The Winslow Boy (1999)

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This movie has been screened for objectional content in 15 areas. Click for a detailed look.

OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this G-rated drama. Several characters smoke a few times and some drinking also occurs. Profanity rates as minor with 1 use of "damn" and a few religious phrases also being used. Some characters have brief, bad attitudes and then there's the whole issue of a stolen postal note although we never positively know the identity of the actual culprit. Beyond that, however, the rest of the film is void of any major objectionable content.

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: A father fights his son's expulsion from a naval academy with the help of his family and a cunning lawyer in pre-WWI London.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or of playwright turned director David Mamet, it's highly unlikely they'll want to see this film.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: G: For not containing material to warrant a higher rating.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: NIGEL HAWTHORNE plays a successful banker and proud family man who risks everything to defend his boy's honor.
REBECCA PIDGEON plays his confident and cooly independent adult daughter who's involved in the women's suffrage movement and smokes.
JEREMY NORTHAM plays the cunning and calculating barrister who smokes and drinks some, but turns out to have more of a heart than anyone initially believes as he takes the family's case.
GUY EDWARDS plays the teenager accused of stealing a postal order who adamantly proclaims his innocense.
GEMMA JONES plays the family matriarch who's concerned about the impact the court case has on Arthur and the family overall.
COLIN STINTON plays the family's solicitor who longs for Catherine despite realizing that she doesn't have similar feelings for him.; REBECCA PIDGEON plays his confident and cooly independent adult daughter who's involved in the women's suffrage movement and smokes.
JEREMY NORTHAM plays the cunning and calculating barrister who smokes and drinks some, but turns out to have more of a heart than anyone initially believes as he takes the family's case.
GUY EDWARDS plays the teenager accused of stealing a postal order who adamantly proclaims his innocense.
GEMMA JONES plays the family matriarch who's concerned about the impact the court case has on Arthur and the family overall.
COLIN STINTON plays the family's solicitor who longs for Catherine despite realizing that she doesn't have similar feelings for him.; JEREMY NORTHAM plays the cunning and calculating barrister who smokes and drinks some, but turns out to have more of a heart than anyone initially believes as he takes the family's case.
GUY EDWARDS plays the teenager accused of stealing a postal order who adamantly proclaims his innocense.
GEMMA JONES plays the family matriarch who's concerned about the impact the court case has on Arthur and the family overall.
COLIN STINTON plays the family's solicitor who longs for Catherine despite realizing that she doesn't have similar feelings for him.; GUY EDWARDS plays the teenager accused of stealing a postal order who adamantly proclaims his innocense.
GEMMA JONES plays the family matriarch who's concerned about the impact the court case has on Arthur and the family overall.
COLIN STINTON plays the family's solicitor who longs for Catherine despite realizing that she doesn't have similar feelings for him.; GEMMA JONES plays the family matriarch who's concerned about the impact the court case has on Arthur and the family overall.
COLIN STINTON plays the family's solicitor who longs for Catherine despite realizing that she doesn't have similar feelings for him.; COLIN STINTON plays the family's solicitor who longs for Catherine despite realizing that she doesn't have similar feelings for him.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Mild: To celebrate Catherine and John's engagement, everyone drinks Madeira (wine).
Arthur pours whiskey for Morton and himself.
Morton drinks some whiskey that Catherine has poured for him.

BLOOD/GORE: None: None.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Moderate: While we never know for sure whether Ronnie stole the postal order and forged his classmate's signature, someone did.
Morton acts as if he's against the women's suffrage movement, and as a result, Catherine is rather cool to him.
Catherine's fiancé bows to his father's influence to call off their engagement (or else forfeit his allowance) as a result of the Winslows not succumbing to their blackmail to drop their court case.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: None: None.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Minor: Ceremonial Swords: Carried by several military men, including John.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Minor: Phrases: "I'll be damned" and "What utter rot."

JUMP SCENES: None: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): None: None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None: None.

PROFANITY: Minor: At least 1 damn, 2 uses of "Oh Lord" and 1 use each of "Oh God," "For God's sakes" and "Lord" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY: None: None.

SMOKING: Moderate: Catherine, Morton and Dickie smoke around three times each, while John (cigarette) and Desmond (cigar) smoke once, and a few miscellaneous characters also smoke.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Mild: Ronnie is afraid of his father's reaction to his expulsion (as is the rest of the family). Once everyone's on the same side and as the court case wears on, Grace worries about what it's doing to Arthur.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Mild: The historical accuracy of the story.
Whether the expulsion and resulting court case should have consumed so much of everyone's attention (particularly right before the onset of WWI), and whether the family ultimately suffered more than they gained.

VIOLENCE: None: None.