LETTERS TO JULIET
More fun than Shakespeare — a charming romance that strongly affirms marriage.
Should You Watch It?
Letters to Juliet is a surprisingly chaste, charming romantic comedy with cute humor and a strong affirmation of marriage. Its central relationships are well plotted, and the film gives romance a hopeful shape: true love is an unfailing commitment through good times and bad.
The costs are light but real. The movie includes nearly a dozen exclamatory profanities, hugs and kisses, and paintings and statues depicting mild sexual liaisons. A woman and then a man caress the bare breast of a statue. The “pre-wedding honeymoon” sounds suspicious, but the film does not show sexual immorality, and the couple is separated for most of their stay in Italy.
If you enjoy Hollywood romance and can discuss the film’s ideas about true love with younger viewers, take the trip. For family viewing, parents should help children and teenagers think carefully about what the movie calls love.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESSophie travels to Italy with Victor, her fiancé, who is preparing to open an Italian restaurant in New York City. While Victor focuses on restaurant connections, Sophie discovers a letter written decades earlier by an English woman who left behind an Italian romantic flame.
Sophie answers the letter, setting Claire and her grandson Charlie on a journey to search for Claire’s long-lost heartthrob. Claire and Sophie quickly become friends, while Charlie questions the whole idea.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is highly entertaining romantic filmmaking. The relationship between Sophie and Charlie is very well plotted and paced nicely, with excellent plot points. The movie is also charming, well written, and filled with cute humor.
The direction is moderately good, supported by some excellent acting. There are also stereotypical and self-conscious moments from the same actors, which indicate uneven direction. Even so, viewers who enjoy Hollywood romance movies will likely find Letters to Juliet quite entertaining.
The Worldview
The film has a strong Romantic worldview, presenting emotional devotion alongside references to destiny and answered prayer. It also includes Christian sacramental and aesthetic signs and references. The movie’s moral elements are notable: marriage is respected, and friendship and kindness are valued.
The film affirms that true love comes from God and is an unfailing commitment in good and bad times. It extols marriage both literally and figuratively. Its romantic view is not the whole biblical picture, but its vision of love enduring through difficulty aligns with an important Christian truth. Scripture says, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong Romanic worldview where emotional reactions take precedence, combined with references to destiny and lots of Christian sacramental and aesthetic signs and references, with strong moral elements where marriage is respected and friendship and kindness are valued; one light obscenity, more than 10 “oh my G*d” profanities, and character gives “the finger”; very light comic pratfall, impact not seen; no live sex scenes but there are clothed kisses and hugs and paintings and statues of various sexual liaisons with man and woman caressing bare breast of Juliet statue; upper male nudity when man appears in swim trunks and nude paintings and statues with man and woman caressing bare breast of Juliet statue; drinking of wine; no smoking or drugs; and, nothing else objectionable.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The movie presents true love as an unfailing commitment in good times and bad. How does that compare with the Bible’s picture of love?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Ephesians 5:25Sophie and Claire become friends while pursuing an old love story. How can friendship and kindness help people make wise choices?
Proverbs 17:17 · Ephesians 4:32The film refers to destiny and answered prayer. How can you distinguish hopeful trust in God from simply calling our wishes destiny?
Proverbs 3:5–6 · James 1:5The movie strongly affirms marriage. What responsibilities make marriage more than a romantic feeling?
Genesis 2:24 · 1 Corinthians 13:7The Final Word
Letters to Juliet is charming, funny, well written, and unusually chaste for a Hollywood romance. Its profanity and sexualized artwork call for family discernment, but its respect for marriage gives the story a strong moral center. For older children and adults who enjoy romance, this is WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND ADULTS.
