The Elephant Man

Movie review by Scott G. Mignola, Common Sense Media
The Elephant Man Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 14+

Heartbreaking drama isn't for sensitive viewers.

PG-13 1980 123 minutes
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Parents say

age 15+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 15 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this emotionally intense movie contains possibly disturbing imagery of cruel treatment, deformities, and surgery. It also treats thoughtfully its themes of exploitation, kindness, and strength of the human spirit.

Community Reviews

BestPicture1996
BestPicture1996 Adult
June 6, 2014
age 12+

A surreal yet completely human story

The man profiled in this movie is not a Karloff-like creature that has tusks growing from his mouth: Mr. Merrick was a real life human being with an awful condition, but was treated worse than an animal. This movie shows that everyone deserves to be treated the same, and can be a metaphor for minorities, gays, or anyone that has been discriminated for who they are on the outside. I found myself tearing up at Merrick's confessions about his mother and how a beautiful woman had never treated him so kindly. The story of Merrick will stay with you, as will the rest of this beautifully shot, well acted, haunting, mildly surreal film.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
TimTheTVGuy
TimTheTVGuy Adult
February 27, 2013
age 18+

Sad and awesome at the same time.

Now,I admit that this film is not for kids because of some sad scenes.But there is AWESOME drama and it's heartwarming.Teens and adults will survive it,but can kids survive it? Not so much.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE ELEPHANT MAN, Dr. Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) makes a shocking discovery at a carnival side show: an "Elephant Man" (John Hurt) exhibiting a grotesque deformity over most of his body. Because he's sick and shows signs of abuse, he's brought to London Hospital, where he's studied and made a spectacle of all over again. Another shock comes when it becomes clear that Merrick isn't the imbecile they thought he was, but a compassionate and literate gentleman who's been playing dumb out of fear. Treves exposes him to culture, finery, things he's only dreamed of experiencing, yet a question gnaws at him. Is he exploiting his unfortunate friend for personal gain? Under his supervision, John Merrick, who suffers from "a disfigurement of the most extreme nature," is clothed, fed, shown a loving care he's never before known, but he's still on display, still a freak, and through him Treves has made a name for himself in the medical community and London society.

Is It Any Good?

This dark and beautiful 1980 movie is based on The Elephant Man and Other Reminisces by the real-life Treves, as well as Ashley Montagu's The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity. Director and co-writer David Lynch doesn't explain the characters' actions, which makes them good topics of discussion for teenagers mature enough to tackle the subject matter.

Lynch doesn't sentimentalize, either, or tone down his trademark haunting imagery (the design for John Hurt's makeup came from casts of the real John Merrick). He gives us Victorian England in all of its squalor, but he also gives us his most deeply affecting work in starkly beautiful black and white. Standouts in a phenomenal cast are stars Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, and Kenny Baker, the dwarf who, upon leading Merrick toward freedom, says, "Luck, my friend. Luck. And who needs it more than we?"

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether the doctor who rescues the Elephant Man from a circus, only to put him on a different sort of display is a "good man," or a "bad man," as he himself wonders aloud. They might also discuss how society's treatment of the disabled has changed and how it has remained the same since the times of the Elephant Man.

Movie Details

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