I am a 15 year old and I personally think that Ian McKellen is the best actor alive. I have heard you talk about him and you say he is brilliant in this film and that this could possibly be his best performance. I would like to know if there is any gay sex, nudity, or straight sex, and if there is, is it too graphic for a 15 year old???
shareHello gandalfvmoran,
Well, this film is rated R in the U.S., so if you saw it in the theater, you wouldn't be admitted without a parent or guardian if you're 17 or under. So I would definitely check with yours to see if they approve. They might want to screen it first, or watch it with you.
There is one scene of straight sex that is extremely brief. There is very brief male frontal nudity far off in the distance that's barely visible. And a main character does disrobe and is shown with partial nudity, but none of his private parts show. None of this is very graphic, in my opinion, but I'm an adult...again, it's important to double check with your parent/guardian.
Another area of concern is the language in the film. There are multiple uses of vulgar language and mature subject matter, including references to body parts and sexual acts. The conflict between the characters also becomes very intense at times.
I think the film is BEST appreciated by someone who's mature and thoughtful, (which may be you, despite your young age...I don't know you, so I can't judge), because of the mature subject matter and because it has a lot of deeper issues such as character motivation, background, what is really going on between characters, etc. A lot of it involves characters just talking, rather than a lot of action, and that's how the drama unfolds.
Having said all that, while the film definitely concerns homosexuality (and homophobia) and could never be mistaken for a Disney movie in language or themes, in my opinion, it is essentially about two very different men, one gay and one straight, who cope with their traumatic pasts and form a friendship. It's about Sir Ian McKellen's character struggling with older age and illness, and it's about Brendan Fraser's character struggling for purpose and self-worth. It's a great film with outstanding performances by the two leads, and Lynn Redgrave, too. I think it must be one of Sir Ian's best performances, so you won't be disappointed in your favorite actor if you do see it.
Hope this helps.
you've already seen it so it's irrelevant at this stage but I'm fifteen aswell and I don't believe this film is inappropriate for our age group.It's rated "15" over here (Ireland) so it could be assumed that it is suitable for our age category. But it depends as Hitbfbus said on the individuals maturity etc, the subject matter may make some people uncomfortable but I don't believe that this is dependent on age. My mam asked me should she watch it and I said no, because I knew she wouldn't like it. That had nothing to do with age, it was personal preference and the movie just isn't her style.
Does anyone actually feel this film is inappropriate for our age? if so why?