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Parents' Guide to

American Pastoral

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Talented cast can't save mature, disappointing adaptation.

Movie R 2016 126 minutes
American Pastoral Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

AMERICAN PASTORAL is based on Philip Roth's same-named Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Starting in the late 1940s, it tells the story of Seymour Levov, dubbed the "Swede," a WASPy-looking star athlete at a predominantly Jewish high school in New Jersey who seems bound for greatness. Swede (Ewan McGregor) seems to be finding that success as he takes over his father's profitable glove business, marries Irish-Catholic beauty queen/former Miss New Jersey Dawn (Jennifer Connelly), and moves to the affluent town of Old Rimrock. The Levovs' only hiccup is that their only daughter, Mary, has a debilitating stutter -- but it doesn't keep her from expressing herself. Eventually, thoughtful young girl Mary grows up into zealous, rebellious teen Mary (Dakota Fanning) in the 1960s. After a local post office blows up and Mary, the prime suspect, goes missing, Swede's life never returns to normal.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Despite starring talented actors, this drama unfortunately joins the pile of mediocre Philip Roth film adaptations. McGregor, who also directs, is glaringly miscast. Yes, he looks WASPy, but he's not the brawny, Nordic sports star that Roth's writing evokes (think a Chris Hemsworth type). The entire ensemble, including David Strathairn as author Nathan Zuckerman (a Roth stand-in), who narrates the story, does a fine job, but this story lacks the impact, thought-provoking social commentary, and empathy of the book.

Instead, the Levovs end up coming across as a whiny girl who fancies herself a revolutionary, a beautiful but unfulfilled housewife, and a clueless husband who can't see that his family is falling apart. The cinematography is impressive, with memorable, evocative shots of both landscapes like the Levov estate and more personal moments. Although the story's historical context and political questions are still relevant (what does it mean to make it in America? How are women, religious minorities, and people of color disenfranchised?), the movie American Pastoral falls quite short of Roth's revelatory novel.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in American Pastoral. Is all of it necessary to the story? Is it realistic? How does it compare to what you might see in an action movie? Does all media violence have the same impact?

  • What do you think of the movie's message about appearances versus reality?

  • The movie, like the book, explores competing ideas about America. Is that still relevant today? If so, how? What parts of the movie resonated most with you?

  • How are issues of class and race portrayed?

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