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Parents' Guide to

Wonderland

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Very sordid and unexpectedly dull; adults only.

Movie R 2003 105 minutes
Wonderland 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

Panya
Panya Adult
April 9, 2008
age 17+

Interesting, but not great

I was interested in the story, but it was confusing if you didn't know some things about the topic beforehand. Definitely not for kids.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

WONDERLAND depicts the true story of porn star John Holmes and his involvement in a drug-related quadruple murder after his movie career was over. Before the movie starts, we are informed of the essentials: Holmes (Val Kilmer) was the first superstar of porn, making more than 1000 movies and sleeping with more than 14,000 women. But when we meet him, he is no longer making movies. Holmes and his young girlfriend Dawn (Kate Bosworth) have dim hopes of some kind of big score, but mostly live from moment to moment on what's left of Holmes' notoriety. He lives off of the declining good will of some hot-headed small-time bad guys who live on Wonderland Street and one big-time bad guy named Eddie Nash (Eric Bogosian). He comes up with the idea of double-crossing them both at the same time and making off with the loot, but it does not go the way he planned and many people are killed.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Heartfelt performances and tricked-up flashy film-making are not enough to distract us from the fact that we never find a reason to care about what happens. It is all very sordid and unexpectedly dull. Lisa Kudrow's appearance as Holmes' estranged wife is the only character with any depth or humanity.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the different ideas Sharon and John had about what they wanted. Why was Sharon willing to take care of John and Dawn? What was the point of view of the film-makers about what happened to Holmes?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: October 3, 2003
  • On DVD or streaming: February 9, 2004
  • Cast: Carrie Fisher , Kate Bosworth , Val Kilmer
  • Director: James Cox
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors
  • Studio: Lionsgate
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 105 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: strong violence/grisly images, pervasive drug use and language, some sexuality/nudity
  • Last updated: March 19, 2023

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