 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
- Review Date: May 19, 2003
- NR
- Genre: Drama
- 1958
Common Sense Media says
Classics-loving teens will appreciate family melodrama.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the characters in this movie lie to each other and keep secrets from each other. One of the characters is an alcoholic.
What's the story?
Big Daddy's (Burl Ives) family is celebrating both his 65th birthday and his medical report, which shows his health problems have proven to be minor. He has two grown sons, Brick (Paul Newman), an alcoholic former athlete, and Gooper (Jack Carson), who is constantly trying to replace Brick as Big Daddy's favorite. Gooper has five children, and Brick's wife, Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor) knows that no matter how much Big Daddy loves Brick, he cannot inherit Big Daddy's property unless he provides an heir. Brick is angry at himself and at Maggie, and wants nothing more than to drink until he feels the "click" of peace when he is too drunk to feel anything else. But the "odor of mendacity" is too strong for Big Daddy, and all the lies come tumbling down like skeletons out of a closet.
Is it any good?
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, based on Tennessee Williams' play, is about a family that has been damaged more by lies than by greed. They lie to Big Daddy about the results of his tests. Brick lies to himself about what really went on with Skipper. Gooper and his wife lie about their feelings for Big Daddy. And Maggie lies about being pregnant. It is worth discussing the different kinds of lies and the different motivations behind them, and the impact the truth has on the characters, when they are finally confronted with it. Compare this family's method of accomplishing its goals with the methods of some other movie families, to see which interactions make families stronger and which tear them apart.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the lies that the characters tell each other. Why does Maggie compare herself to a cat on a hot tin roof? What is the roof, and what makes it hot? Why won't Brick agree to get Maggie pregnant? Who is he mad at? Why? Why does Brick have such contempt for himself? What does Skipper's death have to do with it? What makes Brick change his mind?
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.
| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Director: | Richard Brooks |
| Cast: | Burl Ives, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 108 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 20, 1958 |
| DVD release date: | January 27, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
