Parents' Guide to

Cabaret

By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Influential '70s musical features sex and mature themes.

Movie PG 1972 124 minutes
Cabaret Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 13+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Mark H.
Mark H. Parent
January 25, 2023
age 14+

It Could Happen Here.

This movie is one of the most frightening I've ever seen. Weimar German could easily be 21st Century America. We've never been more sexual and artistically open as a society. And yet we're closer than ever to descending into fascism. Proud boys walk the streets like the Nazis in the film daring us to react to their hate and then cry out as victims when we do. It's the stuff of dystopian fiction, but it was true. And yet, there's very little we can learn from it. How do you control a societal narrative that says a small group of people living their best lives is threatening enough to take away everyone's freedom over?

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
mindeedeal
mindeedeal Parent of 6-year-old
May 17, 2022
age 5+

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When Brian Roberts (Michael York) arrives in 1931 Berlin he meets Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli), a cabaret singer with an over-the-top personality. She seduces him into her world, connecting him with work and offering herself sexually to him. When he refuses, implying that he is gay, they continue to build a fun-loving friendship that eventually turns into a complicated three-way relationship with a wealthy playboy. All the while, Sally overcompensates for her fragile emotional state by building her hopes for a career as an actress. These hopes are often based on associations with powerful men she meets at the Kit Kat Klub, but usually end in disappointment. When Sally finds out she's pregnant, Brian offers to marry her, but she realizes their fantasy of a conventional life won't work. The film is set against the backdrop of rising Nazi power in Germany, which adds to the tension in the film.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (8):

This 1972 film won eight Academy Awards and many other accolades for its dynamic presentation of the heartbreaking tale of an emotionally scarred young woman. This tale is interspersed with drop-dead gorgeous costumes, brilliant choreography, and songs performed by Minnelli and others. The film perfectly captures the anxiety of the pre-WWII era, where desperate times meant living life to the fullest, even if it's an exhausting and emotionally draining spectacle. It's not likely to appeal to most kids, although teens involved in theater may be interested.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Sally Bowles' emotional state. What drives Sally to want to become a star? Why do you think she has adopted such an intense personality? Why does she change her mind about her relationship with Brian?

  • Talk about what purpose sex serves to the characters in this movie. How do their values compare to yours?

Movie Details

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