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Pillow Talk

(1959, Rated NR, Comedy, Starring Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Tony Randall)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Hudson and Day's Sex and the City, '50s-style.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 14 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Several characters show tremendous sexism, from Tony saying that it's his word against Jan's when he attempts to rape her, to Brad essentially telling Jan that she just needs to have sex and she'll feel better. There are also jokes at the expense of people of color and fat people. A rich woman calls an African fertility statue a "savage little thing." Brad convinces Jonathan to leave by telling him that his date is a fat woman he's trying to get rid of.

  • Violence:

    Tony forces himself on Jan, practically raping her. (He says, "It's your word against mine.") Jonathan slaps Jan, and a man punches Jonathan, giving him a bruise and loosening his teeth.

  • Sex:

    Lots of innuendo and sexual jokes, some kissing on screen and implied sex. Jonathan talks about an exotic dancer/stripper. The camera follows Jan as if it's a man's gaze, focusing on her legs and back and shape in general. Jan calls Brad a "sex maniac."

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    There's a sign for Michelob in the window of a diner.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Alma is an alcoholic and is constantly hungover. She drinks Brad under the table, first drinking a bottle of scotch and then a bottle of vodka. The elevator operator says that Alma is "stoned." Brad is a chain smoker. Several characters drink scotch. Jan and Rex drink champagne. Jonathan makes Brad a bloody mary. Jan makes reference to Alcoholics Anonymous.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Pillow Talk

Parents need to know that while this movie was made in the chaste '50s, it is anything but chaste: It focuses on the sex lives of its main characters and implies that sex is the solution for everything -- especially for testy women. Brad tells Jan that if she had sex (he calls them "bedroom problems"), she wouldn't be so upset with him monopolizing her phone. Brad also lies to Jan about who he is to make Jan like him. Another man forces himself on Jan, practically raping her in one scene. There's also an excessive amount of drinking and smoking in the film, from Brad's chain smoking to Alma's alcoholism and perpetual hangovers.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how they interpret the value of films that are fun but depict prejudice against different groups. Do you ignore the racism, sexism, and fat-phobia of the film and only look at the comic storyline? Or does the prejudice change your enjoyment of the film? How much do kids know about the '50s? What has changed? How have romantic comedies changed?
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