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Still Alice

age 13+
(i)

 

Moore turns Alzheimer's drama into acting master class.
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  • Review Date: December 8, 2014
  • Rated: PG-13
  • Genre: Drama
  • Release Year: 2014
  • Running Time: 101 minutes

Still Alice gallery

What parents need to know

Positive messages

You may lose your mental faculties when suffering from Alzheimer's disease, but that doesn't have to mean failure or complete loss of identity.

Positive role models

Alice is smart, bold, and brave, even in the face of a tragic prognosis. She's also very resourceful and does the best she can to continue living her life.

Violence

Plenty of sadness, but no violence.

Sex

A husband and wife kiss each other and make vague allusions to intimate relations. One mention of oral sex. Brief glimpse of the side of a woman's butt.

Language

Some swearing, including "s--t," one "f--k," "hell," "goddammit," and "a--hole."

Consumerism

Pinkberry is mentioned, and some scenes are set in the shop. Also Apple and Insignia logos/products.
 

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Social drinking. One scene shows a woman collecting a powerful narcotic and nearly drinking all of it.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Still Alice tracks the frighteningly fast progression of early-onset Alzheimer's disease in Alice (an excellent Julianne Moore), a Columbia University professor. This deeply affecting film doesn't shy away from its depiction of a tragic and unrelenting condition; Alice is seen unraveling, a prospect that could be very upsetting for younger/more sensitive viewers. She has mood swings, is increasingly unable to take care of herself, becomes incontinent, and has difficulty communicating. There's also some swearing (including very sparing use of "s--t" and "f--k"), social drinking (wine at dinner, etc.), a reference to oral sex, and a despondent moment of utter despair.

What's the story?

An accomplished linguistics professor at Columbia University, Alice (Julianne Moore) lives in a brainy world full of words and neural nimbleness. Her husband, John (Alec Baldwin), is a successful researcher and professor, too, and her children are hyper-verbal overachievers -- except for her youngest, Lydia (Kristen Stewart), a young actress who relies on her gut as much, if not more, than her head. Alice is at the top of her game. But then, during a presentation -- one of hundreds she's given in her life -- she discovers that the words are escaping her. She recovers but soon ends up losing her way while taking a run around a campus that's all too familiar. She's also forgetting people, misremembering dates, and losing track of her lectures. When she discovers she has early-onset Alzheimer's, Alice finds herself at a crossroad: Who is she now, and how will she keep hold of herself and her life?

Is it any good?

QUALITY

With utmost grace and deep empathy, Moore delivers another sensitively sketched performance -- this time of a woman on the verge of losing her memories and, in a way, her life. On this front alone, STILL ALICE is a beautiful tragedy to behold, Moore's face and body the canvas for a haunting and oh-so-human tale. To watch Alice lose her grip on the life she has known is to experience her pain and suffering and confusion. With Moore as our proxy, raw and open, we're with Alice on her perilous journey.

That said, the rest of the movie approaches the topic at somewhat of a remove. It lives in its head, not its heart. It's possible this is purposeful: Alice and her family, especially John, appear to rely on their brilliant minds more than their emotions. Still, the rest of the characters and their ensuing struggle with the diagnosis seem muted to the point of distraction. When Alice's mind and body fail her, you expect them to crumble, too. Or at least undergo a revolution themselves, quiet as it may be. It's a missed opportunity. Better to lock your gaze onto Moore, who carries the film impressively.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about the appeal of sad movies like Still Alice. Why do we like to watch movies about tragedy and hardship? What can we take away from these emotional experiences?

  • How does Still Alice shed light on Alzheimer's disease? What does the diagnosis mean for Alice and her family?

  • How do Alice's family members react to her news? How does this affect her, and vice-versa? Do you think the movie authentically depicts a family in crisis?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:December 5, 2014
DVD release date:May 12, 2015
Cast:Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth
Director:Wash Westmoreland
Studio:Sony Pictures Classics
Genre:Drama
Run time:101 minutes
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:mature thematic material, and brief language including a sexual reference
Awards/Honors:Academy Award, Golden Globe

This review of Still Alice was written by

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

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  • Very Good: Engaging; good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging; good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging; OK learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Kid, 12 years old February 19, 2015
age 12+

Grapples with mature topic-

The movie itself was great- it moved along at a good pace and was just well done. There are a few curse words throughout the movie, mostly when the main character, Alice, is frustrated. The movie also touches on suicide and Alice almost attempts it. There were a few social drinking scenes. The movie could be emotionally overwhelming for some children (Alice's daughter has the Alzheimer's gene, Alice grapples with transitioning from a bright professor to someone that can barely talk, her husband moves away for a job) but I think most tweens + can handle it.
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Teen, 16 years old Written byJflores14 February 14, 2015
age 14+

one of the best movies of the year! And the most tragic!

Julianne moore preforms amazingly and brings to life the horrors of disease. I was blown away by this film and it will do well in the box-office! CONTENT:(SPOILERS*****) violence: no actual violence, but mature and intense themes of disease are shown and the horror of losing your memory and losing yourself is a prevalent theme of the movie. A woman tries to commit suicide. This movie isn't for kids bc it is extremely sad and is disturbing. The most disturbing thing is that the main characters husband leaves her as she gets ill so he can pursue his career. sex: some passionate kissing and a husband mentions "blow jobs on the beach". A man helps a woman get dressed when she is sick and the side of her rear is glimpsed, but not graphic or sexual. language: one loud and blatant f--k and a few uses of s--t, ass,damn, and hell. MY RATING: PG-13/ for mature and thematic material, some language, a brief sexual comment, and drug abuse.
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Adult Written byB-KMastah February 14, 2015
age 11+

Surprisingly well written and nicely avoids a made-for-TV status.

My main worry about Still Alice was that it would be emotion porn. It isn't, though, and even if it isn't quite great, its performances and script help elevate this past being a made-for-TV movie, the former more than the latter. A movie about early-onset Alzheimer's could easily be incredibly manipulating and kind of obnoxious, but the movie has some interesting ideas. Its script works intermediately; the dialogue is solid but its plot is a bit uneven and rushed at times. Julianne Moore's character has three kids, but only Kristen Stewart's character is really developed. Another is barely elaborated upon and the other is virtually nonexistent which makes me wonder why they were even written. The Moore-Stewart relationship is very well realized, dialogue, interactions, and all. I also appreciated that the lead character isn't a perfect person as she uses her disease to guilt trip Stewart into going to college or avoiding a dinner party. It's towards the end where the movie refuses to have an ending to a rather objectively-told story that it feels cut off and rushed, and while the final scene is helped by Moore and Stewart, their conversation is a bit too on-the-nose and idealized. The movie is paced well from a directorial standpoint, which is kind of odd since it was directed by the co-writers. Either way, it's engaging if not totally affecting, and involving even if it isn't quite the easiest to watch. I just wish that people would stop flipping out over Moore's performance. Just because she's very good doesn't mean that she's the best actress of the Oscar season. 7.6/10, good, one thumb up, above average, etc.
What other families should know
Great messages
Great role models
Too much swearing
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