Elizabeth: A Portrait in Part(s)
By Alistair Lawrence,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Disjointed royal docu has outdated views, some language.
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Elizabeth: A Portrait in Part(s)
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What's the Story?
ELIZABETH: A PORTRAIT IN PART(S) is a documentary consisting of archive footage covering the British monarch's 70-year reign.
Is It Any Good?
An iconic subject can't elevate this documentary, which compiles a mishmash of royal and news footage from across the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II in a way that gets us no closer to our subject. Granted, this is partly because the Queen must keep a professional distance from the public, but there's still little in Elizabeth: A Portrait in Part(s) that even the most ardent royalist could seriously defend as disarming or insightful. The documentary's most interesting moments come when the Queen is shown reflecting on the nature of her remarkable life and royal duties. In typically understated fashion, she comes across as thoughtful, articulate, and not without a sense of humor. In contrast to her disgraced son, Prince Andrew, who features briefly, this is a feat of remarkable self-awareness and self-control.
Indeed the high-profile chapters in her life arguably don't revolve around her at all. That said, the film's decision to ignore the recent death of her husband, Prince Philip, is an odd one. While the sudden passing of her former daughter-in-law, Lady Diana, is awkwardly mentioned in another blink and you'll miss it moment. Likewise, a glimpse of some tabloid headlines is all we get of her grandson Prince Harry's rancorous split from the grand British institution of which she is the most senior figure. If nothing else, this shows the quiet diplomacy that the Queen practices to be more difficult than it appears, but at the same time it's far from compelling viewing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the Queen came across in Elizabeth: A Portrait in Part(s). What character strengths did she display? Would you describe her as a role model? Why, or why not?
How much did you know about Britain's longest-serving monarch? Did you learn anything new from the documentary?
Talk about some of the language used in the documentary, particularly some of the outdated and offensive terms used. Did the filmmakers do enough in calling it out?
Would you describe the documentary as being balanced? Is that always important? Why, or why not?
Why do some countries have royal families while others do not? What are the pros and cons of having a monarchy?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: May 27, 2022
- Cast: Queen Elizabeth II
- Director: Roger Michell
- Studio: Showtime Networks
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: History
- Character Strengths: Humility, Perseverance, Self-control
- Run time: 89 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: May 8, 2023
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