Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Rich family faces financial crisis in teen-friendly docu.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
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The Queen of Versailles
What's the Story?
Meet David Siegel, a time-share billionaire who's building his version of Tara in Florida. The estate has 90,000 square feet of living space, a $250,000 dome, a sushi bar, baseball diamonds, and an observation deck for the Disney fireworks, among many other perks. Presiding over their household of eight children (including an adopted niece) and a large staff is Siegel's wife, Jackie, a former engineer-turned-beauty queen from modest means who's taken to her plush surroundings with gusto. She cares about her kids and her husband deeply, extravagantly. She also loves to shop; she doesn't want for anything. But then 2008 and its financial meltdown, fueled largely by bad mortgages, happens, and David's towering time-share heaven in Las Vegas is threatened with foreclosure. The company's seemingly endless source of revenue -- regular folks who want to go on vacations "like a Rockefeller" -- no longer have access to the mortgages that would fund their time-share dreams. Suddenly, the Siegels have to cut back.
Is It Any Good?
The Queen of Versailles hits the perfect documentary trifecta -- riveting subjects, perfect timing, and a story that starts as a single instrument but finishes as a full orchestra. Clearly, excess is at play with the Siegels. But so is the bizarro-world dream that sadly has become a reality: that we must aspire for more more more, preferably all the time. Still, it's hard to see Jackie merely as a cautionary tale. It's precisely when the economy turns to pot and David's business is frozen that she takes center stage, revealing how much in denial she is about financial realities and how much she truly cares about her family. She's a survivor, and, like the best of royalty, it's hard to take your eyes off her.
It would be so easy to hate the Siegels: They spend more in one day than some families earn in a month; they obviously don't worry much about their carbon footprint, considering that they're building a 90,000-square foot mansion; and they're prone to making let-them-eat-cake statements that would make your jaw drop. (Faced with having to rent her own car for the first time, Jackie asks the clerk whether it comes with a driver.) But the beauty of THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES is how we walk away from it feeling not hate, but humanity. Director Lauren Greenfield presents David and Jackie in three-dimensional clarity, eschewing caricature -- so easy and tempting given their outsized personas -- for complexity. And the Siegels are so interesting that you won't want to miss a single minute.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about money. What do the Siegels' habits and experiences teach us about fiscal responsibility? Parents, talk to your kids about your own values regarding spending, saving, and other financial issues.
Do you find it easy to empathize with Jackie as her economic situation changes? Can you relate to her plight, despite her wealth and her lack of awareness? How does the movie make her a sympathetic character?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 20, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : November 13, 2012
- Cast : David Siegel , Jackie Siegel
- Director : Lauren Greenfield
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s)
- Studio : Magnolia Pictures
- Genre : Documentary
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic elements and language
- Last updated : September 21, 2019
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