A Quiet Passion

Parents need to know that A Quiet Passion is a drama based on the life of Emily Dickinson. Cynthia Nixon plays the acclaimed 19th-century poet, showcasing her sharp wit, perseverance, and fierce independence, as well as the choices that led to a life of solitary introspection. The story, which is beautifully filmed, examines Dickinson's day-to-day life and her struggle to establish herself as a literary voice at a time when women were mostly silenced. There's almost no drinking, swearing, or sex (aside from a reference to a wife doing "her duty"), though characters do long for others romantically. Characters argue, and some die, leading to intense mourning. The language may seem stiff and overly formal to a modern audience. Younger viewers may learn something about the social conditions that made it difficult for Dickinson to wed, as well as how her resulting loneliness helped inspire her writing.