Parents' Guide to

ATL

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Morally grounded kids in the hood come of age.

Movie PG-13 2006 105 minutes
ATL Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

Teykia
Teykia Adult
April 11, 2009
age 10+

Great movie

I saw it on tv and they cut out almost all the inepropiate content.If you dont want your child seeing all of that watch it on tv and stop complaining,gosh!
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

17-year old Rashad (Tip "T.I." Harris) and his 14-year-old brother Ant (Evan Ross Naess), are orphaned and living with their Uncle George (Mykelti Williamson). Rashad works with George cleaning office buildings at night, trying to put away enough money to ensure Ant gets out of the hood and goes to college. But Ant resents his big brother's rule-making and sees a flashier role model in Marcus (Big Boi), who rolls up equipped with fine rims and pitbulls. Rashad works hard, focuses on his gift for comic-book drawing, and becomes infatuated with a pretty girl (Lauren London). Rashad's friend Esquire (Jackie Long) is also dedicated to getting out: he attends private school on a scholarship, works at the golf course, and pursues a college recommendation letter from local CEO John Garnett (Keith David). Though Garnett has a huge house, he's not quite figured out how to be a progressive father figure, to a mentee like Esquire or his own child. In this, he's similar to George, who's also struggling to look after his nephews. While Rashad sees George as missing the point of parenting, it turns out that both miss the slide Ant makes into Marcus' sphere, until Ant's discovered dealing marijuana at school.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

Engaging, bright, and energetic, ATL follows a conventional coming-of-age plot, while also complicating the usual tale of kids coming up in the hood. Rashad's voiceover provides a central-ish point of view, though the film cuts all over the place, including life lessons for his friends and family as well.

While the movie shows a range of ambitions and self-performances, by kids and adults, it doesn't judge them, but considerers how they come to see options. Certainly, Rashad's art gets the most play, but all of them create their own identities through the work they do and the relationships they forge. Sometimes too earnest, mostly complicated, and always generous, ATL never loses sight of this truth, that the kids' experiences and decisions have contexts.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Rashad's fears of commitment and abandonment, owing to the loss of his parents. How does his relationship with his younger brother eventually teach the value of taking responsibility and being honest?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: March 29, 2006
  • On DVD or streaming: July 18, 2006
  • Cast: Keith David , Lauren London , Tip T.I. Harris
  • Director: Chris Robinson
  • Inclusion Information: Black actors
  • Studio: Warner Bros.
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 105 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: for drug content, language, sexual material and some violence.
  • Last updated: June 20, 2023

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