My friend and I want to take her kids to see Milk.
They are a 13yr old and an 11yr old. They love gay stuff (they decked themselves out in rainbows for various “No on 8” rallies).
We’d like to take them to see the film. We’re assuming the rating is based mostly on “thematic elements”, and word is there’s an assassination.
We’re not too worried about language: the girls swear fluently and creatively, such to do us proud. Sex scenes are fine if they’re not graphic.
No graphic sex, and two not-very-gorey (but still shocking) assassinations. If you’re good with that for pre-teens, then you’re good.
What pseudotriton said. Lots of implied sex but no graphic nudity–you see some bare butts, I think that’s it.
There’s one scene where
Harvey’s lover Jack Lira is found hanging dead in his apartment,
that might be slightly disturbing. Otherwise they should be good.
Sounds like a go.
I’ll check back later hoping for a couple other opinions- we wouldn’t be going until the weekend anyway, so maybe a few other Dopers will weigh in before then.
As long as the hanging is historically accurate and not “artistic license” to heighten the drama I can’t object to it, we do want them educated on the history- although I’m hoping the camera doesn’t linger too long on poor ol’ Jack.
Thanks pseudotriton ruber ruber!
Thanks Kythereia!
Doesn’t linger too long, historically accurate, probably not as bad as what most 11-13 year olds have seen these days. Assuming your admirable educational strategy is not a new thing, and that these kids probably have at least minimal context, I recommend it highly.
Screenit is a great site for these kinds of questions. It’s a very detailed breakdown of all the sex and violence in movies and it doesn’t have a religious bend to it. The analysis contains spoilers but they’re obscured (for example “a character smokes a cigarette”). They review every new movie that comes out and they have a lot of older movies reviewed as well.
ScreenIt is pretty good, but I prefer these guys:
Thanks.
Talked it over with the mama. A bit conflicted about the hanging. The older of the two girls has a tendency to hold on to disturbing images and find them upsetting for a while after the initial viewing. The younger one shakes that kind of thing off a little more easily.
Maybe, if we talk to her beforehand and have her prepped for it. Should be obvious that that scene is coming up and we can have her put her hand over her eyes before Harvey walks into the room (or turns the corner? opens the door?).
You’ll know immediately when Milk is about to find his lover’s body. There are a couple of seconds of warning, at least.
This is going to sound terrible and nothing I say will make it better, but no one actually likes Jack except for Harvey. It would be far more shocking if it were Scott or another character you’d come to love. Not to say that you don’t care about Jack’s suicide, but by itself, it’s not really shocking. Far more affecting is Harvey’s reaction to the suicide, which made me cry, and I couldn’t stand Jack. The whole scenario surrounding Harvey and Jack’s relationship, including Jack’s suicide, is worthy of in-depth conversations and thoughtful contemplation, beyond, of course, the rest of the movie’s worth as a source of in-depth conversation and thoughtful contemplation.
Your friend’s daughters should see the movie. Everyone should see the movie, but especially teenagers. Their generation is going to have to fight for and to keep gay rights, because this generation is still full of hateful bigoted homophobes (some who actually get given great honors, validating their bigotry) and their enablers. Since today’s bigots are gaining ground, they will have a lot to do.
For what it’s worth, I’m a great Jack sympathiser. I think with a little 20/20 hindsight and armchair psychiatry it’s obvious he was probably mentally ill and abused more than alcohol. I’m pretty sure in the scene where we’re introduced to him he’s WAY more than drunk. Don’t we all know a Jack? I know I’m probably somebody’s Jack, lol.
Things that might be awkward to explain to kiddies if they aren’t aware already: male tricks/hookers, why complete strangers are picking each other up on the subway platform (because that’s what people did in the 70’s - and maybe still do but it just never happens to me.) There are a lot of men kissing, if that isn’t brought up yet while I type this, but the sex scenes are only “sexish” and are kind of gotten out of the way right off the bat so the easily offended can rush out and demand their refunds or something, heh.
Why are we spoilering this since it’s part of history? Anyways, oddly enough the assination scene is one of the most moving and beautifuly filmed since…a Godfather film or something. It’s that good. And living in San Francisco I can tell you it’s geographically accurate.
There are actually a lot of parallels between the events of this film and the recent elections so it wil be a great one to bring kids to for discussion purposes. (As in: Look how much progress has been made for things to be exactly the same!)
I hate to hear the “nobody likes Jack” line. I agree with voguevixen, he was definitely abused and most likely mentally ill. I could relate to his clinging behavior, because I get that way when I am depressed and/or suffering from PTSD.
There seemed to be a lot of F-bombs but you said that the girls swear up a storm, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Please ask them not to laugh at the end, when the “Twinkie defense” is mentioned. Two 20-something girls behind me burst out laughing at that, but when you think about it, well it’s really more sad than funny.
Regarding Jack, I did say “The whole scenario surrounding Harvey and Jack’s relationship, including Jack’s suicide, is worthy of in-depth conversations and thoughtful contemplation” and part of what you beckwall, and you voguevixen, talk about is why. I don’t think Jack’s death will affect people so much the first time they see it, but his life and death is worth talking about. Why is Jack the way he is? What could have made him that way? Remember the scene where he talks about being abused? What did Harvey see in Jack (besides sex)? What did Jack see in Harvey? Why was Jack jealous (of everybody and everything in Harvey’s life)? Why did Jack commit suicide? What could Harvey possibly have done to prevent it? Many many others. I’m not asking these questions for them to be answered, but rather, questions like that could come up in discussions with the girls, or anybody else. For one thing, the relationship and the personalities involved aren’t just applicable to these two particular people, they’re situations that anyone could get into. Setting aside the political, the gayness, the time and place, a “Jack” and a “Harvey” could get together anywhere, and be of any sex, or of any sexual orientation.
So, I’m really saying that I do have sympathy for Jack, the real Jack, it’s just that in the movie I didn’t like him and I didn’t like how he hurt Harvey, because I adored Harvey with all my heart and soul.