Parents' Guide to

The Yellow Handkerchief

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Subtly powerful road trip film OK for most teens.

Movie PG-13 2010 96 minutes
The Yellow Handkerchief Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
March 3, 2010
age 13+

not bad

This movie was better than I expected.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Inspired by a 1977 film by Japanese director Yoji Yamada and story by writer Pete Hamill, THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF starts when three strangers become unlikely companions as they hit the road southward toward New Orleans. Neglected by her father and desperate to make a guy jealous, Martine (Kristen Stewart) jumps into a beat-up car owned by Gordy (Eddie Redmayne), an awkward teen yearning to matter to someone, including to himself. They meet Brett (William Hurt), a recently released convict struggling to move forward even as he sifts through memories of a complicated marriage to his beloved wife (Maria Bello).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (5):

Post-Katrina aimlessness and desolation is laid bare in this quietly powerful film by Udayan Prasad. Leading the charge is Hurt, who steps into Brett's writ-large shoes –- the story turns on him, really -- and plays it with smart understatement. A lesser actor might've approached the role with too much eagerness, overdoing the pain and baggage, but not him. Far from the self-conscious Twilight "zone," Stewart leaves ennui and vampires behind to give a wonderfully vulnerable performance, the right counterpart to Redmayne's strangely affecting Gordy. Often underrated, Bello's at her earthy best.

Cinematographer Chris Menges knows just how to work the images and heighten mood. THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF makes grit look profoundly beautiful. The run time's tight, but some scenes feel actor-y and portentous, and there's a loose-ness to the structure that renders it somewhat moorless. (Also, most road films collect the unlikeliest of travelers togethes, and that doesn't change here.) Thankfully, there aren't too many of them, leaving a modest, but stunning, film about redemption and forgiveness.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what binds these three characters together. Are they believable as companions on a journey?

  • How is this film similar or different to other road trip movies? What makes it surprising (or not)?

  • Two of the three characters are in their teens, and they both seem lost. Is their depiction realistic? What do they learn from Brett, and vice versa?

Movie Details

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