Parents' Guide to

Creation

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Complex drama gives teens and adults reason to think.

Movie PG-13 2010 108 minutes
Creation Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

kvirgin
kvirgin Parent of 6 and 11-year-old
July 12, 2010
age 14+

Not appropriate or interesting for tweens

this movie is tedious. Too much of the same angst over and over.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Inspired by Annie's Box, a book by Charles Darwin's (Paul Bettany) descendant Randal Keynes, CREATION depicts a lively, conflicted, and deeply faithful scientist -- a multi-dimensional portrait that's often capsized by intellectual debate over his evolutionary theories -- juggling work, family life, and strife. The film follows him before his famous ,book, On the Origin of Species, is published, and he's deeply haunted. He fears what will happen between him and his deeply religious wife, Emma (Jennifer Connelly), if he shares his findings with the world. More important, he's broken by the death of his spirited daughter, Annie (Martha West), who shares his fascination with the natural world.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (4):

Creation's jumbled time structure sometimes poses a challenge, and a few scenes border on overlong, but there's plenty left to gratify demanding audiences. It's widely accepted that Charles Darwin was brilliant, but not many are aware of how loving he was. Creation isn't simply about the great naturalist's deep inquiry into the genesis of all creatures great and small; it's also about loss. And it's the better for it. Yes, we see Darwin hard at work on his book and weighing its existential significance, but what leaves a weighty impression aren't his discoveries, but how his daughter's death leaves him palpably bereft. Few of the fittest can survive such heartbreak.

For this, the audience has Bettany to thank. He holds nothing back; his struggle is achingly believable. The camera loves his real-life partner, Connelly, too, but she's too inscrutable, not specific enough. (It makes for a slight imbalance in the film.) As Annie, West is all vim and delight, very much her father's daughter, which makes her demise that much more painful.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Charles has such a difficult time writing his famous book. What keeps him from working? What haunts him?

  • Some people take exception to Darwin's theory of evolution. Have your kids ever encountered a discussion about the differing viewpoints? Ask your kids what they think and why they believe what they do.

  • How does the film address the subjects of faith and religion? Are they depicted as one and the same or different? Is it ever difficult to talk about faith and religion in your family?

Movie Details

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