Percy vs Goliath

image for Percy vs Goliath

Short takes

Not suitable under 8; parental guidance to 13 (adult themes; lack of interest)

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This topic contains:

  • overall comments and recommendations
  • details of classification and consumer advice lines for Percy vs Goliath
  • a review of Percy vs Goliath completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 15 June 2021.

Overall comments and recommendations

Children under 8 Not suitable due to adult content (such as discussion of suicide).
Children aged 8–13 Parental guidance recommended due to adult content (such as discussion of suicide) also likely to lack interest for children under the age of 13.
Children over the age of 13 Ok for this age group.

About the movie

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: Percy vs Goliath
Classification: PG
Consumer advice lines: Mild themes and coarse language
Length: 99 minutes

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

A synopsis of the story

In 1998, small-town Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser (Christopher Walken) is accused by agriculture conglomerate Monsanto of illegally using their genetically modified (GMO) canola seeds to grow better crops. As the 70-year-old farmer takes the business to court, with the help of his local lawyer Jackson Weaver (Zach Braff) and environmental activist Rebecca Salcau (Christina Ricci), he becomes an unlikely spokesperson for disenfranchised farmers around the world. His monumental legal battle, that goes all the way to the Supreme Court, ultimately transforms into a challenge to protect both the rights of farmers and the world’s food supply against perceived corporate greed.

Themesinfo

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.

Suicide; Family discord; Legal challenges; Financial distress.

Use of violenceinfo

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:

  • Percy threatens Monsanto scientists and security workers with a gun when they are accused of trespassing on his land.

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under fiveinfo

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

  • Percy is shown farming in an intense thunder and lightning storm – the intensity of the storm may distress very young children.

Aged five to eightinfo

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.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:

  • Percy’s wife Louise is shown recovering from a fall in hospital – this may distress some children.

Aged eight to thirteeninfo

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.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged eight to thirteen, including the following:

  • Percy is verbally abused by a group of men in a passing van.
  • Percy is followed by a white van throughout the film – this may distress younger children.

Thirteen and overinfo

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.

  • Several references are made to high suicide rates amongst farmers in India – this may distress some children.
  • Percy and his family face financial distress during their court battles – this may distress some children.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in this movie:

  • Ford car
  • New Holland tractor
  • Monsanto
  • Coca Cola
  • Samsung television
  • Dodge Ram car.

Sexual references

  • None noted.

Nudity and sexual activity

  • None noted.

Use of substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

  • Cigarette smoking by both Percy and background characters.

Coarse language

There is some coarse language in this movie, including:

  • Hell
  • Ass
  • Damn
  • B.S.
  • Pissing off.

In a nutshell

Based on a true story, Percy vs Goliath is a down-to-earth legal drama with a thin plot and solid performances from its lead cast. This film is best suited to children over the age of 13 and adults due to the legal content and adult themes related to financial distress and suicide. It will likely lack interest for children under the age of 13.

The main message from this movie is that doing the right and true thing is more important than doing the easy thing.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

  • Being truthful.
  • Keeping perspective about what is important to you.
  • Looking after your family and friends.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

  • The risks of driving or riding in a car without a seatbelt.
  • The dangers of guns.