Witty, stylish musical classic will entertain all ages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Eliza's father is referred to as a heavy drinker. Some drinking of wine or cocktails in social settings. Professor Higgins smokes a cigar. An exuberant scene in a pub shows characters toasting and drinking with whiskey, beer, etc. as they prepare to attend a wedding.
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One humorous scene in which Eliza is forced against her will to bathe, probably for the very first time in her life. She howls and shrieks as she tries to avoid the bath, but the tone is comedic, not threatening. In one later scene, Eliza gets angry at Professor Higgins, throws his slippers at him, and raises a hand as if to strike him. Humorous references to beating a woman for misbehaving.
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The movie draws a sharp, satirical contrast between Britain’s lower and upper classes in the early 1900s, then shows that even a "lowly," uneducated person can succeed given desire, persistence, and an education. At the same time, a well-bred member of the upper class -- an outspoken misogynist and elitist -- learns a lot about women, as well as about superficial appearance versus inner beauty (ultimately, the sexism that propels him is shown as a handicap). Also, true love can appear in the most unexpected places.
Positive Role Models
some
"Lowly" Eliza proves to be resilient, smart, and as worthy as London's upper crust. Professor Higgins -- who starts out as an egotistical, woman-hating professor -- learns a powerful lesson about treating people with compassion and humanity. Set in a class-conscious world, the story portrays almost everyone -- including servants, the poor, the educated, and the rich -- as deserving of dignity and capable of great joy. The one exception is Eliza's father, but even Alfie Doolittle, a hard-drinking, materialistic ne'er-do-well, redeems himself by the end. Characters learn and demonstrate humility, self-control, perseverance, and integrity.
Educational Value
a little
Representation of early 20th-century England, with horse-drawn carriages, beautiful sets, and costumes. Eliza's transformation from street girl to "My Fair Lady" illustrates differences in English dialect and language usage, as well as generalized separation of the social classes.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that My Fair Lady is an entertaining musical for all ages, though it may be too long (almost three hours) for the youngest kids. It's a biting satire that treats both the most egotistical snob and the "lowliest" street person with gentle humor and respect. It's also a romantic story without even a kiss. There are no villains; there's no violence (a few references to beating a woman for misbehaving are intended to be humorous). With the exception of one "ass" and a couple of "damns," there's no iffy language, either. A few scenes depict moderate drinking on social occasions, there's one shot of a tipsy bridegroom on the way to his wedding, and one main character smokes a cigar. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
The description of this movie isn't entirely accurate. There certainly is a villain; it's just ironic that he's supposed to be the hero. Henry Higgins is an absolutely despicable human being, with virtually no redeeming qualities. Certainly he helps Eliza, in a very limited way, but he does it with no altruism or generosity whatsoever. And the idea that he "learns a lot about women, as well as about superficial appearance versus inner beauty" is entirely false. He seems to have no arc at all, and as far as I can tell he doesn't learn much of anything for the course of the film. Neither, unfortunately, does Eliza. Audrey Hepburn is wonderful, but that character is one I wish my daughters had not had to witness. While she is feisty at times, in reality she seems to have no self-esteem at all. SPOILER: Her return to Higgins at the end of the film is one of the most tragic endings I've ever seen.
Atrocious! Why is this on the Top 10 family films list?
The official Common Sense Media review really let me down on this one.
Eliza develops the syndrome where women fall in love with a captor, and Prof. Higgins is verbally abusive. Names he slings at Eliza include "impudent hussy", "presumptuous insect" and "guttersnipe." He doesn't respect her as a person at all, but treats her as a throwaway object that he USES to win a bet.
About the language, it's not just that there are a good number of "damns" and "for God's sakes"; Higgins actually says "Damn you!" to Eliza, as well as "you look like the very devil."
He sings a song of pure, ridiculous misogyny called "Why can't a woman be more like a man?" I felt very uncomfortable for my daughter and son to be exposed to words such as: "...Women are irrational, that's all there is to that! Their heads are full of cotton, hay, and rags. They're nothing but exasperating, irritating, vacillating, calculating, agitating, maddening and infuriating hags! "
In the one song in which Eliza seems to have grown a spine, ("The world will go on without you"), Prof. Higgins keeps calling her a "hussy."
The messages about class are not very helpful. Although it is a good lesson that you can uplift the way you present yourself by speaking properly, the other message is that Eliza can pass for high class because she's beautiful and thin. Yuck - that's lookism.
Not that I'm a big fan of class divisions, but at that time I believe one of the markers of class was education. Children of nobility would have read and discussed Shakespeare, Homer, and Virgil with their tutors, as well as learning languages and studying music. But culture and education don't figure in to Eliza's training at all. What a missed opportunity to give a positive message! It would have added a lot to the story if Higgins had exposed Eliza to some literature, which might have touched and enlightened her soul, and perhaps given her an appetite for more.
The drinking scene is much more than a "shot" of a bridegroom heading to his wedding. It's actually a whole musical number set in a pub, and and it makes drinking look pretty darn fun, and an aid to singing and dancing. He gets so irresponsibly drunk that he has to count on other people to get him to his own wedding. They literally carry him away, still singing. Is there a subtle message there that alcohol is fun and harmless, and it's okay to marry alcoholics?
Although there are no bedroom scenes, or indeed, kisses; it is extremely troubling that Eliza seems to "fall in love" with Higgins and comes back to him at the end. It's not love, it's abused woman syndrome portrayed as a happy ending. Steer clear!
What's the Story?
In MY FAIR LADY, Audrey Hepburn stars as Eliza Doolittle in director George Cukor's adaptation of the Broadway musical based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion. In 1912 London, cockney street peddler Eliza is handpicked by linguistics professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) on a bet that he can reshape her into an aristocrat. Higgins has his work cut out for him -- Eliza turns out to be quite the spitfire. As he struggles to teach her how to speak, walk, and behave like a proper lady, his friend Colonel Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White) sits back and enjoys the wild ride. Eliza's ultimate transformation is spectacular, and even Higgins is surprised by how she handles herself at upper-crust gatherings. He's also surprised at how he himself is transformed when it comes to his feelings for his fetching protege. With music and lyrics by Lerner and Loewe, this film is truly a classic.
With witty songwriting, comical and charismatic performances by the two leads, and lush costumes and sets, this classic musical still engages decades after its initial release. Hepburn's unique comic flair is especially effective in the race scene at Ascot.
My Fair Lady delights viewers of all ages, although some might grow weary of a few songs that stay a verse or two past their welcome. The DVD special features offer an insight into how this classic might have been even better: Compare the versions of "Show Me" and "Loverly" originally sung by Hepburn with the final film's dubbing of Marni Nixon's impersonal soprano. You'll rue the studio's decision not to leave Hepburn's sweeter, more urchinesque voice on these tracks.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of social class. How have things changed since the time in which My Fair Lady was set?
How does the movie portray drinking? Are viewers supposed to get a specific take-away from that?
How do you think Eliza feels about Professor Higgins in the end?
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
suggesting a diversity update.
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.
