Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that Angels in Stardust, a weak attempt at a meaningful coming-of-age story, is filled with scenes showing both teens and adults in a highly sexual atmosphere, drinking and getting drunk, and threatening a likable heroine and her very vulnerable little brother. Characters behave despicably toward one another, specifically an irresponsible mother, sex-driven young men, and most of the teen girls. A Native American, one of the only decent adults, is the object of racial scorn. A community of very poor people is depicted as a hub of alcoholism, sexual promiscuity, and abuse. Language includes swearing, insults, ethnic slurs, and endless sexual innuendo and threats.

Sexual Content

Sexual promiscuity is a running plot element and topic of discussion. Though no actual sexual activity is seen on-screen, characters continually appear in skimpy, revealing clothing, leer at one another, kiss, embrace, and appear to be in a perpetual state of foreplay. The main parental figure moves from one sexual adventure to another, actively encouraging her daughter to "find a boy"; the mom's behavior is always sexually provocative. The heroine is the victim of an attempted rape and the object of much unwanted sexual attention. Several scenes suggest that pornography is being filmed in a trailer park.

Violence

An overall menacing atmosphere finds the heroine and her little brother either threatened or in danger throughout the film. Shadowy scenes imply that young women are being abducted and sexually assaulted. The heroine is saved at the last moment from two men who've grabbed her and are beginning to rape her. Other suspenseful sequences: A little boy goes missing but is later found unharmed; a promiscuous teen disappears; a beloved cat is purposefully run over (off-screen). A teen and her mother scream at one another and then get into a physical fight. A girl is thrown from a motor home into the mud. Another young woman is shown to have injuries from an abusive husband, whom she excuses.

Language

Frequent swearing, sexual threats, and some ethnic slurs ("hell," "damn," "kick your butt," "s--t," "p---y," "slut," "son of a bitch," "screw," "pissed off," "moron," "retard," "Injun"). Sexual innuendo and sexually charged conversation is pervasive.

Social Behavior

Encourages using insight and resourcefulness to extricate oneself from a destructive environment. Suggests that one or two decent people in a community of ignorance, poverty, and violence can make a difference in the lives of its children.

Consumerism

Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola, and more Coca-Cola.

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Characters (including teens) drink, get drunk, and smoke cigarettes throughout. Drinking often is seen in combination with sexual threatening.