Common Sense Media Review
By Kari Croop
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Twisty period drama has dark tone, mature sexual themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Fingersmith
What's the Story?
Based on Sarah Waters' titillating 2002 novel of the same name, FINGERSMITH follows the lives of two women -- streetwise pickpocket Sue Trinder (Sally Hawkins) and sheltered heiress Maud Lilly (Elaine Cassidy) -- whose destinies become intertwined when the handsome Gentleman aka Richard Rivers (Rupert Evans) involves them both in a complicated inheritance scam. Little does Gentleman know that the women are secretly involved with each other.
Is It Any Good?
For ardent fans of BBC costume dramas, Fingersmith looks like an obvious pick. But if you aren't familiar with the miniseries' source material, you might be in for a surprise when it comes to the plot. After all, lesbian love affairs aren't typically the stuff such miniseries are made of.
Aside from the same-sex romance, however, there's a whole lot more to the story, and it's told effectively with clever plot twists and switches of perspective that deliver a sufficiently juicy tale of greed, deception, and mistaken identity. Jane Austen it's definitely not, but for the right age group, it's a bloody good time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sexual content as it relates to the story. Does the sexual storyline between the two women seem illustrative or excessive? Does the nature of their relationship surprise you for the time period? Is the story ultimately about love, sex, or both?
In terms of men, women, and power, who appears to be calling the shots? How does the level of power and freedom women of the Victorian era had compare to that of modern women? Which time period would you rather live in?
How does the tone of this series relate to other costume dramas you've seen that were set in the same time period? Is the overall feel decidedly darker? How do the art direction, writing, and cinematography help communicate the series' mood?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 13, 2005
- Cast : Elaine Cassidy , Sally Hawkins
- Director : Aisling Walsh
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Acorn Media
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters , History
- Run time : 180 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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