Not suitable under 12; parental guidance to 12 (adult themes and lack of interest for younger viewers)
This topic contains:
Children under 12 | Not recommended due to adult themes and lack of interest for younger viewers. |
Children aged 12 | Parental guidance recommended due to adult themes and lack of interest for younger viewers. |
Children aged 13 and over | Ok for this age group. |
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.
Name of movie: | Hampstead |
Classification: | PG |
Consumer advice lines: | Mild sexual references and coarse language |
Length: | 103 minutes |
This review of the movie contains the following information:
Hampstead is based on a true story. Donald Horner (Brendan Gleeson), a proud Irishman, chooses to live a simple life in a shack he built himself on Hampstead Heath. Donald is his ‘own man’, growing the food he needs and generating his own electricity. However, developers have submitted a plan to knock down an old hospital to build luxury apartments and they need to evict Donald whose shack is close by. As it happens Emily Walters (Diane Keaton), an American widow, is looking through binoculars from her attic window one day when she sees Donald being attacked by two young men. She immediately calls the police and saves Donald’s life.
Emily is intrigued by Donald and, although initially reticent, the two slowly build up a close relationship. Much to Donald’s dismay, Emily employs the help of a local social activist (Hugh Skinner) to plead his case and when a group of activists set up camp on the Heath, Donald angrily sends them away.
After much persistence on Emily’s part, Donald eventually accepts her offer to hire a lawyer to fight his battle in court. He goes on to win his case and is given title to his home and land.
Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.
Conservation versus development; Being self-sufficient.
Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.
Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.
There is some violence in this movie including:
Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.
Nothing apart from the above-mentioned violent scenes.
Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.
Nothing apart from the above-mentioned violent scenes.
Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.
Donald talks about his former partner who died of cancer. She told him to leave her as he wasn’t handling it well (she was older than him) and he did. He felt remorse for this.
Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.
Nothing of concern
Nothing of concern
There are some sexual references in this movie, including:
There is some partial nudity and sexual activity in this movie, including:
There is some social drinking on several occasions - at parties, with dinner, etc.
There is some coarse language in this movie, including:
Hampstead is a romantic drama with light comical moments, wonderfully portrayed in British comedy style. The scenery of Hampstead Heath is beautiful and it is uplifting to see a ‘David’ take on a ‘Goliath’ and win the day. While there is nothing particularly scary or violent in this movie, it is more suited to teens and adults due to its themes.
The main messages from this movie are to stand up and fight for what you believe, and that the simple things in life give more pleasure than lots of money.
Parents may also wish to discuss:
Tip: Leave out the first A, An or The
Selecting an age will provide a list of movies with content suitable for this age group. Children may also enjoy movies selected via a lower age.
Content is age appropriate for children this age
Some content may not be appropriate for children this age. Parental guidance recommended
Content is not age appropriate for children this age
Children and Media Australia (CMA) is a registered business name of the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM).
CMA provides reviews, research and advocacy to help children thrive in a digital world.
ACCM is national, not-for-profit and reliant on community support. You can help.
ABN: 16 005 214 531