible chemistry.

It's their chemistry that rescues THE LAST SONG from disaster, actually -- Hemsworth has great charisma and good instincts -- and the gorgeously photographed locale helps too. Nicholas Sparks, of The Notebook fame, who wrote the screenplay, clearly knows how to eke out the tears from romance. (Cyrus' tween fan base will swoon.) But the movie aspires to be too many things -- an inspirational movie, a dark family drama, a study of class conflict -- that it isn't great at any of them. Plus, for a film starring beloved pop star Cyrus, with the word "song" in its title, and celebrating the joy of music, it has too-few moments of Ronnie and her father together at the piano. And that's a pity.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Ronnie's reaction to her parents' divorce. Why does she hate her father so much? Why is she unable to forgive him? Is her reaction typical and/or understandable? Does her experience remind you of your experiences or your friends' experiences?

Tweens and teens: Do you see Miley Cyrus as a role model ? Why or why not? Do you think celebrities make good role models? Do you have any real-life role models -- like family members, friends, or teachers? Do you real-life role models have more or less influence over your thoughts and decisions compared to celebs?

Is the film's depiction of first (true) love realistic? How does it change Ronnie?

Movie Details

• In theaters : March 31, 2010
• On DVD or streaming : August 16, 2010
• Cast : Greg Kinnear , Liam Hemsworth , Miley Cyrus
• Director : Julie Anne Robinson
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors, Pansexual actors
• Studio : Offspring Entertainment
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Music and Sing-Along
• Run time : 107 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : thematic material, some violence, sensuality and mild language
• Last updated : January 27, 2024

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.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

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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.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

The Last Song

A rebellious girl is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect. A rebellious girl is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect. A rebellious girl is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect.

• Julie Anne Robinson
• Nicholas Sparks
• Jeff Van Wie
• Miley Cyrus
• Liam Hemsworth
• Greg Kinnear
• 224 User reviews
• 82 Critic reviews
• 33 Metascore
• 4 wins & 10 nominations

Top cast 65

• Ronnie Miller

• Will Blakelee

• Steve Miller

• Jonah Miller

• Susan Blakelee

• Tom Blakelee

• Pastor Harris

• Megan Blakelee
• (as Stephanie Leigh)
• Megan's Husband

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia A lot of the shots - especially the nighttime ones - used Miley Cyrus 's double. Cyrus was still a minor at the time of filming, so the number of hours she was able to work was strictly limited.
• Goofs The film takes place on Tybee Island, GA (as indicated by the Tybee Island Baptist Church sign) and yet Will volunteers at and takes Ronnie to the Georgia Aquarium which is actually located 260 miles away in Atlanta.

Steve Miller : [in letter to Ronnie] Love is fragile. And we're not always its best caretakers. We just muddle through and do the best we can. And hope this fragile thing survives against all odds.

• Connections Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Lovely Bones/The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus/The White Ribbon (2010)
• Soundtracks Tyrant Written by Drew Brown (as Andrew Brown), Zach Filkins , and Ryan Tedder Performed by OneRepublic Courtesy of Interscope Records Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User reviews 224

• Jul 17, 2019
• How long is The Last Song? Powered by Alexa
• Is this a true story?
• March 31, 2010 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Untitled Miley Cyrus Project
• Tybee Island, Georgia, USA
• Touchstone Pictures
• Offspring Entertainment
• Hope Town Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $20,000,000 (estimated)
• $62,950,384
• $16,007,426
• Apr 4, 2010
• $89,137,047

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 47 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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