Samuel Beckett biopic has profound themes, lots of smoking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Someone is stabbed on a street by a pimp. The rise of Nazism is depicted ahead of World War II. A member of the French resistance is shown with a gun. A dead body is seen in an open casket.
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Enjoy your life where you can, when you can. Be curious but maintain your integrity. Homophobia and other offensive attitudes, notably against women are depicted.
Positive Role Models
a little
Samuel Beckett looks back on his life with a pensiveness. His older self is shown to be reflective, showing a great sense of clarity over his life and at peace with what is to come. His younger self could be deemed arrogant and he has an affair. But he also shows idealistic tendencies and is curious toward the world. Beckett's mother is old-fashioned. She's also homophobic. This leads to many arguments between the two of them.
Diverse Representations
very little
The film is a biopic of a White Irish male, played by the Irish actor Gabriel Byrne. Although there are a number of strong female roles, there are no notable roles played by people of color within the film. Homophobia is shown by some. A character suffering with depression is deemed "mad" and is sent to a mental institute.
Parents need to know that Dance First is a unique biopic of Samuel Beckett (Gabriel Byrne), one of Ireland's most famous writers. As Beckett approaches the end of his life, he looks back on his past, coming to the conclusion that life should be lived to its fullest; to dance first, before we pass. Set throughout the 20th-century, the film explores Beckett's humble beginnings to his time as a French resistance fighter (the rise of Nazism is depicted) to becoming a Nobel Prize-winning playwright. Beckett's mother is depicted as being homophobic and men behave misogynistic when they dismiss women who have been wronged, depressed, or merely don't conform to societal norms, as being "mad." Beckett himself has an affair, though there's no nudity or sex depicted. Characters smoke and drink throughout and there is some violence in the film, as a man is stabbed on the street by a pimp. A dead body in an open casket is also shown. Occasional language includes "f--k" and "bloody." Fionn O'Shea plays Beckett as a younger man in flashback scenes. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
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What's the Story?
In Dance First, Irish wordsmith Samuel Beckett (Gabriel Byrne) is set to receive one of the greatest honors in his field: the Nobel Prize for Literature. Where most would celebrate, Beckett looks back across a life full of complexity, as he casts his mind across all of the key figures who have played a part in his story, from his humble beginnings in Ireland, to wartime in France.
This telling of the life of one of Ireland's most famous sons is proof that biopics can have a unique creativity to them, away from the more traditional cradle-to-the-grave formula. Dance First still takes a profound look across Beckett's life, but the film takes artistic risks and a fascinating route into his mind. Throughout the film, Beckett is effectively talking to himself, narrating his own tale as he takes an introspective look back across a life that shaped him into one of the world's foremost writers. It's an approach Beckett would no doubt be rather proud of himself. When dealing with a character study quite so intense and intimate, you require a strong leading performance, and Byrne delivers emphatically. There should also be a nod toward Fionn O'Shea, who does a fine job bringing Beckett's younger self to life in flashback scenes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Dance First differed from other biopics. What did you think of the way the filmmakers retold Samuel Beckett's life story? What worked and what didn't work?
What did you know about Beckett before this movie? Has it inspired you to go and learn more about him?
How were drinking and smoking portrayed? Do you think attitudes toward both have changed from when the film was set?
What do you think was meant by the expression "Dance First?" How could you apply it to your own life?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Stefan Pape
,
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