DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL
A weak road comedy with a worthwhile family message.
Should You Watch It?
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL has a worthwhile moral framework. It shows family bonds overcoming selfishness and wrongdoing bringing consequences. The boys eventually recognize how much Meemaw means to the family, and the story emphasizes the importance of family.
The comedy is the problem. Much of it is scatological, some situations are grotesque, and the humor often falls flat. Adults may find the movie corny and juvenile, while children familiar with the Wimpy Kid books may appreciate it more.
The film also includes a lot of lying, along with light comical violence, several light profanities, and brothers calling each other names. Watch it at home, where you can decide whether its family message outweighs its uneven humor and content.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESThe Heffley family sets out on a 47-hour road trip to Meemaw’s 90th birthday. Greg, however, wants to attend a video game convention so he can play with his favorite gamer.
His mother bans all technology during the journey, and Greg’s plans become increasingly complicated. A hostile father, a flock of birds, a pig, and multiple car accidents add to the family’s troubles.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means this is an uneven comedy with a positive message but limited entertainment value. The movie offers plenty of compromising situations and jeopardy, but the humor does not consistently work. There are very few laugh-out-loud moments from the children in the viewing audience.
Adults will likely find the movie corny and juvenile. Children may be more appreciative because of the popularity of the Wimpy Kid books. The family-centered framework gives the movie some value, but the comedy falls short of what it attempts.
The Worldview
The film’s central message is that family is important and selfishness can hurt others. Greg and his brother eventually recognize how much Meemaw means to the family, and family bonds overcome their selfishness. The movie also presents consequences for wrongdoing.
That moral framework is positive, but the behavior leading to those lessons is often troubling. Characters lie repeatedly, sometimes getting caught and sometimes getting away with it. Children disobey their parents, brothers pursue revenge against each other, and the secondary storyline includes revenge and stealing. The father’s behavior is also irresponsible at times, although he eventually corrects it.
The mother is the primary moral role model, even as the rest of the family openly grows annoyed with her. The film ultimately affirms family responsibility, but it arrives there through deception, selfishness, and disorder.
Scripture calls believers to look beyond selfish interests: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Light moral worldview where family bonds overcome selfishness, and there are consequences for wrongdoing; no obscenities, but five light profanities using the name “God,” one scene depicts vomiting on a carnival ride, and multiple scatological scenes include a boy urinates into a bottle in the car, it’s implied a baby goes in a car with passing gas noises, a boy hides in the shower while a man sits on the toilet and noises are heard poops (fart noises and sounds of poop dropping into toilet), brothers call each other names several times (i.e., jerk, loser), bird droppings fall all over a family; a can of cinnamon roles explodes and a boy thinks he was shot in the head, a flock of birds get into a car while it’s on the road and cause the driver to crash into hay bales, a boat becomes unhooked from the back of a car while a boy is in it and flies down a hill into a swimming pool, a boy squirts shampoo into a man’s eyes, a cart is pushed toward a car and badly scrapes it, a car drives through a construction area and hits a bunch of barrels; no sexual content; several scenes show people in bathing suits, a boy is shown in his underwear; and, strong miscellaneous immorality include children lie to their parents in multiple scenes, a husband lies to his wife, a man lies to his boss, children disobey rules set by their parents, a father disobeys a family rule and makes a pact with his son to keep it a secret from his wife, brothers harass and try to get each other in trouble, children deceive their parents into going to the wrong travel destination, children are selfish and try to get out of a birthday party for their great grandmother, children hurt their mother by ruining a special family outing she had planned, a girl blames a boy for something she did wrong, a man steals the belongings of a family to get revenge for something which they didn’t do, brother tries to get revenge on his younger brother.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film shows how selfishness hurts a family. What does it look like to seek another person’s good instead of your own?
Philippians 2:3–4 · 1 Corinthians 13:4–5Several characters lie and disobey. Why is telling the truth important even when dishonesty seems easier?
Ephesians 4:25 · Proverbs 12:22The family eventually recognizes how much Meemaw means to them. How can your family show love and honor to older relatives?
Exodus 20:12 · 1 Timothy 5:4The Final Word
This movie’s family message is sound, but its scatological humor and uneven comedy make it a better home viewing choice. You can appreciate its reminder that family bonds overcome selfishness without committing to a disappointing theater experience. Our answer is WAIT FOR HOME.
