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Parents' Guide to

The Truth

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Thoughtful mother-daughter story has strong performances.

Movie PG 2020 106 minutes
The Truth Poster Image

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What's the Story?

In THE TRUTH, legendary movie actor Fabienne Dangeville (Catherine Deneuve) has just published her memoir and is embarking on a new role in a science fiction movie. At the same time, Fabienne's daughter, screenwriter Lumir (Juliette Binoche), arrives from New York with her actor husband, Hank (Ethan Hawke), and their young daughter, Charlotte (Clémentine Grenier). Lumir reads her mother's memoir and is astonished to find many untruths. For example, Fabienne claims to have been a doting mother, when the opposite was true. Meanwhile, Fabienne starts shooting and finds herself playing the septuagenarian daughter of the movie's younger main character (Manon Clavel); in the story, Manon is ill and lives in outer space, where she doesn't age. Between the movie and the memoir, can mother and daughter find a way to reconnect?

Is It Any Good?

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

Working outside his native Japan with famous French and American stars, director Hirokazu Koreeda delivers a drama that seems a tad slight but is still quietly thoughtful and beautifully acted. Certain characters, including Hank, and certain subplots/themes don't really seem necessary, and they give the impression of trailing off into nothingness. The majority of The Truth is in French (with English subtitles for U.S. release), and Hank's character speaks only in English, so he spends most of the movie either looking confused or ignoring the other adults and playing games with Charlotte. Another character, "Susan," seems important and is mentioned in dialogue but is never seen.

But Binoche and Deneuve are spectacular in their scenes together, and Deneuve has one of her best and funniest roles with Fabienne, often getting laughs with her wry, sophisticated line readings. The sci-fi movie-within-the-movie also offers a fascinating perspective, with Fabienne playing scenes as a daughter who longs to fill in the blanks of her relationship with her mother. It's an insightful mirror-opposite of the real-life scenes between Fabienne and Lumir. Even though The Truth isn't perfect, it's these humanist touches -- a trademark of Koreeda (I Wish, Shoplifters) -- that make it worth seeing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Truth depicts alcohol/drinking. Is it glamorized? How do you think the filmmakers intend viewers to feel about the character who has given up drinking?

  • How is smoking depicted? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?

  • What's the mother-daughter relationship like in this story? How is it similar or different to your own relationship(s)?

  • What's interesting or unique about a Japanese filmmaker telling a story about people in France? Is his view of human behavior universal?

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