Brooke Shields’ Daughters Critique Her Role In “Pretty Baby”

Pretty Baby may have been a defining moment in Brooke Shields’ career, but it’s not exactly a hit with her daughters. Rowan, 21, and Grier, 18, have some strong feelings about their mom’s 1978 film, in which Brooke portrayed a child prostitute at just 11 years old.

“I don’t like this movie,” Grier says during a conversation with PEOPLE. “I’ve seen enough of it on TikTok. I would prefer not to watch my mom being sold as an 11-year-old prostitute. I’d rather watch the funny and happy ones.”

Rowan shares her sister’s unease, especially regarding the scene where Brooke’s character kisses her much older co-star, Keith Carradine, who was 27 at the time.

“That’s weird,” Grier adds, while Rowan chimes in, “Your stage kiss does not count as a real kiss.”

Brooke herself has acknowledged the complexities of that time, recalling in her recent documentary Pretty Baby that Carradine tried to comfort her by saying it didn’t count as a first kiss. Reflecting on it now, Brooke admits, “He was probably struggling too.”

As Brooke prepares for life as an empty nester with both daughters heading off to college, the family shared stories and insights in a recent PEOPLE interview. 

While her daughters aren’t fans of Pretty Baby, they do have their favorite films from Brooke’s career. “I loved Mother of the Bride and A Castle for Christmas,” Rowan says, pointing to her mom’s more recent, lighter roles.

Brooke’s conversations with her daughters have made her reevaluate the film’s impact and the broader cultural context. “The conversations are so different now,” Brooke says, recognizing how much has changed. “It’s a weak argument to say to very aware women, ‘That’s the way it was then.’ It was a norm, but that’s not an argument. Nothing I did then, you could get away with doing now.”

Despite the serious discussions, there’s plenty of humor in their home. Rowan, in particular, loves her mom’s comedic chops, citing Brooke’s role in Friends as a highlight.

“The Friends episode is when she was doing peak comedy,” Rowan says, referring to Brooke’s memorable turn as the girlfriend who devoured Joey’s fingers. Brooke jokes, “Basically, I peaked in the ’90s, according to her.”