Tripped Up movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Tripped Up

This GenZ gal-pal comedy came out in theaters a couple of months ago but is now available on Video on Demand.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 36 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: C+

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about four young women in their 20s who take a road trip so one of them can compete in the prestigious Saucy Food Festival. What begins as a calculated career move quickly turns into a madcap misadventure full of food, fun, and female bonding.

The film was directed by Shruti Ganguly.

On a personal note, I used to teach classes at the famous Le Cordon Bleu Culinary College (Las Vegas campus), so I was especially interested in the foodie element of the story. And yes, I have the weight gain to prove I taught at a cooking school!

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

This is not appropriate for kids.
Profanity, including MANY F-bombs
A unmarried couple sleeps together.
A girl pleasures herself in bed with a vibrator under the covers.
One of the girls uses a bong and smokes at work and everywhere else, including when she’s driving.
Some crude conversations about sex
Lots of alcohol. One of the characters is in A.A.
Unwanted sexual advances
Poop humor
Two of the characters are lesbians and kiss.
A girl flips the bird

THEMES:

Friendship
Racism
Road trips
Foodies
Victim status
Respecting yourself and others
Rivalry
Secrets
Life choices and consequences
Hard work
Mentors to guide the younger generation
Making your dreams come true

THINGS I LIKED:

The cast of talented starlets includes Leah Lewis, Ashley Moore, Ariel Winter, and Sasha Fox. They have good chemistry together and hold the movie together.
Other cast members include Vanessa Williams and Judy Gold.
A minor character was the fantastic lead in the Netflix musical “PROM.” She’s so talented, so I would have loved to see her play a bigger role in this. Her name is Jo Ellen Pellman. She played a lesbian in both movies. In real life, she identifies as queer. She came out to her mother who is gay. Jo Ellen is now engaged to filmmaker Brydie O’Connor.
There’s a lovely musical number between two of the characters: Sasha Fox and Justin Guarini (he sang on American Idol and on Broadway). Surprisingly, it wasn’t with Jo Ellen Pellman!
We get to see a lot of delicious-looking food. This movie made me hungry.
All of the characters learn some important lessons about life.
I was impressed by one of the characters who readily admitted she was an alcoholic and was attending A.A. and rejected the many drinks she was offered by her clueless friends. It was sad to see such a young alcoholic but I was impressed that she was admitting to her weakness and taking proactive steps to conquer her addiction.
Keep watching during the rolling credits for some bloopers and other clips.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The girls act like a bunch of crass, young bros. What’s so wrong with being feminine these days?
Please tell me not all GenZ young women are like these entitled, irresponsible, self-absorbed, foul-mouthed girls.
All of the girls have multiple outfit changes in one day.
Hot dog-eating contest. I haven’t eaten a hot dog since I read the book “The Jungle” by Uptin Sinclair. Ha ha
It’s super predictable.
I readily admit that I am NOT the target audience for this movie and that my review is entirely from a mom’s perspective!

TERRIBLE ADVICE FROM CHARACTERS:

“It sounds like you just need to get laid.” – Mary (Ashley Moore)
“You need to just take a hit and chill.’’ – Mary (Ashley Moore)
“Why is it a big deal? Just tell him to screw off.” – Lizzy (Leah Lewis)
“I could probably smoke a little less weed, vape a little less often, but I wouldn’t be as awesome.” – Kai (Ariel Winter)