Sydney White, 2007, PG-13, 1 hr 48 min

Sydney White

Runtime: 108 minutes

Studio: Morgan Creek Entertainment

Country of Origin: United States

Based on: Snow White (Brothers Grimm fairy tale)

Franchise: Standalone

Franchise Position: N/A

A modern college-era reimagining of Snow White set in a university sorority world.

Ratings:

My Rating: 5.7/10

The Dove Foundation: 10 (“Negative Rating”)

IMDb: 6.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 36%

Metacritic: 4.5/10

TMDb: ~6.0/10

Plot Summary:

Sydney White (Amanda Bynes) starts college at Southern Atlantic University, eager to join her late mother’s sorority, Kappa Phi Nu. Once there, she discovers that the current sorority president, Rachel Witchburn (Sara Paxton), has turned it into a shallow, elitist clique. After Sydney is humiliated and expelled from the sorority, she moves into “The Vortex,” a rundown house occupied by seven socially awkward but kind male students. Together they challenge the social hierarchy on campus, aiming to make student government and campus life more inclusive. Along the way, Sydney forms a connection with Tyler (Matt Long), one of the popular fraternity members, and learns that true worth comes from character, not appearance.

Critics Review:

Critics called Sydney White a lightweight, predictable teen comedy that borrows from films like Mean Girls and Revenge of the Nerds. Amanda Bynes’s charm and sincerity earned praise, but the plot was seen as formulaic and filled with clichés. Some liked the film’s modern fairy-tale twist and message about acceptance, while others criticized it for being overly moralizing and tonally uneven. It’s generally viewed as a fun but forgettable movie for teenage audiences.

Christian Perspective:

From a Christian viewpoint, the film promotes positive values like kindness, humility, and respect for others, regardless of status or appearance. It encourages acceptance of those who are different and challenges vanity and superficial judgment. However, the movie includes a secular worldview that treats all lifestyles as equally valid, including some sexual themes and gender inclusivity that traditional Christian audiences may find objectionable. While it promotes fairness and compassion, it does so without a strong moral or faith-based foundation.

Family Friendliness:

Not recommended for families.

The film includes sexual humor, innuendo, mild suggestive content, partying, hazing, and some bullying. While there’s no explicit violence or strong profanity, the tone and humor are geared toward older teens and young adults rather than family viewing. Parents might use it as a conversation starter on peer pressure, popularity, and moral choices.

Notable Songs:

N/A