Royal biopic tackles mental health, bulimia; some language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
Several scenes involving guns being shot for sport -- both clay pigeon shooting and pheasant hunting. Dead pheasants are seen falling from the sky and lying on the ground. A young child is instructed how to shoot a rifle, which they then go on to fire. A character walks onto a field while a group of people are shooting pheasants. Reference to a soldier being shot in the head and collapsing dead. Guns are seen lined up in a cupboard. Character imagines forcibly eating large pearls before making themselves sick. They also deliberately cut their own forearm with pliers resulting in a body injury. Later they imagine letting themselves fall down the stairs after entering a creepy, abandoned house -- they fall forward but as it's being imagined no fall actually takes place. The ghost of a former Queen of England appears on occasion.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
The central characters are part of the British royal family and as such are all privileged and extremely wealthy people who enjoy luxurious lifestyles. This includes staying in huge country homes, being chauffeur driven, waited on by servants and personal members of staff, and being cooked lavish meals. Expensive outfits play a prominent role. Several references to exchanging gifts at Christmas. Several types of car are clearly identifiable by manufacturer and one sequence involves a recognized fast food chain.
Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
A character is seen in their nightdress, underwear, and in the shower. The side of their breast is visible although the nipple is not shown. References and hints to extramarital affairs without explicit detail. Character makes a joke about "wanting to masturbate." Character proclaims their love for someone. A character's beauty is referenced and acknowledged on more than one occasion.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Both the good and bad side of families is explored. A loving parent-children relationship is on display. But also how families can bully, judge, and control people. Courage is shown in standing up to powerful people. An eating disorder (bulimia) is portrayed.
Positive Role Models
some
Diana is shown to be flawed but also strong and courageous. She feels suffocated by the family she's married into and what they -- and the country -- expect from her. She appears to be living with some form of mental illness and is also shown to have an eating disorder. She is loving toward her two sons, William and Harry, who in turn both try and look out for their mother as best they can. The British royal family and some of their staff are unsympathetic toward Diana and try to keep her in line with what they deem appropriate. Major Alistar Gregory in particular is especially strict with Diana, following her every move, although it could be argued that he is simply following orders. Other members of staff show kindness to Diana when others don't. Prince Charles appears to be having an affair that Diana is aware of. He shows cruelty to Diana but also recognizes she is a good mother to their two sons.
Diverse Representations
a little
The entire cast is White with nearly all the main characters being upper class and part of the British royal family. The central character is a well-rounded portrayal of a woman who is both living with mental health problems, as well as an eating disorder, but also shows courage in standing up for herself in the face of a powerful and intimidating family.
Parents need to know that Spencer is a spellbinding drama based on the imagined events of Princess Diana's last Christmas with the British royal family. The movie explores the mental health of Diana -- played by an excellent Kristen Stewart -- as her marriage to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) break downs and she deals with an increasingly intrusive British press. Diana is shown to be living with an eating disorder, routinely making herself sick after meals. As she becomes more and more rebellious, the tighter the royal family try to control her. This in turn makes Diana's struggles worse. She has suicidal thoughts -- in one sequence she imagines letting herself fall down the stairs -- and begins to see visions of Anne Boleyn, a former Queen of England long since dead. Despite her troubles, Diana is shown to be a loving mother to her two sons and eventually breaks free from both the royal family and the restrictions they placed on her. Shooting for sport is depicted on a number of occasions, including pheasant hunting -- birds are seen falling from the sky as well as dead on the floor. There is occasional language including variants of "f--k," while Diana also makes a joke about "wanting to masturbate." There are also references to affairs. Being the royal family, the settings are lavish, and characters are continuously waited on. A fascinating character study of one of the world's most famous figures, the movie manages to be both bleak yet ultimately uplifting. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
First off, Kristen Stewart did an amazing job with this role. She played the part perfectly given the script that she was handed. But, this movie is dark.
I agree that the R rating seems a little odd. There's nothing outwardly offensive in my humble opinion; however, the themes are adult and the movie doesn't hide any of the ugliness of bulimia. The cursing is probably nothing worse that anything a middle schooler has heard and almost no nudity at all, except a slight bit of side boob.
I didn't just love the movie, mostly probably because it's hard content and dark. Personally I felt they made Diana look a bit more crazy than I had ever envisioned her, but I cannot say that it isn't accurate. Her loneliness is palpable.
The movie is very well done but I felt it was hard to watch.
If you appreciated the slow and beautiful Visconti film Death in Venice, and, like the eerie treatment M. Night Shyamalan brings to a film, you will appreciate this movie. If you are looking for a movie you can kick back to with a bag of popcorn, this flick may not be for you. Now, don't get me wrong, I like to kick back with a bag of Popcorn and watch The Odd Couple just like anyone else. I'm just saying this film is not like that. While I would recommend this film, I would also want it understood what you are about to view is more "film" or "cinema" rather than "movie".
What's the Story?
In SPENCER, it's 1991 and Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) must spend the Christmas holidays with the British royal family, despite the fact her marriage is falling apart. Feeling alone and with her mental health becoming increasingly fragile, it proves to be a pivotal Christmas for not just Diana, but the entire British monarchy.
Boasting a mesmerizing performance from Stewart, this imagining of a three-day Christmas celebration with the British royal family looks at the break down of both Diana's marriage and mental health. The title Spencer is taken from Diana's maiden name. In other words, it's the name she went by in the first 20 years of her life, before she married Prince Charles and became a member of the British monarchy, who -- as depicted in the movie -- controlled her every move. Pablo Larrain's excellent film focuses on Diana's attempts to reclaim her independence and freedom, a return to when she was simply Diana Spencer. But leaving -- and in essence, defying -- the British royal family is not an easy task. It's made all the more difficult for Diana with the arrival of former soldier, Major Alistar Gregory -- played superbly by an unflinching and uncompromising Timothy Spall -- brought in especially to keep Diana "in line."
The movie is bleak yet funny, depressing yet uplifting, and it's to Stewart's credit that she rides these emotions seamlessly. Stewart perfectly captures Diana's mannerisms and softly spoken voice so despite not naturally looking like her in the way that Emma Corrin in The Crowndoes, you're never not feeling as though you're watching the lady dubbed the "Queen of Hearts." It's also worth noting that Stewart herself has been on the receiving end of much press intrusion as experienced by Diana in the film. Much like Larrain's other female biopic, Jackie, this is powerful and enticing portrayal of one of the world's most talked about women.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how mental illness was portrayed in Spencer. How was Diana's mental health portrayed? Did you think it was an accurate portrayal? Discuss how mental illness is portrayed in other movies you may have seen.
Diana was shown to be living with an eating disorder. Were you surprised by this? If so, why? What do you think causes the onset of an eating disorder? What resources can you use if you or someone you know has an eating disorder?
Talk about the strong language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
Did you think Diana liked being part of the British royal family? Why/why not?
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
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 Danny Brogan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
