STRAIGHT TALK
A predictable comedy where honesty cannot redeem the content.
Should You Watch It?
The central lesson is sound: honesty is better than deception. Shirlee and Jack eventually admit that they lied to achieve their goals, and the film’s conclusion points toward the timeless proverb that “honesty is the best policy.”
But the movie is also mindlessly predictable and carries content that makes it unsuitable for children and young teens. The bedroom scene, discussion about losing virginity, frequent crude references to genitalia, cohabitation, suggestive dress, profanity, and other spiritual concerns outweigh its limited moral benefit.
The practical answer is simple: SKIP IT. Adults who are curious about its honesty theme should still weigh whether a two-star comedy is worth its content.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESDance instructor Shirlee Kenyan moves to Chicago and takes a job as a switchboard operator at WNDY radio. After she is mistaken for a newly hired psychologist, Shirlee begins answering listeners’ problems with homespun advice.
Her unexpected success brings a contract and a rapidly rising career. An investigative reporter named Jack suspects foul play and befriends Shirlee while trying to uncover the truth.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means this is a weak, predictable comedy with one worthwhile idea. The plot follows a familiar path as Shirlee becomes a radio success after being mistaken for someone else, while Jack investigates her.
The film’s strongest point is its insistence that people should tell the truth. Its weakness is that the story is “mindlessly predictable,” and the central lesson does not make the movie worth its troubling content.
The Worldview
The film upholds honesty, especially when Shirlee and Jack confess that they lied to achieve their goals. Their repentance recalls the proverb “honesty is the best policy,” giving the story a clear moral center.
That moral center is weakened by the film’s treatment of sexual relationships. Shirlee is portrayed as a three-time divorcee, and her relationship with Jack includes an overnight bedroom session and discussion about losing her virginity. The content section also identifies cohabitation, suggestive dress, a reference to reincarnation, and wishing at a bridge.
The film recognizes that deception is wrong, but it does not present sexual integrity with the same clarity. Scripture likewise calls believers to put away falsehood: “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
11 obscenities & 6 profanities; hitting man in face & man hit on head by TV equipment; bedroom scene (sex implied but not shown), frequent references to genitalia (crude), discussion about losing one's virginity, cohabitation, suggestive dress; reference to reincarnation; deception; and, wishing at bridge. However, the film upholds honesty.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Shirlee and Jack eventually admit that they lied to achieve their goals. Why is honesty difficult when deception seems useful?
Ephesians 4:25 · Proverbs 12:22The film connects romantic relationships with sexual choices. How does Scripture describe sexual integrity and the purpose of the body?
1 Corinthians 6:18–20 · 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5The story praises repentance after deception. What distinguishes genuine repentance from simply admitting that a lie was discovered?
2 Corinthians 7:10 · Proverbs 28:13The content section mentions reincarnation and wishing. What does the Bible teach about God’s authority over life, death, and our future?
Hebrews 9:27 · James 4:13–15The Final Word
Its message about honesty is worthwhile, but this predictable comedy surrounds that message with sexual content, profanity, crude references, and spiritual concerns. For your family, the answer is SKIP IT. Choose another film instead:.
