The Place Beyond the Pines
By S. Jhoanna Robledo,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Melancholy, mature drama explores father-son themes.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Place Beyond the Pines
Community Reviews
Based on 7 parent reviews
An epic zoomed in on family legacy
What's the Story?
In 1990s upstate New York, motorcycle stunt rider Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) performs in a state fair, riding his bike in a steel globe with two other riders. He's rarely in these parts, traveling from one show to another. But a former hook-up, Romina (Eva Mendes), shows up after Luke's performance, and later he realizes that he fathered a baby boy with her. Though she's with someone else, Luke can't stay away, pledging to find a way to support her and their son, even if it means robbing banks. When one of his heists goes awry, Luke finds himself trapped in a house, with an idealistic rookie cop (Bradley Cooper) who has an infant of his own on the other side of a door. What happens next ties the two forever, a moment that has lasting consequences.
Is It Any Good?
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is gloomy and depressing. From the moment we glimpse Gosling's chiseled abs as he prepares to perform what we expect to be some momentous feat on his motorcycle -- only to realize that he is but a circus act, literally jailed in a steel globe -- we know we're in for a gut-punch of a movie. Its tale of misplaced fatherhood and wrongs-made-wronger will leave audiences with little hope and much cynicism. It's not an easy movie to watch. But it's powerful, and co-writer-director Derek Cianfrance has a knack for setting the mood (in this case, dreary and hopeless). And his scenes build up the tension so well that you're bound to feel uncomfortable.
Conceived as triptych bound by a tenacious paternal thread, each act/portion of the movie features a strong actor (Gosling is the strongest, if we had to pick, though Cooper is fantastic, too) at its center. But each of the segments could have been an entire movie on its own, and perhaps the filmmakers ought to have chosen. As it stands, The Place Beyond the Pines is overly long at 2 hours and 20 minutes; it's too much of a pretty-good thing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how teens are portrayed in The Place Beyond the Pines. Are the drug and weapon use realistic? What would the real-life consequences be?
What do you think of the movie's violence? Is all of it necessary for the story that it's trying to tell?
Why do you think Luke does what he does? Does it come from a place of good intentions? What about Avery and both Luke's and Avery's kids?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 29, 2013
- On DVD or streaming: August 6, 2013
- Cast: Bradley Cooper , Eva Mendes , Ryan Gosling
- Director: Derek Cianfrance
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Latino actors
- Studio: Focus Features
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 140 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language throughout, some violence, teen drug and alcohol use, and a sexual reference
- Last updated: August 23, 2023
Inclusion information powered by
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Drama Movies That Tug at the Heartstrings
Drama TV for Teens
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate