I watched this movie not knowing what it was about. The only memorable thing I can say is "Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels must have been desperate!" Definitely not for any age kids, especially impressionable ones. The 12 year old boy does things I would NEVER hope my children see. This mention ends abrubtly and leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
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The Squid and the Whale
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Is it age appropriate?
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Not age appropriate for kids under 17, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 17. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
A family falls apart -- for adults only.
Why We Rated This 
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About The Squid and the Whale
Parents need to know that this is a film for mature viewers, dealing with difficult emotional and moral themes. The family members are hurtful to one another, by deceit, betrayal, quarreling, and spitefulness. Characters smoke occasionally and drink frequently (an underage child drinks beer); one character vomits in a toilet. Most of the sexual content is narrated, as characters describe personal histories and desires, often with graphic language (slang for genitals, frequent uses of the f-word). Some characters engage in sexual activity (a college student kisses her teacher, young couple kisses, mom has affair with tennis pro, a shot from Blue Velvet shows breasts, a young boy masturbates on library books, wipes his semen on a locker, tries on a condom). Some minor violence, including brothers fighting, a wife slapping her estranged husband, an accidental bloody nose.
Read our full review by Cynthia Fuchs
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about the ways this family deals with pain and betrayal: how do the academic parents miss their sons' emotional strains? How do the father's high standards put pressure on his children? How might the kids (eventually) come together in their efforts to survive their difficult situation?
Our Members Say
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
Disgustingly bad
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
A poorly made movie on a good topic
I watched The Squid and The Whale alone, thankfully. I don't know what the screenwriter was thinking, but he missed the boat on a couple of key issues. One, there are no consequences to anyone's actions. For example, when the younger son is caught masturbating on school grounds, the parents are informed and nothing happens. Nada. Zip. Nobody is outraged, hurt, shocked or upset by his behavior. When the older son is caught plagiarizing (he performs a song at his school's variety show that is written by Pink Floyd but claims that he wrote it), he is referred to the school psychologist. Why wasn't the younger son placed in counseling for his behavior (not to mention the fact that he is portrayed drinking not just beer but liquor)? Second, Bernard is clearly an unfit parent; he curses endlessly in front of his kids, has a visible affair with his student in their home, and leaves his younger son home alone while he goes to an event at a distant college campus with disastrous consequences. Again, nothing happens. Most mothers would haul him into court and limit his visitation, but Joan seems passive in this situation. Not good... Jeff Daniels is a great actor, but I felt like someone else would've portrayed Bernard with a better mix of skill and pathos. I ended up not caring about anyone in this picture and that shouldn't be the case with such a hot-button, emotionally-charged topic.
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
cry
not for kids to see.
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