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"COLD MOUNTAIN"
(2003) (Jude Law, Nicole Kidman) (R)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Moderate Heavy Extreme Moderate Extreme
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Mild Minor Mild None Moderate
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Extreme Mild Moderate Mild Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Drama: A Civil War confederate goes AWOL so that he can return to the woman whose love for him is the only thing keeping her going through life.
PLOT:
It's 1861 and Ada Monroe (NICOLE KIDMAN) and her preacher father (DONALD SUTHERLAND) have arrived in Cold Mountain, North Carolina from Charleston. Although local man Teague (RAY WINSTONE) isn't pleased to see them, the likes of Esco (JAMES GAMMON) and Sally Swanger (KATHY BAKER) are, while carpenter W.P. Inman (JUDE LAW) takes an instant liking to Ada.

The feeling is mutual and the two become something of an item, but with the state seceding from the Union, Inman sets off with his Confederate comrades for war. The two correspond through letters, but the years pass, Ada's father dies and Inman is wounded. When he's read one of Ada's letters begging him to come home, the soldier decides to go AWOL.

He then sets out on a long and perilous journey where he meets the likes of Veasey (PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN), a disgraced minister; Junior (GIOVANNI RIBISI), a volatile backwoods man; Sara (NATALIE PORTMAN), a war widow with a young infant; and recluse Maddy (EILEEN ATKINS) who briefly cares for him.

Back in Cold Mountain, Teague has assumed control with the aid of Bosie (CHARLIE HUNNAM), and tries to convince Ada that she should be with him. Despite her poverty she refuses, putting all of her hope in Inman's return. Meanwhile, she gets help from stranger Ruby (RENEE ZELLWEGER), who offers to work the land in exchange for free room and board.

Although she claims her father is dead, he soon arrives in the form of Stobrod (BRENDAN GLEESON) who's traveling with fellow musicians Pangle (ETHAN SUPLEE) and Georgia (JACK WHITE). As they must deal with Teague's search for deserters, Inman tries to avoid capture so that he can return to Cold Mountain and the woman he hopes he still loves.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Younger kids probably won't, but teens who are fans of romantic dramas, Civil War era films or anyone in the cast just might.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For violence and sexuality.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • NICOLE KIDMAN plays a young woman who's left all alone when her father dies and then puts all of her hopes for happiness in Inman's returning home to her.
  • JUDE LAW plays a Confederate soldier who goes AWOL to escape the horrors of war and to return to Ada. He kills various people in and out of battle (the latter being bad people). He briefly uses some profanity.
  • RENEE ZELLWEGER plays a rough around the edges but resourceful woman who arrives on Ada's farm to help her and becomes her best friend.
  • RAY WINSTONE plays a local man who decides to make himself sheriff and then sets out to capture and kill war deserters. While sweet on Ada, he's responsible for the deaths of innocent people.
  • CHARLIE HUNNAM plays his right-hand man who does his dirty work for him.
  • BRENDAN GLEESON plays Ruby's estranged father who returns to her life.
  • ETHAN SUPLEE and JACK WHITE play his accompanying roving musicians.
  • EILEEN ATKINS plays a wise recluse who aids Inman in his time of need.
  • PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN plays a disgraced white minister who's obsessed with sexual matters and has gotten a black woman pregnant (who he then tries to kill).
  • NATALIE PORTMAN plays a war widow who's trying to raise her infant and kills a soldier who was with others who intended to rape her.
  • GIOVANNI RIBISI plays a backwoods man who drinks and becomes violent toward Inman and others.
  • JAMES GAMMON and KATHY BAKER play farmers who help Ada in her time of need.
  • DONALD SUTHERLAND plays Ada's father, a minister.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated drama. Profanity consists of at least 9 uses of the "s" word, while a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases are used. Some sexually related dialogue is present, as are several sexual encounters with movement, sounds and nudity.

    Violence consists of Civil War battle material where many soldiers fight and wound or kill the enemy by various means. Other non-fatal and fatal violence occurs, while some men prepare to rape a woman (but are stopped). Some of that violence has rather bloody/gory results, and some of those scenes and others may be unsettling, tense or suspenseful to viewers.

    Some scatological material is present, as are varying degrees of bad attitudes, while various characters drink or smoke. Some tense family material consists of deaths of family members and a strained daugther/father relationship. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Ada's father has what appears to be port.
  • Ruby states that her father would walk forty miles for liquor.
  • Junior appears to drink some liquor.
  • Inman, Veasey, Junior and various women drink Junior's home brew of something alcoholic and all appear to be intoxicated.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • We see various wounded men following a large explosion, with some having bloody wounds (one had blood and mud on his bare front and back torso).
  • A Northern soldier stabs a teen in the gut (graphically), prompting Inman to try to rescue him (and he shoots several men dead -- with bloody results -- while doing so). We see blood in the water on the ground following the battle and then piles of dead and bloody bodies the next day.
  • A wounded soldier is rather bloody.
  • Inman's friend is shot and Inman tries to drag him away, only to be hit and wounded himself (we see blood on his neck and hear gurgling sounds).
  • We see blood stains in sheets and other such material covering amputees' wounds. We also hear flies buzzing about the wounded.
  • Ruby grabs a mean rooster and we hear the sound of her breaking its neck and then see what appears to be its severed head landing on the porch (seen from a distance and with no blood).
  • Inman spits out some blood from the aftereffects of his earlier neck injury.
  • Veasey talks about bowel movements and him being constipated. Later, Veasey gets excited and runs off into the brush, prompting Inman to tell Junior that Veasey has "a sh*t coming."
  • Somen men are shot (with bloody results, including someone else's on Inman's head).
  • Inman tries to drag various dead bodies that are chained to him, across the ground.
  • A man drives a sword through another man, killing him (with bloody results on him and some sheets he falls into and is later strung up in). We later see blood on a woman's hands when she's rescued.
  • An older woman jabs a knife into her pet goat (in a somewhat creepy, loving fashion, but we don't see the actual impact) as she pets it until it bleeds to death (she says it's served its purpose and we later see her and Inman presumably eating its cooked meat). We also see her holding a bowl that's presumably catching its spilled blood.
  • We see that Inman still has a bad neck wound (from an earlier injury) and a woman puts some sort of homemade salve on it.
  • Ruby and Ada discover Stobrod with his hand in a trap (and a little blood on his hand).
  • Inman hits a rapist in the back with a hatchet as we see that the first man on the intended victim is dead and bloody (she has his blood on her).
  • We hear Georgia vomiting from eating some bad meat.
  • Ruby and Ada find a dead and frozen man in the cold woods with a bullet hole wound over his eye. They find another man with a bullet hole in him (he's alive) and one takes their knife to remove it (we don't see the insertion but hear her say she feels it).
  • We see some blood on a man's face.
  • A man has been shot and we see some blood from his mouth. We later see blood in the snow around his body.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • The opposing war forces have bad attitudes toward each other.
  • Teague and his men have bad attitudes as they kill innocent people while trying to round up and kill war deserters.
  • Inman comes across Veasey, a married minister who's holding a drugged, black woman (who's pregnant with his baby) above a body of water into which he plans on throwing her.
  • Veasey says that the good Lord is very flexible when it comes to property (after taking a saw he's found).
  • Some Union men prepare to rape Sara and impose stress on her by that and messing with her infant.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" might also be tense or suspenseful to some viewers.
  • We hear and then see that explosives are being readied under unsuspecting Southern troops. We then see the fuse lit and await the resultant explosion.
  • Inman hears gunshots and bloodhounds from down a dirt road and then runs for cover through an adjacent field.
  • Junior kicks a dead cow as Inman and Veasey arrive, with the latter carrying a large, two-man saw. In exchange for food, they agree to help Junior take care of his problem. We then see them place the saw down onto the cow and start to saw (we don't see any of the actual cutting or anything else but Junior adversely reacts to the sight).
  • We see Inman, Veasey and others chained together and prisoners of Confederate soldiers when they hear that Union forces are headed their way. The guards make their prisoners lay low, but Inman decides he's not going out this way and thus hits some of the guards. He and others try to run away, but some of them are shot (with bloody results, including someone else's on Inman's head) and the Union forces shoot and kill the guards.
  • Teague and his goons show up on a farm, thinking the family's boys (who are AWOL from the army) are there. The parents swear they're not, but one of the bad guys drives a sword through the father, killing him (with bloody results on him and some sheets he falls into and is later strung up in). Moments later, we hear the mother screaming and see that they have a noose around her neck (that later leaves her mute) and her hands jammed beneath some heavy fence rails (we later see blood on her hands when she's rescued). The boys then come running out and Teague and his goons shoot them dead.
  • Sara informs Inman that Yankees are approaching and he flees up the hill behind her cabin. We then see three soldiers take her and her baby outside (they tie her up and one puts the baby on the ground where it cries). She begs them to stop, but one then takes her inside to rape her (but as he enters the cabin and starts to tear at her clothing, we see Inman hiding behind the door). Another soldier then tells the first, "Leave some for the rest of us" as he enters the cabin and sees the man halfway lying on her on a table. Inman then hits that man in the back with a hatchet as we see that the first man on her is dead and bloody (she has his blood on her). Inman then holds his gun on the third soldier who was concerned about the baby. He makes him partially disrobe and orders him to run off, but Sara suddenly pops out and shoots the man dead with a rifle.
  • Teague and his goons show up at Stobrod and his friends' campsite and we know something bad is likely to happen.
  • Ada and Ruby run into Teague and his goons and again we know something bad is likely to happen.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Rifles/Pistols/Canons/Explosives/Bayonets/Swords/Hatchet: Used to threaten, wound or kill others or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "He's got a sh*t coming," "Sacks of sh*t," "Chickensh*t," "Bullsh*t," "Damn right," "Yankee scum," "Fools," "Send the Yankees straight to Hell," "Turds," "Slut," "You were an asshole," "He's so full of manure" and "There will be hell to pay."
  • Pistols are fired into the air to celebrate the state declaring war on the North.
  • Esco and Sally talk about rumors regarding being able to see the future if one is held over their well face up and they then look down into via a mirror (Ada does this).
  • JUMP SCENES
  • A sudden gunshot might startle some viewers. That happens again later in the film in a different scene.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A mild amount of such music plays in the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 9 "s" words, 3 asses (2 used with "hole"), 1 damn, 1 hell, 3 uses of "Good God" and 1 use each of "Oh God" and "Oh my God."
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • There's possible male nudity as a body flies through the air in front of the camera following a massive explosion (but it's so fast and so much else is going on that it was hard to tell).
  • Inman and Ada engage in some brief, passionate clothed kissing.
  • A blind man tells Inman that he's never seen a tree, gun or woman, but that he's put his hands on all three.
  • Inman holds his gun on Veasey who states that a woman he's carrying has his "bastard in her belly."
  • A woman who's ferrying Inman and Veasey across a body of water tells them that for thirty additional dollars she'll take them to a cabin where she'll pull her dress over her head (meaning sex). Veasey sounds worked up when he asks if they have $30.
  • Ruby asks Ada, "You never wrapped your legs around this Inman?" and Ada acts all embarrassed.
  • A woman suggestively runs her hand along the clothed, upper inner thigh of Veasey's pants and then does so again. After he goes off with her and some other women and Junior leaves, a woman straddles Inman. Another woman, however, makes her leave, stating that she's going to make him ugly until she grunts (or something like that). She then exposes her bare breasts to the intoxicated Inman and then bends over a table and writhes a bit, exposing her bare rear to him, wanting him to have sex with her that way (telling him to "ride me all the way to China"). Junior then returns, calls her a "slut" and nothing else sexual occurs between them. However, we do see the above woman and bare-breasted women with Veasey and one is moving on top of him.
  • Sara goes off to breastfeed her infant, but we don't see anything explicit.
  • Sara asks Inman if he'll come inside and lay with her in bed (with him being a surrogate of sorts for her dead husband), but then saying that it need go no further than that. She ends up holding his hand and then crying.
  • Inman and Ada do some passionate kissing. She starts to disrobe and apologizes for having so many buttons. She then asks if he'll turn his back while she undresses and he does for a moment, but then turns and says he won't. We then see various brief shots of them before and during sex, including passionate kissing, groping, brief and partial views of both of their bare butts, a brief view of her bare breasts, a brief view of him slowly moving between her legs and related sounds from both.
  • Ada kids Ruby about being sweet on Georgia, and a comment is made about Ruby being more concerned about the farm and swollen udders, with a follow-up comment making that something of a double entendre (for breasts).
  • SMOKING
  • A few men smoke pipes in several scenes.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • We hear that both of Inman's parents are dead.
  • Ada's father states that his wife died after just 22 months of marriage.
  • Ada discovers her ailing father dead out in the rain (we later see her smelling his empty clothes in a grieving reminder sort of fashion). She must then deal with the long-lasting repercussions of that (having no money and not knowing how to tend to their land and crops, etc.).
  • Ruby states that her father is dead but we later see him alive.
  • A woman must deal with the repersucsions of seeing Teague and his goons murdering her husband and two sons.
  • Ruby wants nothing to do with her father when he suddenly shows up on their farm. Ruby then confronts her father saying that he beat and deserted her in the past.
  • Sara states that her husband was killed in the war (leaving her alone to raise her infant).
  • Ruby thinks her father is dead but then discovers he's just badly wounded.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • The Civil War and its era.
  • Love encouraging and/or driving people to do things they might not otherwise do.
  • VIOLENCE
  • A massive underground explosion rips up the ground under Southern forces and throws many of them through the air, wounding or killing them.
  • The Northern forces charge the Southern ones, only to find themselves in a steep dead-end that allows the Confederates to shoot at them (with guns and cannons) in a fish in the barrel sort of fashion. One man even throws his bayonet-equipped rifle down into the masses, impaling one man (no blood). The forces finally met and there's hand to hand combat. A Northern soldier stabs a teen in the gut (graphically), prompting Inman to try to rescue him (and he shoots several men dead -- with bloody results -- while doing so). We see blood in the water on the ground following the battle and then piles of dead and bloody bodies the next day.
  • Inman and others sneak through the woods at night only to have Union forces open fire on them. Men on both sides are shot (but with no blood).
  • Inman's friend is shot and Inman tries to drag him away, only to be hit and wounded himself (we see blood on his neck and hear gurgling sounds).
  • A mean rooster pecks Ada on the hand and she then bangs her head on something as she stands (but is okay).
  • Ruby grabs the above rooster and we hear the sound of her breaking its neck and then see what appears to be its severed head landing on the porch (seen from a distance and with no blood).
  • Inman comes across Veasey, a married minister who's holding a drugged, black woman above a body of water into which he plans on throwing her. Inman holds his gun on Veasey who states that the woman has his "bastard in her belly." Inman then hits Veasey in the gut and rescues the woman. We later see that he's tied up Veasey with a note stuffed into his mouth for others to find.
  • A woman is suddenly shot and soldiers then open fire on Inman and Veasey in a boat as they try to paddle away.
  • Junior hits Inman and a woman who was coming on to him and then holds his gun on Inman and Veasey.
  • We see Inman, Veasey and others chained together and prisoners of Confederate soldiers when they hear that Union forces are headed their way. The guards make their prisoners lay low, but Inman decides he's not going out this way and thus hits some of the guards. He and others try to run away, but some of them are shot (with bloody results, including someone else's on Inman's head) and the Union forces shoot and kill the guards.
  • Teague and his goons show up on a farm, thinking the family's boys (who are AWOL from the army) are there. The parents swear they're not, but one of the bad guys drives a sword through the father, killing him (with bloody results on him and some sheets he falls into and is later strung up in). Moments later, we hear the mother screaming and see that they have a noose around her neck (that later leaves her mute) and her hands jammed beneath some heavy fence rails (we later see blood on her hands when she's rescued). The boys then come running out and Teague and his goons shoot them dead.
  • An older woman jabs a knife into her pet goat (in a somewhat creepy, loving fashion, but we don't see the actual impact) as she pets it until it bleeds to death (she says it's served its purpose and we later see her and Inman presumably eating its cooked meat). We also see her holding a bowl that's presumably catching its spilled blood.
  • Ruby and Ada discover Stobrod with his hand in a trap (and a little blood on his hand). Ruby then kicks him when she announces he's her daddy.
  • Sara informs Inman that Yankees are approaching and he flees up the hill behind her cabin. We then see three soldiers take her and her baby outside (they tie her up and one puts the baby on the ground where it cries). She begs them to stop, but one then takes her inside to rape her (but as he enters the cabin and starts to tear at her clothing, we see Inman hiding behind the door). Another soldier then tells the first, "Leave some for the rest of us" as he enters the cabin and sees the man halfway lying on her on a table. Inman then hits that man in the back with a hatchet as we see that the first man on her is dead and bloody (she has his blood on her). Inman then holds his gun on the third soldier who was concerned about the baby. He makes him partially disrobe and orders him to run off, but Sara suddenly pops out and shoots the man dead with a rifle.
  • Teague's men shoot and seemingly kill two men who try to flee (we later see that one is alive, but badly wounded).
  • Ada shoots a large bird for food. She then spots a man walking toward her and fires a warning shot.
  • When a man prepares to shoot another man, Ruby shoots the first man instead. Teague then shoots and wounds her, Inman knocks a guy from his horse and then shoots and wounds or kills several people, and Ada repeatedly whacks at Teague with a rifle, knocking him from his horse.
  • Inman prepares to shoot a man, but his gun is empty. The other man then reaches for his gun, but Inman takes it from him and shoots him dead.
  • Inman chases after a man on horseback. The guy pulls his pistol, but Inman shoots him dead.
  • A man is bloody and dies from wounds he received in a brief shootout.



  • Reviewed December 3, 2003 / Posted December 25, 2003

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