North by Northwest (NR, 1959)
common sense media says
Witty Hitchcock thriller piles on suspense and innuendo.
parents & educators say
- 40% say violence is an issue
- 40% say sexual content is an issue
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this Hitchcock classic includes suspenseful scenes such as a forced drunken car chase on windy roads and a crop duster chase with shooting and an explosion. Typical of the era, there's drinking of hard liquor and smoking, with a seductive lighting-up featured in one scene. More seductive elements include forward sexual banter and some kissing -- the clothes stay on but there's a mention that the main characters slept together in their train car. It's also worth noting that the main character undergoes a big transformation, from fast-talking and unscrupulous ad exec to a man who risks his own life to find out the truth that will exonerate him.
Positive role models:
Thornhill is a twice-divorced ad exec who spouts his philosophy at the beginning of the movie as "In the world of advertising there's no such thing as a lie, there's only expedient exaggeration." When he's set up we see a big shift in his character -- he risks his own life for the truth and then for love. The CIA is shown as unscrupulous, willing to let Thornhill die to cover their tracks. Eve is played as mysterious and cunning and joked about as promiscuous -- but she's a damsel in distress ready to be saved by Thornhill in the end.
Violence:
Roger Thornhill is kidnapped at gunpoint, then force-fed a bottle of bourbon (not shown) and put behind the wheel of the car, which he almost crashes numerous times on a windy road. A character gets knifed in the back. A crop duster fires shots and chases Thornhill, later exploding when it hits a truck. A death is faked by shooting and more shots are fired at the main characters as they dangle from a great height.
Sex:
Some kissing with clothes on and the implication that Thornhill and Eve slept together in a train bed. Lots of forward sexual banter along the lines of "what can a man do with his clothes off for 20 minutes?" after Thornhill sends his suit to be pressed.
Language:
"Treacherous little tramp" is as strong as the language gets.
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Plenty of hard liquor drunk and mentioned. Some smoking typical of the era, including a matchbook with Thornhill's initials used to seductively light Eve's cigarette. Thornhill is force-fed bourbon then drives drunk to evade the bad guys, ending in a "funny-drunk" scene at the police station.
More on North by Northwest
Review It
Based on 5 parent & educator reviews:
- 40% say violence is an issue
- 40% say sexual content is an issue
Most useful reviews by all members
moorehead
adult
adult
Geat film--not for young children, though.
Wonderful film. Great acting by Cary Grant.
The scenes at Mt. Rushmore are thrilling, beautiful and suspenseful.
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Tsion
parent of 15 year old
parent of 15 year old
An engaging action flick...
NORTH BY NORTHWEST is a fun movie, and great, suspenseful viewing for family movie night (for those who are old enough). There are several intense scenes, and in two places men are shot (nongraphically). One man is stabbed and another man is framed for it. There is a bit of innuendo ("you could always sleep in by booth with me, where it's safe" or "what should I do with you in the morning") and a couple are seen kissing passionately.
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Classic Movie ...
parent
parent
A family favorite!!
This is a family favorite for all three of our kids.
We like classic movies because the material is generally suitable for the kids and it’s not dumbed down for them or us. Because much of the content is from a past era, some things need explanation. We prefer to use questionable content as teachable moments with which to reinforce our values.
Some of the scenes are harrowing, but all told there is less violence here than in most of today’s fare. I will however describe the teachable moments we have found.
-One scene contains a man involuntary driving while drunk. Yes, it was involuntary. We use it as a chance to talk about moderation and responsibility.
-Another scene implies spending the night with a stranger. We make sure our kids know that’s not exactly desirable behavior.
Those are the main ones – enjoy!
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Event Horizon
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
Bad romance, action could have been better, just...forgettable
AFI ranked this as the #4 most thrilling movie ever, with only Exorcist, Jaws, and Psycho ahead of it. That's pretty big shoes to fill. But this didn't fill them. For an action movie, the only memorable action sequences were the cropduster (which was stupid...he should have just laid down and waited for it to run out of gas), and the Mt. Rushmore (silly). The romance was not believable, as they met and six hours later they had a makeout scene that was about fifteen minutes too long. Not much was believable, and the connecting material between action was scanty. Not worth seeing.
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samuelgb
kid, 13 years old
kid, 13 years old
BEST MOVIE EVER !!!
I saw North By Northwest when I was 10, and I think it may be one of the best movies I have ever seen. There was one scene that creeped me out a bit, but besides that, I enjoyed every minute!
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worstsitever
kid, 13 years old
kid, 13 years old
Only 4 stars?
By far one of the best thrillers ever made. Reccomend it to any fan of suspense.
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Spielberg00
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
One of the best Hitchcock movies ever.
My rating: PG [borderline with PG-13] for some violent images and brief alcohol use.
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mongofa
teen, 17 years old
teen, 17 years old
Suspenseful and thrilling
Cary Grant shines, in this spectacularly thrilling Hitchcock classic. That cropduster scene was so beautifuly shot it gives me the chills. The film does have some scenes of peril and violence that parents may not want there young kids to see. It is the perfect movie for teens, though
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MovieFan777
teen, 16 years old
teen, 16 years old
Hitchcock's Classic Spy Film!
It's Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and spy action, what else do you need! Hitchcock's third spy film after two others (Notorious, Foreign Correspondent) is quite magnificent, and I must say for a man who loves making murder mysteries, I was really blown away by Hitchcock's ability to throw out a action spy thriller. But even though it's not Hitchcock's usual cup off tea, it truly does succeed as another amazing thriller from the Master of Suspense!
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