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Parents' Guide to

Pollock

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Wonderful movie, but for adults and older teens.

Movie R 2000 122 minutes
Pollock Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

POLLOCK, a labor of love from director/star Ed Harris, shows us the artist as a hugely talented but yowling id, all hunger and impulse. We see that both art and acceptance (and therefore fame) matter a great deal to Jackson Pollock. And we see that when the two collide, art wins out. Art critic Clement Greenberg (Jeffrey Tambor) champions of Pollock's work, making him the darling of the art world. His approval means a lot to Pollock, professionally and artistically. When Greenberg criticizes the color in one painting at a dinner party, Pollock runs to the studio to drag it into the room and takes out a huge tube of paint to squirt onto it. But even his need for approval and his self- destructiveness and spite are not enough to allow him to mar a painting that he thinks is right.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Harris gets a lot of the details right, including the dazzling spectacle of watching Pollock create the paintings. Great care was taken with the movie's art direction. A magnificent lobster-decorated dress worn by Pollock's patron Peggy Guggenheim (Amy Madigan) is an exact replica of one she really wore. Much of the movie takes place on location at Pollock's home in rural Long Island, and it all feels very genuine and authentic.

Harris, Marcia Gay Harden, and Madigan are all outstanding, and the film, while flawed, is engrossing and impressive. But we never really see why Pollock was important or what motivated him. He is boorish, selfish, conceited, and, most of all, needy. And there are a few cringe-inducing expositional moments, as when Pollock's wife (Marcia Gay Harden) exclaims on seeing his first dribble painting, "This isn't Cubism, Jackson, because you're not breaking down the figure into multiple views!" That does not do much either for those who are familiar with Pollock's work or want to learn more of the technique. Pollock, who wisely resisted explanations and categorization, deserves something more subtle and complex. There are moments when this film gives it to us, as when Pollock makes his famous statement, "I do not use the accident. I deny the accident."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why people become passionate about art and how art is affected by the surrounding commerce and culture. Why did Krasner give up her own art to take care of Pollock? Why were the views of Guggenheim and Greenberg so important? Why aren't Pollock's paintings just considered scribbles? Are there any painters today who are as important a part of the cultural landscape as Pollock was when he was featured in Life Magazine? Or are our new cultural icons working in different mediums?

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