Parents' Guide to

Sophie's Choice

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Tragic post-WWII tale has violence, death, and cursing.

Movie R 1982 150 minutes
Sophie's Choice Poster Image

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Is It Any Good?

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Kids say (1):

Meryl Streep gives an incomparable performance in this poignant, unforgettable tragedy about the dehumanizing nature of war and its lasting impact upon the innocents. Her pale skin and translucent eyes are windows into the soul of a woman who is trying to survive her past. Co-star Kevin Kline, in his first movie role, delivers a no-holds-barred performance that announces a decades-long presence as one of America's finest actors. Sophie's Choice is a demanding film, as demanding of its audience as it was on the creative people who made it. It insists on full attention: no eyes averted, no fast-forwarding through the ugly truths of war and mental illness. Slow at times, deliberate, the film focuses on the aftermath of crushing inhumanity and degradation. With a carefully crafted structure, revealing the backstory in small steps, and with an innocent narrator to bring its innocent audience along, the film succeeds in keeping the volatile present at the forefront of the story. Recommended, but only for mature teens and grown-ups.

Movie Details

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