The Thomas Crown Affair (R, 1999)

common sense media says

A fine remake for older teens and adults.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie's R rating comes from some swear words, nudity (Russo appears topless and Brosnan appears bottomless), and a steamy but not very explicit sex scene.

Positive messages: Not applicable.
Violence: Tense scenes, but no real violence.
Sex: Russo appears topless, some steamy scenes.
Language: Brief strong profanity.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Social drinking, character hung over.

More on The Thomas Crown Affair

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about what makes people afraid to trust others, and the consequences of that fear, and what people do to make themselves feel alive and involved.

What's the story?

What's the story?
In this remake, self-made tycoon/amateur thief Tomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) steals a Monet masterpiece from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, just for the thrill of it all. The cops hit a dead end, so they call in investigator Catherine Banning (Rene Russo). Banning eventually hones in on Crown and wriggles into his upper-crust world. But Banning finds herself falling for the dashing billionaire – the man she's supposed to be trying to put behind bars.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
This is the movie equivalent of a beach book, a glossy story about beautiful, wealthy, people that not only doesn't require much thinking but actually repels it. Think too much and you'll miss the slight but real pleasures of this remake of the 1968 version starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway.

Dunaway appears briefly in this remake as Crown's therapist, to let us know that all of this is just acting out due to his fear of, guess what, intimacy. That is just one example of the movie's biggest failure -- more clever than smart, it tells us instead of showing us such major points as the main characters' fear of trusting someone else and the fact that they find each other uniquely not boring. But we are willing to let movies like this one carry us along in exchange for some steamy moments, some crafty twists, and some beautiful scenery -- Brosnan and Russo included.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: MGM/UA
Director: John McTiernan
Cast: Denis Leary, Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo
Genre: Thriller
Run time: 113 minutes
Theatrical release: August 6, 1999
DVD release: January 4, 2000
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: some sexuality and language

This review was written by Nell Minow
 
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is 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