Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dreamlike father-son drama deals with death and dying.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Place of No Words
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE PLACE OF NO WORDS is writer-director-actor Mark Webber's latest family-centered movie featuring his real-life family of actors: wife Teresa Palmer as his wife and their little boy, Bodhi Palmer, as 3-year-old Bodhi. In the movie, Webber plays Mark, a father who's dying of a chronic illness and who has created, along with his Bodhi, a fantasy world where they are Vikings traveling through a magical forest filled with beautiful fairies, fear monsters, farting goblins, and other supernatural creatures. The fantasy adventure cuts in and out of the real world, where Bodhi plays with his often tired, sick, and hospitalized father. Mark focuses on teaching his son acceptance of and courage about death and the afterlife, and Teresa tries to remain supportive and present through her own grief.
Is It Any Good?
This drama is a touching, gentle exploration of a father and his young son exploring death, dying, and the afterlife. By design, there's not much plot development in THE PLACE OF NO WORDS, which switches between the fantasy realm that Mark and Bodhi are in and the reality of their day-to-day life with family and best friends. The movie has the dream-like, interior-world feel reminiscent of a Malick or Zeitlin movie. The dialogue focuses on the characters' parent-child relationship and the fact that the bravery they need in their fantasy life is also necessary in real life as they face Mark's illness. The cinematography is purposely hand-held, cinema vérité style, with editing that gives it an alternating ultra-realistic and dreamy style, depending on the sequence.
This is a movie that requires stillness and patience. It's going to speak more to viewers who understand the heartache of grief and loss. Some may jadedly consider it boring and amateurish, while others will find it a meaningful, emotional view of how even the youngest among us understand and perceive the sadness of anticipatory grief. Little Bodhi "knows" his father is sick but doesn't want to talk about it some days. Then other days he wants to know about the afterlife and what will happen when Daddy dies. Yes, the movie is slow, but it's also touching if you stick with it and appreciate the tremendous amount of family, particularly parental, love required to make it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how death and dying are depicted in The Place of No Words. Why do you think Mark says "death is part of life" and shouldn't be something to be afraid of?
Webber enjoys making movies featuring his family and friends. What do you think of that practice? Does it make the movie more realistic?
Who do you think this movie's intended audience is? What message is it trying to convey?
Would you consider anyone in the movie a role model? Which character strengths do they display?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 23, 2020
- On DVD or streaming : October 23, 2020
- Cast : Mark Webber , Teresa Palmer , Bodhi Palmer
- Director : Mark Webber
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Gravitas Ventures
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Curiosity , Empathy
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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