Parents' Guide to Blithe Spirit

Parents need to know that Blithe Spirit is a British comedy, full of slapstick violence and drinking, and is based on a Noel Coward play. When crime writer Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens) starts to suffer from writer's block, he arranges a séance that inadvertently brings back his dead wife, Elvira (Leslie Mann), who seems intent on ruining his new marriage to Ruth (Isla Fisher). Though the séance is presented in a playful way, it could prove too scary for younger kids. Most of the characters are conniving and continuously double-cross one another. There are death threats, slapstick violence, and even a murder. But it remains cartoon-like in its depiction, with those who die coming back as ghosts. There is frequent drinking, with Charles seen drinking in the mornings and often by himself. He is also given amphetamine to help cheer his mood. Another character is drugged without her consent, in a bid to humiliate her at a large gathering. There is a sense of comeuppance though, and characters who wrong others do seem to get what is coming to them. There is the very occasional sexual reference, as it's alluded to that a character made love to a ghost, and in one scene a woman is referred to as a "hussy."

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