North Country

Movie review by Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
North Country Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Excellent, moving, but for mature audiences only.

R 2005 126 minutes
Rate movie

Parents say

age 16+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 17+

Based on 4 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate movie

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this mature drama begins with a woman leaving her husband after he has beaten her (beating is unseen, but her bloody, bruised face is visible). The movie includes tense family scenes, when the woman argues with her father (a miner who believes she should have stayed with her husband), and with her son (who eventually learns the identity of his father, a high school teacher who raped his mother when she was a student: this violent scene appears in flashback pieces, and might upset younger viewers). The film includes repeated scenes of harsh harassment of women workers at the mine: graffiti, rough language, semen left in a locker, a PortAJohn turned over with a woman inside, and one man assaults a woman, pressing her onto a pile of rocks and leaving her dirty and bruised. High school hockey games include some typical roughness. A woman develops Lou Gherig's disease and we see her deterioration.

Community Reviews

Lowe's man
Lowe's man Adult
January 18, 2017
age 16+

essential viewing for older teens

While it's been a long time since I saw this movie (and as such only remember bits and pieces of it), it shows what women who took jobs that have traditionally been held by men had to go through at the time, why even those who privately sided with abused women were sometimes afraid to publicly say it, and the difference that just 1 person or a couple people can make. While the movie does go too slow at times and, as a result, is less effective than it could be, viewers can't help but empathize with the women. While sexual harassment laws and anti-harassment policies at work sometimes go too far, it's good that we have them, as we do need them. This movie helps explain why. Those who are mature enough to watch this movie should.
micapu
micapu Adult
April 9, 2008
not rated for age

didn't disappoint

I really liked this movie. The courtroom scenes were a little cheesy but overall the dialogue and message were intellingent and entertaining. Violence against women is all too common in media (and in life) and this movie makes it clear that it's NOT ok. That women shouldn't be victimized twice by the actions of some and the inaction and/or apathy of others. The only thing that really bothered me was that the main character's *statutory* rape by a teacher was treated as a plot point to advance the storyline, instead of as a tragedy all by itself. We watched this movie w/ our 14 year old because we thought the overall message was important. It really bugs me that a movie like this gets a "R" rating when other movies that treat sex casually and disrespectfully get "PG" or "PG-13" ratings.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) finally leaves her abusive husband, her future looks bleak. With her two kids, she relocates to the last place she ever wanted to go, her parents' home in Northern Minnesota. She takes a job down at the mine, where her friend Glory (Frances McDormand) serves as a union rep, supported emotionally by her husband Kyle (Sean Bean). Josey soon faces ridicule and rebuke from her male coworkers, their wives, her employers, and even her dad. The other women miners have resigned themselves to the routine. Still, everyone but Glory blames Josey for the increase in abuse, which the film shows in grotesque detail. Childish, crude, and horrific, these tactics only gird Josey's resistance. She convinces Bill White (Woody Harrelson), a onetime local hockey star and New York lawyer, to help her bring a class action lawsuit against the company.

Is It Any Good?

Boldly melodramatic and occasionally overwrought, NORTH COUNTRY means well, but it doesn't trust viewers to keep up (and honestly, it's not moving that fast). Laying on cruelties, climactic plot turns, and tragic figures (Josey sheds earnest tears in the courtroom for gallant supporters as much as for brief, tension-building failures), the film overstates its case -- especially in the courtroom scenes – when less is more effective.

As the film more or less locks you into Josey's perspective, it appears that even the bleak environment (effected by Chris Menges' splendid grey imagery) signifies her perpetual exhaustion. And the sheer weight of her burden is emphasized by director Niki (Whale Rider) Caro's soap operatic inflections: extended takes of pained faces, scenes showcasing family tensions, and plaintive Bob Dylan sound track music all make plain Josey's heavy burden.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the courage it takes for Josey to stand up to her employers and her coworkers, including men and women who just want to keep their jobs. She also faces condemnation from her miner father: how does their reconciliation begin when he sees her harassed by other men? How does Josey's relationship with her own kids change as she persists in her struggle for equal treatment on the job and in town?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

  • Erin Brockovich Poster Image

    Erin Brockovich

    Legal drama based on a true story has lots of cursing.

    age 15+

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate