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Parents' Guide to

Antitrust

By Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Silicon Valley story of good versus evil-sort of.

Movie PG-13 2001 106 minutes
Antitrust Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

dvdgirl
dvdgirl Adult
July 5, 2018
age 13+

pretty good thriller.

If you like movies where someone has to hack into a computer or is being followed by the FBI than this is the movie.

This title has:

Great messages
gerbowski
gerbowski Parent of 2-year-old
November 14, 2012
age 13+

The reviewers on this website must love big greedy corporations

Wow, the people who run this website don't have an agenda or anything do they?? I'm not sure the guy who reviewed this actually watched the movie, since some of his facts are just plain wrong. They can't come up with a more positive message than the Asian slurs??? How about the little guy standing up to the greedy corporation who is trying to stamp out the free market. I'm not sure what their definition of much is, but there's not that much drinking in this movie and nobody is ever drunk. I am starting to wonder about the people responsible for this website, either they are biased toward a particular way of thinking or they are just making stuff up. I'm not saying this movie was super spectacular, it wasn't, but don't believe everything you read on this site. It's funny how a movie that questions the actions of the super-rich and greedy corporations is painted in a bad light by a website that is supposed to be for parents and kids. I guess we're just not suppose to question our financial and intellectual superiors in the tall buildings. We do know the people that work for this website are making more than $30,000 a year though, I guess we can't trust them either.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much swearing
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

ANTITRUST begins as computer genius Milo Hoffman (Ryan Phillippe) tries to launch a start-up company that he believes will make vast improvements in digital technology. Enter Gary Winston (Tim Robbins), a diabolical software king (the character seems to be based partly on Bill Gates). When Winston makes Milo an offer he can't refuse, the optimistic-yet-naïve young man moves to Silicon Valley with his girlfriend (Claire Forlani) and begins working at Winston's firm, where he collaborates closely with pretty coworker Lisa (Rachael Leigh Cook). But eventually Winston's monopolistic approach to the computer industry becomes clear, and Milo can no longer deny that he's sold out and that his one-time hero is a greedy, controlling megalomaniac.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

For some reason American filmmakers never tire of depicting businessmen as greedy, conniving, and evil, and that alone makes this movie rather uninspired. While there's some high-minded dialogue in which Milo berates Winston for losing his ethics, Antitrust is basically a teen-oriented cyberthriller with gigabytes of tech-talk and the disquieting notion that you can't trust anyone over thirty. Or over $30,000 a year.

Aside from anti-business business, the film suffers from the fact that typing on a keyboard and Saving Files to Root Directory just aren't very exciting visually. But Milo spends much of his time doing just that, fingers flying and eyes wide in close-up. There's a blaring soundtrack to tip us off when something is scary, and flashbacks of events and dialogue that took place only moments before--as if viewers aren't expected to have the attention spans to remember such things.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the moral choices Milo makes, and the definition of a "transit module."

Movie Details

  • In theaters: December 26, 2001
  • On DVD or streaming: December 26, 2001
  • Cast: Claire Forlani , Ryan Phillippe , Tim Robbins
  • Director: Peter Howitt
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors
  • Studio: MGM/UA
  • Genre: Thriller
  • Run time: 106 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: some violence and brief language
  • Last updated: June 20, 2023

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