Not too scary. The whole "acting wild" thing is what's appealing to kids. If there is anything that would go over the heads of the really young viewers, it's the deeper message of the film- that family dynamics are complicated, that everyone has their own truth, that sometimes being in a family is hard & is not pretty, that despite these things, your family is yours & loves you. Is it a dark movie? Well, as any one who read the book knows, it is a pretty dark book after all, and the mood of the movie is true to this.It can't be lilley pads & rainbows all the time, ok? In my opinion, there is no need to shield your kids from a little bit of "dark mood" especially since it's an opportunity to have a discussion with your kids about family.