Parents' Guide to

Before Sunrise

Movie R 1995 101 minutes
Before Sunrise Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

By Elliot Panek , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Two strangers quickly fall in love, discuss big ideas.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Before Sunrise Movie: Scene #1
  • Before Sunrise Movie: Scene #2
  • Before Sunrise Movie: Scene #3

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

Veronagirl
Veronagirl Adult
May 12, 2020
age 16+

A great model of human communication and interaction

This movie represents the values and ideas of the 90s in that the characters in it are wholly present and give each other the undivided attention they deserve. Teens should know that there's no action in the movie, it's purely intellectual, but we get the chance to see how society used to live before people had their heads buried in screens. It's a beautiful example of just how much two people can connect with each other when they don't succumb to the distractions that we now consider "important".
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

BEFORE SUNRISE tells the story most familiar to all films in a most unfamiliar way. While traveling through Europe, young American Jesse (Ethan Hawke) meets a French art student Celine (Julie Delpy). The two strike up a spirited conversation on a train and spontaneously decide to spend an evening together, walking the streets of Vienna. The film is comprised entirely of long takes of Jesse and Celine talking, interspersed with short, subtle glimpses of the poets, performers, and monks that inhabit the Viennese night. On trains, on a ferris wheel, walking through graveyards, they talk about their personal histories, love, sex, death, and God. They fall in love, knowing that this will be the only night they will spend together.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (9 ):

It's the commitment the film makes to the two main characters, and their budding relationship that makes the film so completely enthralling. More than most films, Before Sunrise depends upon the likeability of these characters.

Flaws are included, the disagreements between the couple as essential to establishing the realism that sets the film apart as the intimate connections they make. They hide their vulnerability behind humor and try to talk their way out of the sadness of saying goodbye. Director Richard Linklater's style is appealingly unobtrusive. He lingers on scenes when another director would've cut away, allowing the dialogue and the actors to speak for themselves.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the possible downside to brief romances like the one in Before Sunrise. Trusting a raffish stranger on a train may be romantic, but could it be dangerous? How does one balance the need to be romantic and free-spirited with responsibility? Is there a way to be careful about romantic relationships without being jaded or unromantic?

  • How is it possible to keep audiences entertained without much action? Would this movie have been as successful with different actors?

  • How do Jesse and Celine demonstrate communication in Before Sunrise? Why is this an important character strength?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Before Sunrise Poster Image
See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate