Parents' Guide to

Rabbit Hole

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Moving, mature drama about loss is too heavy for kids.

Movie PG-13 2010 91 minutes
Rabbit Hole Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 14+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 14+

Rabbit Hole- Sometimes We Need To Go There.

Did not know anything about this movie before watching and came away impressed. While not for everyone, Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart do wondrous things with their roles as parents grieving a loss - and I’m quite surprised at how well it was received. I’ve always loved Dianne Wiest and she delivers in her interesting support role. While the theme may sound like something to avoid David Lindsay Abaire’s fine screenplay, based on his Pulitzer Prize play of the same name makes it a riveting experience. It looks good, does not try to add silly padded diversions and leads you on a believable journey of discovery and understanding. Makes a refreshing change from the standard Hollywood fare and all performances are first class - with nice cinematography and music score rounding it off. Pleased Kidman gave up yet another Woody Allan film in preference for this one.

This title has:

Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
age 15+

Great movie but depressing

I was looking for a good, sad movie to watch and someone recommended Rabbit Hole, I gave it a shot and thought it was quite good. The story is very depressing, didn't make me cry but sensitive viewers may. The story takes off with a married couple who's young son is killed by a teen driver while chasing his dog in the street. The mother Becca (Nicole Kidman) can't stand to see things that remind her of him including his bedroom. Her husband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) can't accept his death and won't let him go. These differences hurts their relationship enough that they both try attending group therapy classes with their good friends Gabby and her husband who also lost a loved one, however, Becca can't stand it so she opts out. Howie's need for some affection is turned down by his wife and he soon turns to good friend Gabby (Sandra Oh) for comfort...or a little more than that. Meanwhile, Becca is secretly meeting with the boy who accidentally killed their son and it helps her understand & forgive him. In the end, they realize that the only way their marriage can stay strong is letting go of the past and accepting what happened. Great movie but depressing. The language is not too bad but does have an angry f-word, some uses of sh*t, Goddamn, @sshole, @ss, pr*ck. Violence has death, the death of a small child but not shown just discussed, a woman slaps another woman in the face hard, loud yelling and arguments, hurtful discussions. Sexual content is fairly mild and includes some affection between a married couple that ends fast, a man attempts to cheat on his wife but doesn't, flirting, a young woman gets pregnant by a man who she's not "with", quick talk about a married couple not having sex. There is some drinking and drug use (two scenes of a man and woman in a car smoking pot with a pipe). This really should be rated R for the language, drug use and emotional content. 16+ viewers seems fair.

This title has:

Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Kidman is impressive as the wounded Becca, who won't let anyone attend to her pain. She's prickly and unpredictable, and her heartbreak is deeply felt despite her attempts to dismiss it. Her scenes with the incomparable Diane Wiest are a joy to watch, if only to see them play mother and daughter with such realism and knowing. Eckhart surprises with a vulnerability we rarely get to see him display, and Teller is memorable as a teenager trying to find his way back to a happier life. A few moments work too hard to evoke emotion -- the scene in the supermarket, for instance, when Becca is shocked at her own display of rage -- but those are, thankfully, the exceptions.

Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire, RABBIT HOLE turns its viewers into witnesses of a marriage at a crossroads: Can their grief cannibalize their marriage, their selves? It's a weighty question that the film embraces, beautifully. Rather than provide audiences with the expected portraits of anguish, it aims for an unvarnished and messy truth -- difficult to categorize, stunning to watch.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: December 17, 2010
  • On DVD or streaming: April 19, 2011
  • Cast: Aaron Eckhart , Dianne Wiest , Nicole Kidman
  • Director: John Cameron Mitchell
  • Inclusion Information: Gay directors, Female actors
  • Studio: Lionsgate
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 91 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: mature thematic material, some drug use and language
  • Last updated: September 24, 2023

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