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Bridge of Spies

age 13+
(i)

 

Cold War thriller focuses on tension over action.
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  • Review Date: October 16, 2015
  • Rated: PG-13
  • Genre: Thriller
  • Release Year: 2015
  • Running Time: 135 minutes

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What parents need to know

Positive messages

It isn't always easy to do your duty or complete the tasks that people give you, but that doesn't mean they're not worth doing; it's important to do your best and stick to your values. Negotiating is a tough challenge, but you can stay resolute in your position while treating your adversaries with courtesy and respect.

Positive role models

Donovan is a lawyer who holds his duty to his client sacred, even if that makes him unpopular -- especially because he's very aware that, at the height of the Cold War, the rule of law and the Constitution are two of the main differences between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Violence

A prisoner is interrogated harshly; viewers see him clearly sleep-deprived and shivering from being splashed in the face with buckets of cold water. Another scene shows people being shot to death as they try to flee East Germany over the Berlin Wall.

Sex
Not applicable
Language

Infrequent swearing includes a couple of uses of "f--k" (during a tense scene), plus "son of a bitch" and "goddamn hell."

Consumerism

One of the main characters prefers to drink Nescafe.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Characters smoke cigarettes in many scenes (accurate for the era), and one uses a pipe during a dramatic moment. A few sequences take place in bars, though the main characters aren't always drinking. Other moments feature characters toasting with scotch or brandy during tense discussions or to seal an important deal.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Steven Spielberg's Bridge of Spies is a tense, taut Cold War thriller inspired by real-life events. Tom Hanks stars as James Donovan, an upstanding American insurance lawyer who's assigned to defend a Soviet spy captured in Brooklyn, events that lead to a hostage exchange. Expect occasional swearing (including a couple of "f--k"s during a tense scene, plus "son of a bitch" and "goddamn hell"), a fair amount of era-accurate smoking, celebratory toasting, and some brief, intense violence -- most notably scenes in which a prisoner is harshly interrogated and others in which people are shot while trying to flee East Germany.

What's the story?

James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is a skilled insurance lawyer who's asked to take on an unusual, challenging case: defending a captured Soviet spy (Mark Rylance) at the height of the Cold War. And although his involvement with the case makes him unpopular, Donovan is determined to make sure his client gets a fair trial, even if he has to appeal the ruling all the way to the Supreme Court. Then, when U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is shot down over the Soviet Union, Donovan must take on an even more difficult and dangerous assignment: Go to East Berlin to negotiate a prisoner exchange.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Written by Matt Charman and Joel and Ethan Coen, BRIDGE OF SPIES crackles with crispness and clarity. Director Steven Spielberg knows how to keep viewers on the edge of their seats; case in point, the movie's opening, which will leave you waiting for a big explosion or defining crash of the kind most often seen in espionage tales. But what happens instead isn't a prototypical setting-into-motion plot device but more a peeling of the proverbial onion skin, moving the plot through the first of many curves and hard lefts.

The period set design bottles 1950s/60s New York's essence, as well as Berlin in the latter half of the movie. If there's any quibble, it's that there's so much story to pack in that a few characters get the short shrift, notably Donovan's wife (ably played by Amy Ryan) and one of his law firm partners (Alan Alda). But ultimately one of the most compelling things about Bridge of Spies is that it truly feels of a different time, devoid of the usual pointed emotional cues and heavy backgrounding that clutter most movies these days. Which isn't to say that you won't be pulled into this spy drama, because you will be. Or that you'll figure out what's going to happen and what the film is about, because you won't. What you will find is a movie stripped bare to its essentials: the retelling of a story based on real-life events about how an insurance lawyer became instrumental in negotiating one of the most important spy-swaps of the Cold War.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about how Bridge of Spies depicts the Cold War. Teens: Did you know much about this period of history before watching? How could you find out more?

  • How accurate do you think the movie is to what actually happened? Why might filmmakers decide to tweak facts in some cases?

  • How did the movie's violent scenes affect you? Did they have more or less impact than those you've seen in more action-heavy thrillers? Why do you think that is?

  • Is Donovan a role model? Why or why not? Does he seem like someone who'd naturally be the subject of a big Hollywood movie?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:October 16, 2015
DVD release date:February 2, 2016
Cast:Tom Hanks, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda
Director:Steven Spielberg
Studio:Walt Disney Studios
Genre:Thriller
Topics:History
Character strengths:Integrity
Run time:135 minutes
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:some violence and brief strong language
Awards/Honors:Academy Award, Common Sense Seal

This review of Bridge of Spies was written by

S. Jhoanna Robledo
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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Kid, 11 years old October 19, 2015
age 11+

Very good Steven Spielberg movie, if your kids can get past some parts.

This movie is not very action packed. Let's get that out the way. If your kid has came to see a very exciting movie. You might be kind of disappointed. But otherwise, this movie was stellar. Since this movie has not alot of action, the acting is amazing. The movie's seperated into 2 parts, dictating if the spy will live, and going to Berlin to save the other spy. The first part's pretty interesting, and the second part gives you a very realistic look at the Berlin wall. They say the f-word 2 times in one scene, son of B**** a couple of times, and G**d*** a couple times too.
What other families should know
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
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Teen, 15 years old Written byThe Reel Aisle Seat October 24, 2015
age 11+

For a movie, Good. For a Spielberg/Hanks movie, somewhat disappointing.

"Bridge of Spies" is based on the true story of New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks), who is sent to Berlin to negotiate the release of U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) in return for a Soviet spy that Donovan defended in court, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance). The way the story is separated is similar to that of "Into the Woods". About half of the film (maybe a little under) involves Donovan's defense of Abel, and the rest involves him negotiating with the Germans and Russians. It isn't an action movie by any means, so those expecting it to be like other spy films released earlier in the year like "Kingsman: The Secret Service" or "Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation" will be greatly disappointed. I was a bit underwhelmed by the division of the plot. It feels like two movies, with little to no connection between the two storylines. It is still engaging, but for a Steven Spielberg movie, the plot is pretty underwhelming. Despite all of this, Tom Hanks is great as James Donovan. This does seem like a role that would be best suited for him, and he makes the most of it. Mark Rylance, who is mainly a stage actor, does a good job as Abel. The rest of the cast is good, but they don't receive near as much screen-time as Hanks or Rylance. Overall, "Bridge of Spies" is an engaging but slightly underwhelming story, yet Hanks and Rylance save this movie from being one of Spielberg's worst. I liked "Bridge of Spies" just fine, yet I wouldn't call it an Oscar winner. For a movie, it is good, but for a Spielberg/Hanks collaboration, the duo that gave us "Saving Private Ryan", it disappoints. PARENT'S GUIDE: There isn't much violence in this Cold War drama, yet there is a lot of tension. You can see a group of people trying to climb the Berlin Wall to the other side get shot down, and that scene may be potentially upsetting, along with one where an American soldier who is imprisoned by the Russians is being interrogated and sleep-deprived. There are 2 F-words as well, but no sex or drugs. It does have some educational value, since it takes place in the Cold War, but going just spend $10 or more on a movie for a history lesson isn't that wise in this day and age with the Internet (just my opinion though). Recommended Age: 11+, Mature 10+
What other families should know
Too much swearing
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Adult Written byterra100 October 19, 2015
age 13+

Worth your time - great film

I very much liked this film. There are a lot of positive role models in this movie, and the backdrop is about families and the worth of human beings. I thought it was definitely worth my husband's and my time to see this film. It turned out to be a very moving and uplifting story.
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Great messages
Great role models
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