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One Night with the King (PG, 2006)

common sense media says

Brave heroine risks it all in biblical epic.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a well-crafted epic that remains true to the biblical story of Esther. Some characters plot, scheme, kill, and steal, but there's not much sexual content, and the violence is limited to some stabbings (very little blood is shown). Overall the movie is definitely family-friendly -- hence our green "on" rating despite a little bit of iffy material.

Positive messages: Girls scheme to attract the king's attention. Haman is responsible for the murder of Esther's parents. He plots to kill Jews and steal their wealth. Esther is a brave, independent heroine who risks her life to save her people.
Violence & scariness: A man is struck with a stick. Some stabbings, but very little blood is shown.
Sexy stuff: Some kissing and cleavage. One scene with the king's bare chest.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: A festival includes drinking.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on One Night with the King

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about how a queen was chosen in biblical times (from a harem of girls, trained in how to behave for the king). Families can also discuss how courageous Esther was to risk her own life to save her people. Why did she have to keep her Jewish identity a secret, and how does destiny play into this story? Why was Haman determined to kill Esther's parents and destroy the Jews? Why did he feel that war was necessary? Families can also talk about the difference between using power for evil and for good.

What's the story?

What's the story?

Esther begins life as Hadassah, growing up in Susa, the capitol of Persia, under the watchful eye of her uncle, Mordecai (John Rhys-Davies), a scribe in the royal palace. Orphaned at a young age when her parents are murdered, Hadassah dreams of returning to Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people. When Haman the Agagite (James Callis), a descendant of one of the Jews' mortal enemies and the man responsible for Hadassah's parents' deaths, sets in motion the queen's banishment for her stance against a looming war with Greece, King Xerxes (Luke Goss) is desperate to avenge his father's battles. On the verge of departing for war, Xerxes' princes press upon him the importance of leaving a queen behind to keep the people together. Many young girls -- including Hadassah -- are rounded up and taken into the palace to prepare for their presentation to the king. Mordecai warns Hadassah to keep her Jewish identity a secret, so she changes her name to Esther and immediately makes an impression on Hagai (Tommy Lister), the king's aide assigned to oversee the girls. Instead of plotting and scheming to attract the king's attention, Esther stirs the king's passion by being herself -- a smart, savvy, independent girl. When a plot to poison the king is discovered, Esther quickly finds herself embroiled in the dangerous world of politics.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

It's easy to forget that the Bible is filled with intrigue, romance, and adventure. ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING reminds us of that by telling the story of Esther, the young Jewish orphan who started out as a lowly peasant but eventually became queen of Persia. Not too many bona-fide epics get made anymore, but this one definitely fits into that category. Shot on location in the exotic ancient Mogul palaces of Rajasthan, India, One Night With the King features beautiful cinematography and lavish costumes. Dupont is superb as Esther, holding her own among screen legends like Peter O'Toole (as Samuel the prophet) and Omar Sharif (as Prince Memucan).

Esther is a good example of what it means to be courageous and stand true to your beliefs, and the film is a beautiful, heart-wrenching love story intermixed with adventure, intrigue, and -- ultimately -- the bravery of a lone girl standing up against a tyrannical plot. At its core, One Night With the King explores hatred, racism, revenge, and courage -- things that, sadly, are still worldwide problem centuries later.

Movie themes & details

Themes
history
Movie Details
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Director: Michael O. Sajbel
Cast: Omar Sharif, Peter O'Toole, Tiffany Dupont
Genre: Drama
Run time: 123 minutes
Theatrical release: October 12, 2006
DVD release: January 30, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA explanation: violence, some sensuality and thematic elements.
This review was written by Jane Boursaw
 
 

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What parents & educators say

9

Most useful reviews by all members

Irateyourmovies
teen, 15 years old
10
 
Good mostly
This movie was good in some areas and bad in others. I did not like that they added a whole "necklace" thing to the movie. It is not what happened. But I liked that it portrayed what Ester did to save the jews."If I pereish I perish". I love it!(:
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ryanb
 
Awesome movie
I saw the movie last night for the second time, and I enjoyed it just as much! It was funny, had a little bit of suspense, and had some pretty good acting. I was glad to see that this movie did not compromise the historical account found in the Bible, in fact it helped shed even more light on the story of Esther. I especially liked the part where Esther is speaking to Hagai when the candidates are picking out what decorations they wanted to wear for their "one night", and she said that she would rather bring something that the King's heart delights rather than something she would think he liked. That has really spoken to my spirit about how we should approach God. I totally recommend that people should see this movie, especially if you enjoy the story in the Bible like I do.
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halz14
adult
9
 
Good for ages 9 year and older
Good movie but not historicly correct.
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aketter
 
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Victorya
 
It was so much more than I expected
I LOVED this movie. I had high hopes for this Biblical epic of one of my favorite heros Queen Esther. But to be honest, I expected to be a bit disapointed. Boy was I wrong. Not only was it a great epic for the entire family to enjoy, but it was also a warm and fuzzy, very romantic "chic flick" that left me sighing afterwards. I kept thinking about the movie for days--now that's a good movie experience! Rush out and see it.
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Rachel D
adult
 
excellent family film
This is a great example of how a movie can be kept clean and remain interesting and fun. Not entirely biblically accurate but a good effort to retell one of the greatest love stories of history. Older kids (especially teen girls) will enjoy this with their parents. Highly recommended.
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Denga2
adult
 
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Serohna
 
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BevG
adult
 
Spectacular
With God all things are possible.
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jduncan324
adult
 
Makes the story of Esther come alive!!!
This is a great movie. You can tell that it wasn't done on the budget of a huge epic hollywood film but still a wonderful movie. Loved the romance & how they stayed true to the Bible story. Glad to have movies to go to that are not all sex, violence, language & drugs. I'm soooo glad someone finally put the awesome story of one of my heroes on the big screen!!!
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jimegli
adult
 
Enjoyed it
I went to see this film with my wife and 16 year old daughter. It was a real pleasure to see. I avoid most movies out there because they are depressing or have questionable values or messages. I found One Night with the King to be a positive, enjoyable experience for myself and my family.
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CSM Screen ...
adult
 
Loved it!
I thought this movie was beautifully done. Made me go back and read this portion of the Old Testament - it was right on the money! At first I found the female lead to be less than believeable as Esther. While she was pretty, I'm not sure I would have described her as the most beautiful girl in the kingdom. But you soon came to see that it was not just outwordly beauty that attracted the King to her. There was a sad side of the story that was not in the biblical account of her friend that was made a eunuch. This might have some children asking a lot of questions that might be a little uncomfortable to answer so you might want to be prepared for that.
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hockeymamma
adult
 
Poor Script
The photography and costumes were lush. But the screenplay was difficult to follow. Most kids won't be interested whether Esther is the concubine chosen to be queen and that is a major portion of the movie. The motivation of the king and queen's behavior is barely dealt with. Why doesn't Esther tell the king she didn't have an affair?
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ndenosky
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ON: Content is 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
Our child development rating guidelines