lovely bones parents guide

thebsoine

2 min read

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18-02-2025

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The Lovely Bones, based on Alice Sebold's acclaimed novel, is a powerful and moving film exploring grief, trauma, and healing in the aftermath of a violent crime. While it tackles heavy themes with sensitivity, it's crucial for parents to understand the film's content before allowing their children to watch it. This guide will help you decide if The Lovely Bones is appropriate for your family.

What to Expect: Themes and Content

H2: Violence and Sexual Assault: The central plot revolves around the rape and murder of Susie Salmon (the protagonist). While the explicit details of the assault aren't shown, the film strongly implies the violence and its devastating impact. The killer's actions are disturbing and may be upsetting for younger or sensitive viewers. The film depicts the investigation, the family's struggle with the crime, and the emotional aftermath of such a tragedy.

H2: Grief and Loss: The film deeply explores the intense grief experienced by Susie's family. Their reactions, including denial, anger, and acceptance, are realistically portrayed. Scenes depicting their emotional pain may be difficult for children who have experienced loss. The film also confronts the lasting effects trauma has on relationships.

H2: Supernatural Elements: Susie exists in a kind of in-between space after her death. While not overtly scary, the portrayal of the afterlife may unsettle some younger viewers. The visual representation of this world is ethereal, not overtly frightening, but still different from typical cinematic realities.

H2: Mature Themes: The film deals with mature themes such as death, justice, forgiveness, and moving on. These themes are handled with sensitivity, but their complexity might be challenging for younger viewers to fully comprehend and process.

H2: Language and Sexuality: The language is generally appropriate, though some characters express frustration and anger using stronger words. There's a subtle romantic subplot that doesn't include explicit scenes but does allude to adult relationships.

Age Appropriateness: Who Should Watch?

Given the film's content, The Lovely Bones is not recommended for young children. The themes of violence, sexual assault, and death are too mature for pre-teens.

Teens (13-17): With parental guidance, teenagers may be able to watch and discuss the film's complex themes. Open communication beforehand and afterward is vital to help them process the difficult content.

Adults: The Lovely Bones is a powerful and thought-provoking film that resonates deeply with adult audiences.

Talking Points for Family Discussions

After watching the film, engaging in conversations with your children can be beneficial. Here are some points to discuss:

• Grief and Loss: How does the family cope with Susie's death? How do different family members react?
• Justice: What does justice mean in the context of the film? Is justice served?
• Forgiveness: How does the idea of forgiveness play out in the film? Is forgiveness possible?
• Healing: How do characters find ways to heal and move forward after trauma?
• The Supernatural Elements: How does the portrayal of the afterlife affect the story? What does it mean?

Conclusion

The Lovely Bones is a beautiful but challenging film. Parents should carefully consider their child's maturity level and emotional sensitivity before allowing them to watch it. Open communication and subsequent discussion can transform a potentially troubling viewing experience into a valuable learning opportunity. Remember that this guide offers suggestions, and the final decision on appropriateness rests with you as the parent.