Piece by Piece

image for Piece by Piece

Short takes

Not suitable under 8; parental guidance to 12 (language, themes; may lack interest for children under 13)

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This topic contains:

  • overall comments and recommendations
  • details of classification and consumer advice lines for Piece by Piece
  • a review of Piece by Piece completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 9 December 2024.

Overall comments and recommendations

Children under 8 Not suitable due to language and themes.
Children aged 8–12 Parental guidance recommended due to language, themes and product placement. May also lack interest for most children under 13.
Children aged 13 and over Ok for this age group, though best suited to audiences over the age of 15.

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

Name of movie: Piece by Piece
Classification: PG
Consumer advice lines: Mild coarse language
Length: 93 minutes

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

A synopsis of the story

Piece by Piece is a biography about the extraordinary life of Pharrell Williams (voiced by Pharrell Williams), told through the use of Lego animation. The analogy involving Lego pieces is used throughout the film, as his life is deconstructed, piece by piece, and then put together again so that audiences can better understand where he has come from and where he hopes to go. The film contains a series of interviews as Pharrell’s journey is retold from his early days in obscurity as an aspiring artist in Virginia Beach to how he became a global music icon. The challenges are shared, as are the highs and lows of his career, the impact that certain people had upon his life (both negative and positive) and the learnings he gained as a result of these encounters. These interviews and flashbacks to Pharrell’s earlier life are interspersed with vibrant musical animations, leading to a unique cinematic experience.

Themesinfo

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Unbridled ambition; The dangers of becoming egotistical; Racism; Rejection; Arrogance; Greed at the expense of personal values.

Use of violenceinfo

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie, including:

  • Pharrell is knocked on the head.
  • Pharrell crashes out of a building on a huge wave. He is abandoned in the ocean and is left to himself, stuck in a whirlpool that is dragging him down.
  • There is mention of the ‘Popo’ (police), “killing us dead in the street”.
  • Demonstrations are shown after George Floyd was killed. The killing is not depicted but the racial implications are clearly portrayed.

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under fiveinfo

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

  • Nothing further noted.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in this movie:

  • The Lego logo is repeatedly displayed and numerous products are used.
  • Records of Aretha Franklin are shown and played.
  • Chanel is mentioned, displayed and worn.
  • Louis Vuitton is mentioned.
  • A McDonald’s commercial is played, including the music that Pharrell made to accompany it.
  • Vans shoes are clearly displayed.
  • Excerpts from Despicable Me are shown, along with the song Happy.
  • YouTube appears to be the platform that numerous people have uploaded their personal dances to and there is mention of live streaming.
  • Lotus enzyme exfoliator is mentioned.
  • Pharrell Williams' Qream (pink) Liquor collection is endorsed, as is his Billionaire Boys Club clothing brand.
  • Kleenex tissues are mentioned and used.
  • A Holiday Inn hotel is shown with the logo clearly displayed.

Sexual references

There are some sexual references in this movie, including:

  • Pharrell co-wrote the song Rump Shaker, which is featured in the film.
  • A character says: “I can make the girls get hot and go crazy.”
  • One character looks suggestively at another.
  • The lyrics of a song are played, including the words: “She’s up all night to get some… she’s up all night to get lucky”.

Nudity and sexual activity

There is some nudity and sexual activity in this movie, including:

  • Some Lego characters wear skimpy bikinis in a pool.

Use of substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

  • Characters appear to drink water from wine glasses.
  • Wine is poured into glasses and consumed.
  • Champagne is popped in an airplane.
  • Pharrell’s signature Pink Liquor is consumed and promoted.
  • Characters drink at a party.

Coarse language

There is some coarse language in this movie, including:

  • Hell
  • Damn
  • Shit.

In a nutshell

Piece by Piece is a biographical, animated documentary on the life of a music icon. The film contains numerous interviews with people who have helped Pharrell on his way, as well as vibrant musical numbers, including his original song, Piece by Piece. At first glance it appears to be a film for kids but it will likely lack interest for most children unless they are huge fans of Pharrell Williams or Lego. The film is best suited to audiences over the age of 15.

The main messages from this movie are to persevere no matter how many obstacles are placed in your path; that we all have the potential to change our lives; and that we should all ask ourselves where we shine the brightest and how do we best use our special gifts to serve the world.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

  • Perseverance
  • Creativity
  • Resilience
  • Integrity
  • Teamwork and the power of collaboration.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children the importance of staying true to yourself and your core values and not allowing the influence of those who would use you for their own gain to direct the course of your life.