Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that EYES WIDE SHUT is a very adult film, with rampant female nudity, scenes that border on soft-core pornography, and a very mature treatment of the standard themes of jealousy and infidelity. All women are naked at some point, and (except for Alice) are junkies, prostitutes, or both. People abuse alcohol and marijuana. One character pimps his young teenage daughter.
Families could discuss the reaction of the main character, Dr. William Harford, to his wife's admission about a sexual fantasy that she once had about another man. Was his reaction justified? What alternative, perhaps even more productive, course of action could he have taken to deal with how he was feeling? Viewers could also talk about the representation of women in this film. Is it acceptable?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Afsheen Nomai
The story of Dr. William Harford (Tom Cruise) begins after he and his wife Alice (Nicole Kidman) have a discussion about love, desire, and fidelity. After Alice admits that she had thought about other men, William is floored by her admission and embarks on an adventure that is driven by jealousy-fueled visions of his wife having sex with another man. William encounters a world of sexual desire and betrayal that grossly outweighs his own as he finds himself surrounded by the dire consequences of unchecked sexual desire.
Kubrick handles all of this with his trademark visual power, and like most of his films, this one is beautiful to watch for its elegance and style. Unfortunately, the dialogue can be a bit stilted, which doesn't help Cruise, who gives his usual stiff performance. On the flipside, Kidman and a host of secondary character actors come shining through enough to somewhat help save the film. Despite the few positives, Kubrick's treatment of women in this film is abhorrent, and the movie should not be watched by children.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentFemale full frontal nudity, numerous sex scenes, an orgy scene, implied teenage prostitution. |
 |
 |
||
Violence |
 |
|
||
LanguageFrequent use of all major curse words. |
|
|
||
Message |
|
|
||
Social BehaviorMost of the characters in this film engage in what is commonly considered deviant social behavior (e.g. drug use, sex with prostitutes, adultery). Some even openly encourage such behavior. The consequences for engaging in such behavior only falls upon prostitutes. |
 |
|
||
Commercialism |
 |
|
||
Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoDrinking, drug overdose, marijuana use. |
|
 |
||
