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What Girls Learn

  • TV Movie
  • 2001
  • PG
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
352
YOUR RATING
Scott Bakula and Elizabeth Perkins in What Girls Learn (2001)
Drama

Two young sisters find themselves growing up fast when love and tragedy visit their mother. Elizabeth and Tilden grow up in Atlanta with their single mother, who's getting married to Nick, a... Read allTwo young sisters find themselves growing up fast when love and tragedy visit their mother. Elizabeth and Tilden grow up in Atlanta with their single mother, who's getting married to Nick, a man from New York whom they've never met.Two young sisters find themselves growing up fast when love and tragedy visit their mother. Elizabeth and Tilden grow up in Atlanta with their single mother, who's getting married to Nick, a man from New York whom they've never met.

  • Director
    • Lee Rose
  • Writers
    • Karin Cook
    • Karen Leigh Hopkins
  • Stars
    • Elizabeth Perkins
    • Scott Bakula
    • Alison Pill
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    352
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Lee Rose
    • Writers
      • Karin Cook
      • Karen Leigh Hopkins
    • Stars
      • Elizabeth Perkins
      • Scott Bakula
      • Alison Pill
    • 9User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 nominations total

    Photos2

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    Top cast28

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    Elizabeth Perkins
    Elizabeth Perkins
    • Mama
    Scott Bakula
    Scott Bakula
    • Nick
    Alison Pill
    Alison Pill
    • Tilden
    Margo Martindale
    Margo Martindale
    • Lainey
    Tamara Hope
    Tamara Hope
    • Elizabeth
    Kyle Schmid
    Kyle Schmid
    • Jamie Sanders
    Sarah Gadon
    Sarah Gadon
    • Samantha
    Gloria Slade
    Gloria Slade
    • Mrs. Zimmerman
    Paulette Sinclair
    • Mrs. Teuffel
    Noah Giffin
    • Altar Boy
    Lauren Collins
    Lauren Collins
    • Susie
    Ashley Leggat
    Ashley Leggat
    • Libbie
    Heather Allin
    Heather Allin
    • Atlanta Teacher #1
    Roz Michaels
    Roz Michaels
    • Atlanta Teacher #2
    Ksenia Solo
    Ksenia Solo
    • Girl
    Galen Dineen
    • Kid #1
    Anna Starnino
    • Elizabeth's Teacher
    Karen Woolridge
    • Another Nurse
    • Director
      • Lee Rose
    • Writers
      • Karin Cook
      • Karen Leigh Hopkins
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews9

    5.9352
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    Featured reviews

    1E-un

    Terrible, formulaic and sappy with no appeal and no obvious plot

    Take a bratty teenager who whines constantly about everything and her slightly younger sister, their mother dying from breast cancer (every stage spelt out in far too much detail... and a guy who takes this lot on (poor guy!)

    Basically, this movie reads like a third-rate trashy novel and is overly long to boot. It has no particular direction and meanders hither to thither with no perceivable destination. And when it's all finally over... all you seem to have done is wasted 2 hours of your life... ...and then the bad cover of "Every Breath You Takes" starts up.

    Yeuk!
    chrissythecat

    I don't think anyone should be too critical of someone's life story.

    I would just like to say that this movie is based on a true story and I think people should take that into consideration when commenting about it. I'm not saying that you can't dislike it or even hate it, but take into account that this is based on a novel written by the real-life "Tilden" and that these were her personal experiences during the time when her mother passed away.
    1court99

    Pretty "darn" Average

    I got out this movie because it has Scott Bakula, a talented actor, who for some reason ends up in terrible and cheesy roles. If you're looking for Scott Bakula eye candy, then this is not the best you can do - he has a terribly fake moustache and the only scenes he is remotely attractive in, is when he has a singlet on and you can only see his back. If you do watch this - keep an eye on his moustache, it changes size halfway in the movie, he must have lost his fake one and gotten a new one about twice the size. Very funny. Also take heed of his accent, it's constantly changing - bad Bakula, bad! If you are looking for Bakula candy, I suggest "Quantum Leap".

    I suppose if you are a young teenager you may enjoy this. It has issues to do with growing up and "becoming a woman", and I found the sibling rivalry reasonably believable. The child actors did a pretty good job. I felt that the mothers relationship with her daughters lacked any chemistry, it was forced and didn't quite strike home.

    A couple of scenes are halfway cute and some are tear jerker's, though the part of the movie I liked the best was when it ended. Although this movie was extrodinarily predictable, if against reason you watch it, do not read the blurb on the back of the case, it gives away the entire story. Casting could have been better - Scott Bakula was not meant for this movie. Frankly I don't know how it even made it to DVD. The only thing mildly entertaining about it is the changing moustache and accent.
    wordstormwill

    This movie isn't as bad as some have led you to believe.

    The showtime original movie ,"What girls Learn," is a difficult movie to understand. Especially when you're a man trying to relate to characters which are mostly female. This movie has a melancoly, feminist tone to it but that doesn't make it bad. It also has a CBS movie of the week feel to it, but that doesn't make it unwatchable. The bottomline is this movie is about pain, love, loss and ultimately acceptance. Tamara Hope, and Alison Pill put on noteworty showcases. As a guy I can understand why most reviewers haven't liked it. But as a film lover, I did.
    MeloDee

    It was wonderful

    Maybe I liked it because I'm a teenager, too. I just watched it recently on Showtime, and it made brought me near tears at the end. (though I almost cried in the Patriot when Thomas got killed). Anyway, I liked it a whole lot. I didn't see it from the start (missed about thirty minutes) but from what I saw it was a good, realistic movie. I hadn't even known it was a true story until I saw another imdb user's comment on it. It wasn't sappy at all. Sure, Tilden could be annoyingly whiny, but you have to understand what she was going through. In the end, she learned to be to be grateful for things. Thats "What Girls Learn".

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    Related interests

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    Drama

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Ksenia Solo's debut.

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 14, 2001 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Aprendiendo a vivir
    • Filming locations
      • Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • BPI Productions
      • Bakula Productions Inc.
      • Paramount Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 55m(115 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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