Gosford Park

  • Review Date: May 19, 2003
  • R
  • Genre: Drama
  • 2001
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Wonderful British whodunit; fine for older teens.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie has sexual references and situations (briefly graphic), including adultery and homosexuality, and an attempted molestation. There is some strong language and a character is murdered.

  • A murder not seen onscreen.
  • Many sexual references and situations, briefly explicit, references to illegitimate children.
  • Infrequent strong language.

What's the story?

Set in the 1930s, GOSFORD PARK takes place at the home of Sir William (Michael Gambon) and his wife (Kristin Scott Thomas), who invite an array of guests for a weekend at their lavish country estate. Among the guests are "old money" Lady Constance (Maggie Smith), early screen idol Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), and Hollywood film producer Morris Weisman (Bob Balaban), who tags along to take notes on the place for a Charlie Chan movie. Secrets abound amongst the upper crust, while gossip swirls in the quarters of the regimented servants (Derek Jacobi, Helen Mirren, Ryan Phillippe, Emily Watson, and Clive Owen, among others). When Sir William is murdered, what ensues is a cross between Upstairs Downstairs, an Agatha Christie murder mystery, and a game of Clue. The estate becomes the setting for intrigue, romance, ambition, betrayal, and revenge, with the many overlapping and intersecting storylines revealing a cautionary tale about class, secrets, money, sex, and love.


Is it any good?

 

As in his best movies, director Robert Altman masterfully handles a dozen overlapping and intersecting storylines. Somewhere in the midst, there is a murder, but its resolution is incidental to the many other revelations and confrontations.

The Oscar-winning script is superb, but the movie is mostly a banquet of magnificent performances by most of England's finest performers. The Collector's edition DVD has outstanding extras, including commentary by the director, production designer, producer, and screenwriter, deleted scenes and a Q&A session with the film-makers. Strongly recommended.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about how each of the different characters fits into the overall story. Which do they sympathize with the most? Which do they dislike the most? Who in the film actually cares about Sir William? Why? Why was it so important to be the "perfect servant?" What will happen to each of the characters in 10 years?


This review was written by Nell Minow
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
A masterpiece specifically for intellectual adults.

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Teen, 16 years old
September 5, 2009
 
Wonderful for Mature Teens
Gosford Park is a beautifully rendered film. No, it isn't a 'murder mystery'. Rather, it is a deep, dark, multi-layered drama centering mainly around the servants residing in a country house full of wealthy British snobs. The first half of the film introduces you to the servants, their customs and quirks, the abuse they receive, and the various ways they cope with it. Then, halfway through the film, the owner of the house is murdered. The rest of the film deals with the initial chaos and ultimate liberation that results. The acting was nothing short of brilliant (Helen Mirren was certainly the best as the lead servant), and the cinematograpy was very unique and fascinating, almost like looking at a photorealistic painting. For an R-rated movie, Gosford Park is very tame, but a few things are worth mentioning. F-words pop up occasionally (I counted six), but most of the dialog is clean. Quite a few sexual references are present as well, but there's never any nudity, and almost everything is handled with tact. Also, just about everyone smokes casually, and a butler gets very drunk. However, most teens should be able to handle it without a problem. Hope this was helpful!

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Educator and Parent
September 9, 2011
 
Robert Altman's amazing comeback...
Gosford Park is a wonderful, smart and terrifically entertaining film. Excellent performers join a very good script to create a complex portrait of flawed beings, all looking out for themselves, one way or another. If your kid likes games like Clue, and is patient enough, you should really consider allowing him to watch this film. Maggie Smith and Helen MIrren are the standouts in a star-filled cast.

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This review was written by Nell Minow
Studio:USA Films
Director:Robert Altman
Cast:Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon
Genre:Drama
Run time:137 minutes
Theatrical release date:December 26, 2001
DVD release date:October 8, 2002
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:sexual situations, language, brief violence

This review was written by Nell Minow
 

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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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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