Parents' Guide to

Simone

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

It goes on a little long, but isn't terrible.

Movie PG-13 2002 117 minutes
Simone Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

S-M
S-M Adult
January 22, 2021
age 10+

Amazing

I watched this movie when I was younger, and I was dumb-founded. It was the best movie I had ever seen. It had me nerve recked all through out, and then there was that splash of relief. It also has it’s humorous moments. I mean, Al Pacino is in it, so how could you expect otherwise? I would say that there is a bit of inappropriate behavior going on in this film. But nothing to deep. I feel that kids should be able to watch this film. Because it is still my most beloved movie to this day.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Movie director Viktor Taransky (Al Pacino) has had it with actors. When the high-maintenance star of his new movie (Winona Ryder) quits, Viktor finds the perfect substitute to star in his movie. She's perfect because she will do anything he says. And she will do anything he says because she isn't human -- she is a computer simulation living in a hard drive. He can take a little bit of Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Greta Garbo, and a dozen other stars and then program her to do, say, wear, or digitally appear anywhere he wants to. "Simone" causes a sensation, and many people are only too willing to claim that they have met her in order to make themselves seem more important. And Simone's apparent unwillingness to meet with members of the press only adds to the public fascination with her. But Viktor's creation takes over. Viktor rationalizes his deception as just one small step beyond current practice and decries Hollywood's "irrational allegiance to flesh and blood." According to him, "the only real truth is the work."

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

It is great fun to see Pacino do farce and SIMONE has some deliciously sharp satire. Told that a star is willing to do all her own stunts, including a fall from a plane, a studio executive says, "Shoot it the last day." A radio news broadcast announces that no one is paying attention to world affairs because the Oscar nominations are out. It goes on a little long, but it is one of the better comedies of the summer.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how it compares to traditional stories about liars like The Boy Who Cried Wolf and Pinocchio. And they should talk about how performances by "live" actors compare to those of digitally created characters in movies like Toy Story and Shrek. Do you think there will be a day when movie stars are created by computer?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: August 23, 2002
  • On DVD or streaming: January 21, 2003
  • Cast: Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Winona Ryder
  • Director: Andrew Niccol
  • Inclusion Information: Middle Eastern/North African actors
  • Studio: New Line
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 117 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: language
  • Last updated: March 3, 2023

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate