Parents' Guide to

Third Person

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Good actors wasted in muddled mess with sex, language.

Movie R 2014 137 minutes
Third Person Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 1 parent review

johnswanson
johnswanson Adult
November 4, 2014
age 17+

This confusing movie has a lot of sex/nudity.

I'm not sure most teens will want to watch his film, and that's good because they probably shouldn't. Paul Haggis, who directed Crash, tries to recreate some of that magic in this move. Olivia Wilde is in this movie so of course she is naked and in a few sex scenes. They are not overly explicit, but they are certainly not for kids. The language is a little rough, and there is a strong product placement for Apple. One of the main characters smokes and drinks, and another drinks and drinks in a bar. This is not a great movie so if any of this content concerns you then don't bother with this film.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In Paris, an aging, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (Liam Neeson) taps away on his computer, working on his latest novel. He's sleeping with his beautiful young protégée (Olivia Wilde), while his wife (Kim Basinger) waits at home. Meanwhile, a young mother (Mila Kunis) is fighting to see her son again; her ex-husband (James Franco) has taken the boy away after the mother allowed him to play with dry cleaning bags in the closet. And in Italy, a man who steals fashion ideas for cheap knock-offs (Adrien Brody) becomes fascinated by a beautiful gypsy woman (Moran Atias) who's lost her daughter to child trafficking. These three storylines continue to unwind until, at last, it appears that there's a connection among them.

Is It Any Good?

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

Despite the presence of fine actors doing fine work -- especially Wilde, bringing intelligence and playfulness to her role -- THIRD PERSON is an absolute mess. The gypsy/child-trafficking plot is the weakest; despite the early reveal that it's a scam, the story somehow keeps going, with characters conveniently overlooking crucial events. Coincidences, such as a lost piece of paper or surprise revelations about someone's identity, feel like total writer's inventions rather than anything arising naturally out of the story.

Writer/director Paul Haggis, whose Best Picture winner Crash is as criticized as it is admired, seems to have banked on the idea that the mystery of the stories' connections would keep audiences invested for 137 long minutes. But the characters make this difficult, continually distancing themselves with their dumb behavior. The final reveal is more infuriating and frustrating than it is thoughtful. It's a dirty trick that may have viewers calling for that Oscar back.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Third Person's sexual content. Did any of it seem unnecessary? Was the scene with the woman and the man implied to be her father sex, or abuse? What do you think the intent of that storyline is?

  • How did you feel about the movie's ending? Did it wrap up the storylines effectively? What new information did it provide? Was it satisfying?

  • Are there any characters you'd consider to be positive role models? Is there any admirable behavior in the movie?

  • What other movies have you seen with multiple storylines? How did they compare to this one?

Movie Details

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