Ethel

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Ethel
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Ethel is a documentary about Ethel Kennedy, the human rights advocate and widow of Robert F. Kennedy. The documentary is made by her youngest daughter, Rory, and discusses the values and temperament of Ethel and other members of their family. These are mostly positive, but some values and attitudes are also dated by the era in which they took place. The discussion of the civil rights movement in the 1960s enable some mention of promoting diversity and inclusion. But primarily this movie documents the lives of wealthy and privileged White people with Ethel and her family perhaps not facing the same consequences as others for some of their behavior. Violence is referenced rather than shown, aside from some play-fighting between children in old home videos. However, the assassinations of Ethel's husband and her brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, are discussed, along with the effects of death and grief. Language is mild and infrequent with "ass" and "S.O.B" as strong as it gets. There is some drinking and smoking depicted. In one of the Kennedys' home movies a kid is seen trying a cigarette before coughing.
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What's the Story?
ETHEL documents the life and work of human rights advocate Ethel Kennedy.
Is It Any Good?
An attempt to tell one of the lesser-known stories of the Kennedy family, this documentary does its best to allow its subject, Ethel Kennedy, to give us an account of her life in her own words. Inevitably, Ethel is done in the shadow of two high-profile assassinations: those of her husband, Robert F. Kennedy, and his brother, President John F. Kennedy. Ethel and the other interviewees -- her children, the youngest of whom, filmmaker Rory, is also the documentary's director -- are at their most talkative when relaying family anecdotes about their slightly chaotic households, and also the work their parents did to help further the civil rights movement.
This glowing family portrait highlights how committed the group remain to one another, and also does a good job portraying how grief affects us all. Ethel's reluctance to offer any introspection about her life and loved ones also perhaps shows more than she realizes. Her stoicism suits her to life in the public eye as a political and human rights campaigner, as does her lack of ego. Of course, there is another history of the Kennedy family that is not explored here, perhaps for obvious reasons. Various conspiracies, accusations, and scandals are also part of their past. Ethel might not be the documentary to discuss them, but there's no escaping the sense that it's one-sided and enjoyed best as edited highlights of one of the United States' most famous families.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the life and work of Ethel Kennedy as told in Ethel. How much did you know about her work and her family connections prior to watching the film? What did you learn?
Discuss the treatment of women and minorities in the mid-20th century. What barriers and inequalities did they face? What has changed and what has stayed the same?
How did this documentary compare to other documentaries you have seen? What makes a good documentary?
How was drinking and smoking depicted in the film? Were they glamorized? How has our behavior when it comes to drinking and smoking changed over the years?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: May 7, 2013
- Cast: Ethel Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr.
- Director: Rory Kennedy
- Studios: HBO, Warner Home Video
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Activism, History
- Character Strengths: Empathy, Perseverance, Teamwork
- Run time: 94 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: June 21, 2022
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