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Control Room

(2004, Rated NR, Documentary, Starring Hani Salama, Donald Rumsfeld, Josh Rushing)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 16.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Fascinating documentary for mature older teens+.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Tolerance is a theme of the movie.
  • Violence:

    Graphic war footage including serious wounds.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Very strong language.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Control Room

Parents need to know that this movie has some strong language and graphic battle footage, including images of dead and wounded bodies and razed buildings that may be very upsetting to some viewers.

Read our full review by Nell Minow

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how they get the news and what they do to ensure that they are getting the most complete and objective information possible. Noujaim used only a tiny fraction of the footage she shot. How did she shape the story? What do you think about the emphasis she gave to parts of the story like the translator's reaction to the American politicians and the death of the Al-Jazeera reporter? What is the difference between reporting and propaganda? How does CNN compare to FOX? How do NBC, ABC, and CBS compare to PBS? To Al-Jazeera? How does television compare to newspapers? The Internet? What can we do to make sure that we get our information from places that do more than reinforce our own perspectives? One character says he is representing his station but also representing his people. Is there a conflict there? If so, which commitment is more important?

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