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A Serious Man

(2009, Rated R, Comedy, Starring Adam Arkin, Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 16.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Brilliant but bleak comedy for mature Coen brothers fans.

Themes in this movie include:   family relationships, honesty, loss

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Amid the movie's acrid humor and mature subject matter is a good deal of food for thought -- if not a constructively positive take-away. The lead character struggles to do the right thing, and his actions have definitive consequences.

  • Role models :

    The characters here are all fairly flawed -- that makes them realistic, but it doesn't necessarily make them the best role models. The lead character makes an important moral decision and is found wanting; at other times, though, he demonstrates real decency and endeavors to do the right thing.

  • Violence:

    Some violence, including a stabbing (with blood) in the prologue. There's also a shooting and a beating; these take place in dream sequences but are depicted with vigor and blood. The corpse of a hunted deer is also seen.

  • Sex:

    A topless sunbather is seen from a distance; a dream sequence includes a sex scene in which a woman is wearing a bra and a man's bare chest is shown. Discussions of sex and infidelity.

  • Language:

    Constant, including "f--k" and its derivatives, "s--t," "a--hole," "pissed," "crap," "oh my God," and "Jesus." "Jew" is used briefly, presumably derogatorily.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Characters drink wine and hard liquor and smoke pipes and cigarettes. Marijuana is also smoked -- in some cases by 12-year-old boys -- and discussed extensively.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About A Serious Man

Parents need to know that the Coen brothers' A Serious Man features extensive use of marijuana (in some cases by pre-teen boys) and lots of profanity (from "f--k" and "s--t" on down the line). There's some sexual material as well (a distant view of a topless sunbather, a dream-sequence sex scene), and some brief but bloody moments of violence. The movie also offers viewers complex questions to ponder on the subjects of faith and religion.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the film's central question: Why do bad things happen to good people? Do our actions have consequences?
  • The film also offers great opportunities for discussion of the nature of religious belief. What questions does the movie raise about faith? Does it provide any answers?
  • What does this movie have in common thematically with the Coen brothers' other movies? What do their films say about the importance of morality and ethics in a world that seems to respect neither?
Tools and tips that can help

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    JVazquez
    I rate this title on for age 16 and give it 5.0

    This movie is funny but for some reason i freaking loved it. This movie has it confusing parts but there most likey dreams.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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