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Parents' Guide to

Arthur (1981)

By Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Sweet-spirited '80s comedy with lots of drinking.

Movie PG 1981 97 minutes
Arthur (1981) 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 1 parent review

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 16, 2022
age 13+

Only reason it scores this high is because of Gielgud's performance

This was released 39 years ago and it shows. The only reason I gave it two stars is because of Sir John Gielgud. His dryness, his delivery, the gravel in his voice, he is a delight every time he is on screen and his costars know it and give him the room to be. The film hit the cultural context of 1981 Reagonomics at just the right time. Where we wanted to believe that being rich wasn't everything, but we really wanted to be rich anyway. Where we wanted to reject large sums of money but end up having it all anyway. Where we believed that true love even when you're poor is better than being rich and if you choose true love you'll get rich anyway, and you deserve it. Moore's character is an alcoholic and is obnoxious and noxious and immature and that is why he deserves Minnelli's character? It makes rom-com sense, but we no longer buy this brand of cereal. Gielgud's sharpness and delivery however is what makes this film any kinds of worthwhile.
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What's the Story?

During a Christmas season in New York City, Arthur Bach (Dudley Moore), a lifelong wastrel with a $750 million family fortune, spends his time, as always, having fun -- clowning, partying, driving his private race car, and, most of all, drinking to excess. Despite Arthur's womanizing (with a few prostitutes in the opener), his father decides to marry Arthur off to a girl from another super-rich family for stability and decorum. But while Arthur is gallivanting around his best friend, disapproving butler and father-figure Hobson (Sir John Gielgud), he meets and hits it off with a free-spirited would-be actress, Linda (Liza Minnelli), who works as a waitress. Will money- and alcohol-addicted Arthur call off the wedding so he can be with impoverished Linda?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (8 ):

ARTHUR was a crowd-pleasing "sleeper" in its day, with a witty screwball-comedy mien that hearkened back to golden-age screen comedies of yesteryear. (Though swearing and very light sex is something past censors wouldn't have permitted.) It also offers the Hollywood-wish-fullfillment of a poor little rich girl/guy who just needs someone to love him for who he is, not his millions. Kid viewers can especially relate to Arthur's giddy immaturity, his toys, and his slightly wistful need to make everyone laugh (so they'll like him).

It's the boozing part that's iffy material. Dudley Moore's character isn't sloshed continually -- it just feels that way. Think Popeye with his spinach, when Arthur grabs a bottle to get giggly and uninhibited enough to confront stuffy relatives and peers. Moreover, Arthur's one of the most "enabled" alcoholics ever, with an entourage and two attractive, non-gold-digging females vying to pamper him. In a way this flick is a shallow male fantasy, but, just like Hobson the sarcastic butler, viewers learn to love Arthur anyway for his innate decency and harmlessness. If only all drinkers were like that.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the choices Arthur makes. Do you really think he's going to sober up and be a better person in the end? A more sentimental (and less successful) sequel, Arthur 2: On the Rocks, attempted sincerely to address that question.

  • Ask kids what they think their lives would be like if they were raised like Arthur, in a mega-rich environment without responsibilities. What messages does this film send about immense wealth?

  • Does this film go too far in making drunkenness look positive and consequence-free?

Movie Details

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