Sleepwalking (R, 2008)
common sense media says
Mature adult drama sinks under its own weight.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that even though one of the main characters in this film is an 11-year-old girl (played by popular tween star AnnaSophia Robb, at that), it has decidedly mature themes. The girl's mother clearly loves her but is deeply troubled: She swears at her daughter, removes her from her bedroom so she can use it to tryst with her boyfriend, and even abandons her. (She does somewhat redeem herself in the end.) The girl is, unsurprisingly, deeply affected by it all -- she swears and smokes, is wracked with insecurity, and trusts virtually no one. Later, she witnesses and is subjected to harsh violence. There's also a passing reference to drug use (Joleen's boyfriend goes to jail for growing pot), drinking, and strong language throughout.
Violence:
Infrequent, but strong. A woman screams at the cops in front of her child; a grandfather yells at his granddaughter and later hits her. A scene of a dead horse; a young man defends a child by assaulting her attacker with a shovel.
Sex:
A woman fools around with her boyfriend on a dining table while her relatives sleep nearby; later, she removes her child from the bedroom and plops her on the sofa so she can use the room with her boyfriend (no nudity shown); a man makes suggestive comments to coworkers.
Language:
`F--k` shows up early; also many uses of `s--t` (including by a child), plus `goddamn` and `ass.`
Consumerism:
Some signage for Bobcat tractors and various motel chains.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Plenty of smoking and drinking, including one party during which the participants get smashed. An 11-year-old girl smokes. A minor character is sent to jail for growing marijuana.
More on Sleepwalking
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Most useful reviews by all members
Socrates
adult
adult
Good try but flawed results
Given that this film is produced by Charlize Theron it is not as offensive as it could have been (think "Monster"). It is a noble attempt to create a sympathetic tale of redemption but it winds up failing in that regard mostly. Note that 90% of all the swearing in the film is handled by Theron herself, other than that it is not much of a problem. The violence scene at the end while tragic is not the worst I've seen. Some cringing moments when Robb's troubled character swears a little and smokes (once, then seemingly gives it up). Individual performances are great though, Stahl, Woody Harrelson, and perhaps AnnaSophia Robb best of all. You want to like this movie and root for it but it justs can't seem to get off the ground, but watch it just for the great performances, that might be enough to redeem it.
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