Parents Guide for
My Sister's Keeper (2009) More at IMDbPro »

Sex & Nudity: 4/10

Two teen characters get intimate in a hospital bed, at a part of the hospital that is currently under construction. However, they are covered with sheets, so nudity is limited to the top of the girls buttocks. Later, one of them reveals that they didn't go "all the way," but they did "some stuff."

Kate and Taylor make out in front of her house after one of their dates. The scene is very quiet and intimate, and may be considered awkward.

Two teenage sisters talk about one of the sisters' romantic experiences with a boy (making out, not having sex).

A teenage girl jokes with a teenage boy about thanking him with sexual favors.

Violence & Gore: 5/10

In one scene, Kate vomits a large amount of blood, and her mouth is covered in blood as she is carried away on a stretcher.

Kate is portrayed as a young girl with advanced cancer, so physically, she looks very sick. Her lips are severely chapped throughout the movie, and there is some odd coloring on her skin as she gets sicker. She has some nosebleeds and has another vomiting scene later.

A mother slaps her teenage daughter in the face while they are having an argument.

Profanity: 5/10

One F word, some uses of the S word, and other minor swear words.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: 3/10

Towards the end of the movie, one of the teen characters is drunk and attempts suicide by taking a bottle of pills.

Frightening/Intense Scenes: 7/10

Several scenes revolve around a terminally ill girl in the hospital.

The concept of genetically conceiving a child to be a perfect match for her sick sister is one of the main themes, and it leads to many intense scenes. It would serve as a primary discussion point with children if they end up watching this.

One of the characters gets drunk and suicidal at one point. The character attempts to swallow a bottle of pills.

The tragic death of a minor character's pre-teen child is discussed in some detail.

A cancer patient asks her doctor about her impending death and questions whether or not it will hurt.

A teenage cancer patients has two vomiting fits, one of which involves vomiting blood. Both scenes show quite a bit and can be considered intense.

Bruising is shown on a toddler's spine as part of her cancer.

Anna gets into a few big arguments with her parents over her decision to get a lawyer. A lot of anger, swearing, and hurtful words are exchanged.

A teenage girl seeks medical emancipation from her parents, which is another big and controversial discussion topic.

A teenage boy sits on a rooftop by himself, then suddenly stands up. He gives off the illusion that he might be ready to jump, but that ends up not being the case. It can leave the audience feeling uneasy, though.

A husband and wife have a big fight over whether or not to take their sick child out of the hospital for a day out. One of them wants to do it, but the other stubbornly refuses. The wife is pushed to the ground by the husband, and they get into a very emotional screaming match. Their children are visibly upset as they watch this all unfold.

It is revealed that Kate has wanted to die for quite some time now, and that's why she pushed Anna to get the lawyer and seek medical emancipation. Anna was fine with continuing to be a donor, because she loved her sister, but it was Kate who wanted her to stop so she could just die and not be in pain anymore.

Kate and Anna's brother Jesse is portrayed as being the "black sheep" of the family. With all the drama going on with his sisters, he has been pushed to the back and generally ignored all his life. There is an emotional scene where Jesse's issues with dyslexia and attending a special camp as a child are revealed.

A main character is revealed to have epilepsy. That character has a public seizure, which may be frightening to some viewers.

A 5-year-old child is shown being forced to donate bone marrow against her will. She is crying, screaming no, and clinging to her father.

Kate dies at the end after a long battle with leukemia. Her funeral is shown briefly.

0-5: Suitable for everyone (Care Bears). 5-10: Take some caution with young children. (The Incredibles). 10-20: Suitable for children 8 years and over (Gremlins). 20-25: Recommended for mature audiences (THIS). 25-30: Suitable for children over 13 (The Dark Knight). 30-40: Recommended for people 17 years and over (Saving Private Ryan). 40-50: Absolutely Adults Only (Cannibal Holocaust).

Total Explicit Content: 24/50

Recommended For Mature Audiences