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Parents' Guide to

Romeo and Juliet

By Scott G. Mignola, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Wonderful, but a little too mature for some kids.

Movie PG 1968 138 minutes
Romeo and Juliet Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 8 parent reviews

Edica123
Edica123 Adult
November 16, 2020
age 12+

beautiful and heartfelt!

a beautiful classic! I watched it with my 12yr daughter and she loved it! now. I know some parents may be like; why would you let your 12 yr daughter watch this!? well, my daughter is mature and can handle it. and I covered her eyes in only one scene. this movie is good for 12yrs and up if they are mature, of course. the movie does have a sex scene in a bed where Romeo is fully naked, and you can see a glimpse of Juliet's breasts. other than that has passionate kisses and that's really it. This movie is really moving and is a beautiful classic for mature tweens and or teens.
aetheriadraconis
aetheriadraconis Parent of 1, 4 and 7-year-old
December 12, 2015
age 10+

Classic story, original play and excellent acting

Original W. Shakespeare play, including original quotes. Very good acting, actors are of correct age - Olivia Hussey (Juliet) was 15 y.o., Juliet was supposed to be 14 y.o. according to the book. Fights and death scenes are not too graphic, but mostly realistic. Of course, fully according to the play, main heroes commit suicide at the end of the movie - so prepare to discuss this with your children. One sexual scene, including naked man from the back and women, covered with sheets. For a brief moment Juliet breasts could be seen (note - actress is, technically, minor - 15 y.o.) Overall, it's a great movie - the best Romeo and Juliet movie so far. The minimum age depends on the child maturity and ability to understand complex topics, such as love, death and fate. I would say 10+ is a minimum, 12+ would be appropriate for most of the children.
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Franco Zeffirelli's ambitious production of ROMEO AND JULIET brought Shakespeare to the masses in 1968. He did it not by dumbing the play down, but by casting two talented unknowns, Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey (ages seventeen and fifteen, respectively) as the leads. Much like Titanic would thirty years later, Romeo and Juliet struck a chord with teenagers, who found its beautiful young stars' urgency and tragic plight irresistible. Shot in Italy, Zeffirelli's faithful production of the tragedy also features a very young Michael York as Tybalt.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8 ):
Kids say (28 ):

Zefirelli's performers breathe understanding into every ornate phrase, translating the sixteenth-century prose into something fresh and modern. This stands in stark contrast to the peculiar travesty Romeo + Juliet, in which Leonardo DiCaprio and others spew Shakespeare's lines without understanding them,

When Romeo first spies Juliet, you believe--even before he speaks--that he's irreparably in love. Their balcony scene is wonderfully passionate, and the finale all the more potent for Laurence Olivier's uncredited narration. (But a cautionary note to parents: Teens may see the story as a glamorization of suicide and the subject is well worth discussing with them.)

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's depiction of suicide.

  • Why do the two families hate one another?

  • How does the ending make you feel about love?

Movie Details

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