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I'm Not There

(2007, Rated R, Drama, Starring Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 15.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Well-acted, mature Dylan biopic for big fans only.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 15–16

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Suggests that even in a celebrity-obsessed culture, you never really know who an artist is, as he may be various different versions of himself all at once.

  • Violence:

    Cartoonish image of young Woody being swallowed by a whale and a fantasy sequence of Jude and his band machine-gunning the crowd at a concert (it's a metaphor for Dylan going electric). Disturbing scene in which a murdered young woman is propped up in her coffin for everyone at a funeral to see. A child pets a dead horse.

  • Sex:

    A couple of artistic lovemaking scenes -- in one, breasts are visible. There's a glimpse of a full-frontal Heath Ledger as he emerges out of the shower. Several kisses and three images of men's buttocks.

  • Language:

    More prevalent in some sequences than others. Words include "s--t," "a--hole," "c--ksucker," "tit," "f--k," "bitch," "p---y," "goddamn," etc.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Pill-popping during '60s mod scenes; cigarette smoking throughout. Minor social drinking.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About I'm Not There

Parents need to know that this experimental meditation on the "many lives of Bob Dylan" will go straight over the head of most younger viewers. Older teens who've been exposed to Dylan's music may be curious about the drama, but its metaphoric nature means it probably won't appeal to most of them -- or to non-fan adults, for that matter. Without a fair amount of knowledge of Dylan's music and life, the film will seem confusing and slow. There are a few love scenes and shots of naked breasts and buttocks, not to mention one quick full-frontal flash of a post-shower Heath Ledger. Expect some language (standard R-rated stuff), a bit of '60s pill-popping, and lots of smoking.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the film's messages about artists, fame, music, and authenticity. What points do you think the director was trying to make? How is the film vastly different than other musicians' biopics?
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