Titanic

Movie review by Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media
Titanic Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

Great movie, but too intense, racy for younger kids.

PG-13 1997 194 minutes
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 119 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 719 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that James Cameron's King-of-the-World saga Titanic is one of the highest-grossing movies of all time and is still sure to attract young teen and tween audiences. There's brief nudity (a topless Rose poses for a nude drawing, which is also shown throughout the film) and sexuality (Jack and Rose make love in the backseat of a car), but the forbidden romance between the main characters (played by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio) is otherwise rather chaste by today's standards. It's the epic Titanic sinking scene that may make this movie too intense for younger kids. Throughout the mass chaos, people fight to save themselves ahead of others, plunge to watery deaths, and, in some cases, even die by suicide. Three incidents of gun violence take place during the sinking, with visuals of blood and depiction of suicide with a gun. On the flip side, characters display compassion and humility. The fact that this movie is based on a historical event may be too intense for sensitive children, but mature kids fascinated with the Titanic will find it compelling to watch.

Community Reviews

MESchmidt
MESchmidt Adult
May 14, 2021
age 10+

Not prepared for multiple references to suicide

I was not concerned about the brief appearance of breasts or the violence in a historical context - but what bothered my kids the most, and was the hardest to explain for me since I was not prepared for it, was the recurrent theme of suicide. Early on, the main character, who feels trapped by her social circumstances, climbs the ship's railing and dangles over the water before she is talked down and assisted down. Later, when fighting breaks out over lifeboats, a crew member shoots a passenger, then overwhelmed, he points the gun to his temple and pulls the trigger. This shocked my young kids. We are also told, but not shown, that another main character who survived the wreck later "put a pistol in his mouth" when the stock markets crashed in 1929. Lots of questions from these scenes, and we had to talk about coping skills! Less noticeably, there were also people both jumping and falling from the sinking boat as it sank, and an older couple who opted to stay below deck and die together, but as that entire sequence at the end of the movie was intense, my kids did not ask many questions about these.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
5 people found this helpful.
Duty_patrol1995
Duty_patrol1995 Adult
April 7, 2021
age 18+

Aldult humor.

An amazing movie. Just don't let your kids watch the nude scene. Rose asks Jack to draw her like one of his French girls wearing the diamond necklace with NO CLOTHES ON. It might traumatize them to see a naked woman on TV.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
3 people found this helpful.
See all 119 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Director James Cameron frames the story of the TITANIC in the late 1990s, when a high-tech underwater mission uncovers hidden treasures from the legendary ship, including a nude drawing of a beautiful girl. A 101-year-old woman (Gloria Stuart) reveals that she's the woman in the drawing, and viewers are then immersed in the events on board the ship from her point of view. She was Rose (Kate Winslet), a lovely young woman reluctantly engaged to one of the richest men on the ship, the cool and calculating Cal (Billy Zane). Unhappy with her engagement, Rose briefly considers launching herself overboard but is saved by the witty, handsome Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), a third-class passenger who won his Titanic ticket in a poker game. As Jack and Rose grow closer, Cal's jealousy swells, and he eventually frames Jack for stealing. When the ship hits an iceberg, everyone is thrown into a catastrophic, life-and-death situation where wealth and privilege are thrown out the window, relationships are tested, and courage is rare.

Is It Any Good?

One of the highest-grossing movies of all time, this enthralling saga achieved commercial and critical success, winning 11 Oscars out of its 14 nominations. The irresistible love story of Titanic stars two of the best actors of their generation; dazzling visual effects involve the most famous ship disaster of all time; a smug, rich villain is so easy to hate that he should be sporting an evil, twirling mustache; James Horner's score soars, coupled with Celine Dion's hokey-but-touching "My Heart Will Go On" theme; and there are fine performances by supporting actors like Kathy Bates as the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown, Frances Fisher as Rose's snobby mother, Bernard Hill (known best as King Theoden in that other epic, Lord of the Rings) as Captain Smith, Victor Garber as the Titanic architect, and, of course, Oscar-nominated Stuart as the narrator, Old Rose.

Strong central female characters are the heart of Titanic, along with a look into the differences between social classes. Fans of romance will adore the journey of the star-crossed lovers, while action fans will appreciate the suspense and tension as the ship begins to sink. This is truly a film that has something for nearly everyone.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how in the face of catastrophe, people's true characters were revealed by their choices. How do different people on board the Titanic react to the ship sinking? Who were the bravest? Who were the most selfish?

  • Has society's emphasis on class changed since the time period depicted in Titanic? What are other social considerations that divide people nowadays? How does Rose's life after the Titanic pay tribute to her brief love affair with Jack?

  • James Cameron is known for depicting strong, fearless female characters. If you're familiar with his other movies, compare Rose to Ripley (Aliens), Sarah Connor (The Terminator), and Neytiri, Trudy, and Grace (Avatar).

  • How do the characters in Titanic demonstrate compassion and humility? Why are these important character strengths?

Movie Details

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Character Strengths

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Themes & Topics

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