Parents' Guide to

West Side Story (2021)

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Dazzling musical adaptation has violence, language.

Movie PG-13 2022 156 minutes
West Side Story (2021) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

1961 movie</a>, which had only one actual Latino actor in the main ensemble, this version boasts all Latinos (mostly Puerto Rican, one Afro-Latino actor) playing the Sharks. Women have more agency here than in the original, notably Maria, Anita, and Valentina. Character Anybodys isn't referred to as a tomboy but is depicted as transgender; they are bullied for that at times but ultimately they're somewhat accepted by the Jets. Lyrics in "Gee, Officer Krupke" refer derogatorily to a sister with a mustache and a brother wearing a dress; in another scene, White characters disparage an Afro-Latina woman by calling her "too dark to pass" and telling her "go back where you came from."</p> ">
  • 1:10
  • West Side Story Movie: Maria and Tony
  • West Side Story Movie: Anita and two friends
  • West Side Story Movie: Face-off at the dance

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age 14+

Based on 19 parent reviews

rkirch
rkirch Adult
December 27, 2021
age 18+

Not appropriate for children… at all

This is an incredibly disturbing take on a classic that was ruined by Spielberg. I mean, if you like Temple of Doom blood splatter combined with singing and dancing, then great for you. Not appropriate for children in the slightest. For adults, if you want to spend nearly 3 hours of your life feeling horrible about the world, have at it. I can’t believe no one is mentioning this online at all, but that’s probably because not enough people are seeing this bomb!
Daddyduty
Daddyduty Parent
March 20, 2022
age 13+

Be aware of the violence - realistic and intense.

This is my all-time favorite musical. Stephen Spielberg did it justice! Outstanding music, dancing, and acting. The set and the costumes are remarkable. It is definitely oscar worthy! What parents need to know is that the violence is worse than the three dot rating Common Sense gave it. This is primarily because it is so realistic. Common sense media also gives threes for cartoon violence, but because this is so realistic, I consider it much worse. It is really gross and could be disturbing to some to see the nail in someone's ear. The camera is on it for several minutes (lots of blood) and you see someone pull it out. You also witness two people being stabbed. It isn't hidden from the camera in any way. There is also very visual hitting in the face happening (one of the characters is a trained boxer and people really hammer into each other - and the folly artist earned their pay check for the sounds of someone getting punched repeatedly in the face). The use of pipes, chains, knives, and a gun is really tense and scary. An entire dance scene revolves around (no pun intended) Tony trying to get a gun away from Riff and I was holding my breath the whole time even though I knew it wasn't going to kill anyone (because I know the story). Still, it was hard to watch. Also, they drop the F bomb in a PG-13 movie. That surprised me. I did not let my 10 year old watch this only because my sister gave me a heads up about the violence, otherwise I might have because I remembered the original 1961 movie to be nothing close to this with the violence. Also, any stage production of the musical is not this violent either. The attempted rape scene is also hard to take - I couldn't watch. Having said all of that, everything else about the musical was just fantastic!!!!
See all 19 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner's adaptation of the classic Broadway musical-turned-movie WEST SIDE STORY is, like the original, a Romeo and Juliet-inspired story of star-crossed love and warring street gangs in midtown Manhattan in the late 1950s. The Jets, who are White and led by Riff (Mike Faist), and the Sharks, who are Puerto Rican and led by Bernardo (David Alvarez), confront each other over turf issues. They clash at a dance that Bernardo, an aspiring boxer, and his seamstress girlfriend, Anita (Ariana DeBose), attend with Bernardo's younger sister, Maria (Rachel Zegler), who has recently arrived from taking care of their late father in Puerto Rico. At the dance, Maria makes electric eye contact with Riff's co-leader, Tony (Ansel Elgort), who was reluctant to attend due to the rules of his recent probation. Maria and Tony instantly connect, but trouble starts when they're spotted together. Riff challenges Bernardo to a rumble to settle control of the neighborhood streets, but Tony just wants to see Maria again. Tragic circumstances make the lovers' future seem impossible.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (19 ):
Kids say (58 ):

Spielberg's take on this legendary musical is gorgeously shot and brilliantly interpreted, with updates from the 1961 version to be more Latino (if not fully authentically Puerto Rican). The gifted cast is full of musical theater vets, including EGOT winner Rita Moreno as a new character, Valentina. The widow of the original musical/film's drugstore owner Doc, she runs the pharmacy and has taken Tony under her wing since he was released from prison on probation for nearly killing a rival gang member (both details are part of Kushner's substantial additions to the plot, deepening the characterizations). Kushner also adds dialogue between the supporting characters, beefs up the inclusion of Anybodys (Iris Menas) as transgender instead of "just" a tomboy, and tries to deliver the third-act sexual assault at Doc's in a way that forces the Jets to at least acknowledge their crime. The order of the musical numbers changes slightly for the better as well. The showstopper "America" is now set outside, in the Puerto Rican area of the community; "Somewhere" is sung by Valentina (rather than Maria and Tony); and "I Feel Pretty" takes place at the department store where Maria and her friends work the late shift as cleaners.

DeBose's Anita is particularly scene-stealing, with her strong personality, twirly dresses, and big sisterly attitude toward Maria. Faist's Riff is equally as impressive as both a dancer and singer. Zegler is excellent as Maria, who, while still young and naive, is also ambitious and dreams of a future full of opportunity and love. The only weak link in an otherwise perfectly cast film is Elgort; he's tall and handsome like Richard Beymer, but his voice, while better than expected, isn't nearly on the level of his co-stars. Of all the classic songs, the ones that stand out beyond "America" are the "Tonight" quintet; Anita and Maria's heartbreakingly beautiful duet "A Boy Like That/I Had a Love"; and the opening "Jet Song." Oscar-winning cinematographer and longtime Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kaminski firmly roots viewers in the ruins of the New York City neighborhoods that were destroyed to make Lincoln Center. Several of the shots are dazzling, and Justin Peck's choreography pays tribute to Jerome Robbins' without copying it move-by-move. Ultimately, Spielberg's version of West Side Story addresses the whitewashed (or, in Moreno's case, brown-faced) wrongs of the 1961 version. It provides a deeper backstory for the main characters and highlights his ensemble's enormous talent -- but Puerto Rican viewers may still wish it had more authentically represented their culture.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in West Side Story and whether the impact of violence in musicals is different from that of other movie genres. Does realistic violence pack a bigger punch than stylized violence? Why, or why not?

  • What kinds of racial, ethnic, and class stereotypes are explored in the story? What about the depiction of law enforcement? In the end, does the movie challenge or reinforce stereotypes?

  • Why is it notable that, in this version, the Puerto Rican characters are played by Latino performers? How has the importance of representation in the media changed since the first movie came out in 1961? Discuss what the new version gets right or wrong about Puerto Rican authenticity and what stereotypes of Latinos you still see remaining.

  • Talk about the LGBTQ+ influence of West Side Story as a musical. The four men who created the original musical were all gay (and Jewish): composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephen Sondheim, book writer Arthur Laurents, and choreographer Jerome Robbins -- as is the new adaptation's screenwriter, Tony Kushner. Which parts of the story explore LGBTQ+ themes?

  • How are the characters humanized despite their flaws? Who, if anyone, do you consider a role model? How do they demonstrate compassion and empathy?

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