 | 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. |
The Piano
- Review Date: February 28, 2006
- R
- Genre: Drama
- 1993
Common Sense Media says
Charged tale of a woman's awakening for older teens and up.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Piano is a complex adult drama with sexual relationships driving its plot. George is shown fully nude from the front in the beginning of a sex scene between him and Ada. In addition to a rather graphically staged play depicting violent acts, Ada's husband attacks Ada with a real axe, chopping off her finger -- a scene accentuated by blood squirting on the face of Ada's nearby daughter. He also holds George at gunpoint. While the language is not often explicit, the emotional intensity of the husband's rage is obviously heavy.
What's the story?
THE PIANO tells the story of a mute (by choice) Scottish woman of the 19th century, Ada (Holly Hunter), and her daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) as they move to New Zealand for Ada to fulfill the obligations of a marriage that her father has arranged. Her husband Stewart (Sam Neill) is awkward and stilted in his interactions with her. He doesn't appreciate her connection with the piano that she has brought with her from Scotland, which leavers her open to the affection of a Maori neighbor, George Baines (Harvey Keitel), who does understand the connection and uses the piano as a way to get close to Ada.
Is it any good?
Writer/director Jane Campion's The Piano is a poetic film, rich with metaphor, recurring visual motifs, and a masterful score by Michael Nyman. Watching this film for its story alone may leave many viewers wanting. The true core of the film is the impressionistic rendering of the sexual awakening of the repressed Ada at the hands of George Baines. The pace is slow, as time is taken to focus on the lush scenery of the New Zealand forest and the elaborate clothing and decorations marking the time period and its conservatism.
For those with the patience, this is a rewarding film filled with great performances. In fact, Holly Hunter won the best actress Oscar for playing Ada -- proving that a great actress doesn't need spoken dialogue to express herself vividly -- while Anna Paquin won the supporting actress award for her role.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about why it's important that Ada chooses not to speak, acting as a mute, despite having no physical disability preventing her from doing so. How does Stewart treat Ada and her piano? In contrast, how does George treat her? Is it right for George to blackmail Ada into sexual situations with him? Are Stewart's reactions to George and Ada appropriate or understandable? What function do the Maoris have in the film?
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Teen, 15 years old
January 9, 2010
AGE
too sexual
there is too much sex in that movie. and i love anna paquin so i would like to really like to see that movie because it's anna paquin's oscar winning role.
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Teen, 15 years old
February 3, 2011
AGE
Far to much sexuality
I have to say, i love Bright Star, the other movie Jane Campion had done that i have seen, so i decided to watch this movie, assuming it would be just as good. No. In my personal opinion i did not like this movie at all, i can see how other people think it is brilliant. But i thought that there was far to much sexuality in it. Frankly i found it to be nearly revolting. The main character Ada, is clearly a seriously deranged woman, and i felt truly sorry for her child. I think that if you like this movie or not depends on what kind of person you are. In my own perspective i found it to be very disturbing.
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Adult
June 13, 2011
AGE
The Piano Review
The Piano is a Drama movie with some sex scenes that are not appropriate for under 16's it is a little bit violent and only a little bit of language in the movie
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Adult
July 5, 2011
AGE
Mediocre -Mature Teens and up
The Piano is a deep, heavy, disturbing, and dimensional film. The main character is a tortured, manipulative, and obsessive woman whose deep attachment to her piano utterly consumes her. Her relationship with her husband is nonexistent and her young daughter is left on her own (or to serve as interpreter/errand girl for her mute mother). The film's heavy themes, shocking violence, gloomy desperation, sexual predation, and intense erotic character make it unsuitable for even most teens. Until they are ready to deal with complex, erotic, and violent themes maturely, they are not ready for the Piano.
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Parent of 1 and 9 year old
March 12, 2012
AGE
Beautiful story, too sexual for kids
I saw this movie several years ago and fell in love with it. I love period movies, and there were so many underlying complexities and symbols in the plot, it was perfect. However, there is quite a bit of sexual content and nudity present. There is also a bit of swearing, but nothing too major, depending on how strict you are on how much is too much. (only words like d**n and h**l are present, but when the Maori natives are speaking, their words are subtitled and there are swear words in there.) In one scene, George, the male protagonist is seen cleaning the piano in a full-frontal nude shot. He and Ada also have sex, and this scene is shown/uncensored. There is also a forced near-sex scene, where George rips Aeda's dress and kisses her neck as she pushes him away. There are also hints to Flora (the daughter) watching them do so, and teaching the other children to mimic the actions with trees. There is also an extremely violent scene of domestic violence/abuse between Ada and her husband Stewart. He threatens her with an ax, hits her, shoves her into walls, and finally uses the ax to chop off one of her fingers for seeing George, and the blood spurts out onto her daughter's face. This movie is lovely for mature/older teens and adults; I would say around 16 and older, just because some of the content in the film may be too intense or inappropriate for younger teens, and especially children. Beautiful story, intense situations, but a wonderfully enjoyable movie.
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| Studio: | Artisan Entertainment |
| Director: | Jane Campion |
| Cast: | Harvey Keitel, Holly Hunter, Sam Neill |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 121 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 12, 1993 |
| DVD release date: | January 20, 1998 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | moments of extremely graphic sexuality |
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