Parents' Guide to A Price Above Rubies

A Price Above Rubies is an interesting film about a niche community we don't often see -- Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn. It offers a glimpse into the everyday experiences of their lives, struggles, and relationships, as told through a woman who sees it as an outsider. The characters are complex and interesting as they struggle to do their version of good and reconcile it against their passions, all within a community that values masculine intelligence and female obedience and imposes narrow, restrictive ideals about faith and goodness. There's a bit of a mafia-like sensibility to the way the culture is portrayed, but at the center of the story is a worthwhile question about whether women can ever have true agency and autonomy when so much is demanded of them as wives and mothers first. It's well-acted, if a bit heavy-handed, and raises some fascinating questions about art, faith, and passion. But the forced intercourse, intimidation, exploration of sexuality and autonomy here are much too mature for kids.