Parents' Guide to

Restless

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Story of young, tragic love gets emotional, intense.

Movie PG-13 2011 91 minutes
Restless Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 1 parent review

Concerned Parent 101
Concerned Parent 101 Adult
February 3, 2012
age 17+

NOT FUNNY LOTS OF SEX

This was awful! My kids screamed at the kissing scenes and it was ultra depressing! Lots of explicit sex and lips touching. A definite no-no, especially for kids like my Lucas. I am concerned.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Enoch (Henry Hopper) has two unusual hobbies: Talking to the ghost of a World War II kamikaze pilot, Hiroshi (Ryo Kase), and attending strangers' funerals. It's the way he copes after his parents' sudden deaths. His Aunt Mabel (Jane Adams) is raising him, though Enoch barely spends time with her. At a memorial, he spots Annabel (Mia Wasikowska), a warm-hearted woman who's smitten with Charles Darwin and nature and with whom he's quickly smitten. But he soon learns her story, and it's a distressing one: She's terminally ill and must prepare to die. Can she be ready? Can he?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (2):

Hopper is a guy to watch; the son of celebrated actor Dennis Hopper, he accesses a wellspring of complicated emotions here with a tilt of the head, a quirk of the eyebrow. Perhaps he knew he had to up his game with a co-star like Wasikowska, who flings herself into a sometimes overcooked character whose charm is pushed to twee-ness and saves it -- but only just.

Thanks to these two, the emotions behind the movie feel true and relatable. Were it not for a screenplay that's a little too on-the-nose -- Hirsohi's lines, especially -- and the somewhat heavy-handed soundtrack, RESTLESS would be a stronger movie. (Also, the film could have used some grit to ground it in reality.) But alas, it can't quite rise above its limitations.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the film handles its subject matter. Is it too frank about death? Does it exploit the topic?

  • In the movie, two young people fall in love despite many challenges and appear to have sex. Does the film portray this experience realistically? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values relating to sex and relationships.

Movie Details

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