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Parents' Guide to

The Congressman

By Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

So-so political drama has lots of strong language.

Movie R 2016 98 minutes
The Congressman 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?

Charlie Winship (Treat Williams) has been THE CONGRESSMAN from Maine for a long time, but recently he's begun to feel jaded. He doesn't seem to be making a difference anymore; nowadays it's just about crunching numbers instead of helping people. He comes under serious fire when a political rival reveals that he doesn't stand up and recite the Pledge of Allegiance along with the rest of the Congress each morning. But as that controversy heats up into expulsion hearings about his conduct, Winship is called to a remote island off the Maine coast to investigate how a small fishing community is facing threats and intimidation from large fishing corporations. As both issues come to a boil, Winship will have to weather betrayal while being called a traitor and worse in the national media. It might be time for him to retire, but if he does, who will continue to fight the good fight?

Is It Any Good?

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

Despite a strong performance from Hollywood veteran Treat Williams, this political drama tries to take on too much and falters as it fails to knit the various plot threads together cohesively. Instead of an in-depth exploration of freedom of expression and the freedom not to have to express anything, or an in-depth look at the fishing industry and its impact on the oceans and on small fishing communities, we get a shallow, half-look at each. Williams is ably supported by a solid cast drawn mostly from TV, but the only one who really shines (and very briefly) is George Hamilton as the smarmy congressman-turned-lobbyist.

Teens who can handle the strong language will no doubt learn a lot about the history of the Pledge, and about the damage over-fishing is doing to our oceans, but the slow pace and focus on older characters may prevent them from making it all the way to the (predictable) end.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about all the profanity in The Congressman. Is it realistic, or necessary? What would the movie be like without it?

  • Do you think Congressman Winship should have stood and recited the Pledge? Why or why not? Why do you think he led the Pledge when visiting the school?

  • Is the history that the movie tells about the Pledge of Allegiance accurate? Look it up online or in your library. Does knowing the history change your thinking about it? How?

Movie Details

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