Not recommended under 13, PG to 15 (Adult themes, sexual references)
This topic contains:
Children under 13 | Not recommended due to themes and sexual references |
Children aged 13-15 | Parental guidance recommended due to themes and sexual references |
Children 15 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: | Liberal Arts |
Classification: | PG |
Consumer advice lines: | Mild themes, sexual references and coarse language |
Length: | 97 minutes |
This review of the movie contains the following information:
Jesse (Josh Radnor) is an arts graduate in his thirties. He is on the admissions board at a college, looking to further his career. He gets a call from his old Professor, Peter Hoberg (Richard Jenkins) to attend his retirement party at his former college. Jesse returns to his alma mater full of nostalgia and a re-kindling of the passion he gained there for the arts. What he doesn’t expect to find is a passion for a sophomore, Zibby, (Elizabeth Olsen) who is mature beyond her years and who shares his love of the arts. She also introduces him to classical music and they discover they have much in common.
The difficulty in having a relationship with someone 16 years younger is obvious and one which gives Jesse much to contemplate. Jesse learns from Zibby, that despite their obvious attraction for each other, he also needs to grow up and start acting his age. Meanwhile his former Professor is also coming to terms with retirement and having to move on to life outside of the university.
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.
Life transitions; relationships; suicide
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.
None of concern
Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.
None of concern
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.
None of concern
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.
The theme of suicide features in this film and may disturb older children in this age group:
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.
Children in this age group may also be disturbed by the attempted suicide and reference to suicide mentioned above
None of concern
There are some sexual references in this movie, including:
There is some sexual activity in this movie, including:
There is some use of substances in this movie, including:
There is some coarse language in this movie, including:
Liberal Arts is a romantic drama that deals with different stages of life and growing older. It also deals with the complexities of relationships with a wide age difference and the problems this might cause, so is mainly aimed at older teenagers and adults.
The main message from this movie is not to let yourself be blinded by love but to think through the consequences carefully.
Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:
This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:
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
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