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Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "THE CLEARING" (2004) (Robert Redford, Helen Mirren) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Mild Extreme Moderate Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Heavy None Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Mild Heavy Moderate Heavy QUICK TAKE: Drama/Suspense: As his wife deals with the repercussions of the act, a middle-aged businessman tries to outwit a distraught stranger who's kidnapped him. PLOT: Wayne (ROBERT REDFORD) and Eileen Hayes (HELEN MIRREN) would seem to have it all. Now millionaires after selling one of his companies, the two live in a nice house in Pittsburg. Yet, there's some emotional distance between them, and with their children -- Tim (ALESSANDRO NIVOLA) and Jill (MELISSA SAGEMILLER) -- grown up and out of the house, it's just the two of them and a somewhat chilly aura. Things take a turn for the worse when Arnold Mack (WILLEM DAFOE) suddenly shows up one day and kidnaps Wayne from his own driveway. Claiming that he works for others who are waiting for him to deposit Wayne, Arnold takes his hostage into an unknown section of woods through which they walk for hours. Meanwhile, Eileen eventually gets notice of the kidnapping that not only brings Tim and Jill back home, but also means the introduction of FBI Agent Ray Fuller (MATT CRAVEN) who advises them on how to proceed with the kidnapper's demands. As Eileen eventually discovers some unsavory truths about her husband, Wayne tries to figure out what Arnold wants and how to outwit him. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Some older teens might be interested in it, but beyond anyone else who might be a fan of someone in the cast, it doesn't seem too likely that any other kids will be. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For brief strong language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ROBERT REDFORD plays a wealthy businessman who must deal with being kidnapped and trying to outwit his abductor. He uses some profanity and there's talk of him having an affair with an employee. HELEN MIRREN plays his wife who must deal with him being kidnapped and her mixed feelings toward him and new discoveries about him. She briefly uses strong profanity and drinks some. WILLEM DAFOE plays the desperate kidnapper who abducts Wayne and threatens him on various occasions. ALESSANDRO NIVOLA plays Wayne and Eileen's adult son who returns home to deal with the kidnapping. He briefly uses strong profanity. MELISSA SAGEMILLER plays his sister who's also returned home and is emotionally distraught over the kidnapping. MATT CRAVEN plays the lead FBI agent on the case who does what he can to try to bring Wayne home safely. 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: Here's a quick look at the content found in this dramatic thriller that's been rated R. Profanity consists of at least 2 "f" words, while a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Some brief but explicit, sexually related dialogue is also present. A man kidnaps another man, threatens him with a gun several times, and the two struggle and fight several times (one scene includes a near strangulation). A person is shot and presumably killed and that scene and others may be unsettling or suspenseful for some viewers. Bad attitudes are obviously present, while there's talk of an extramarital affair. That and the kidnapping create some tense family scenes, while various characters drink or smoke in several scenes. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Eileen asks a friend if he can make them some drinks for dinner. He says he can and adds that he wants the good scotch. We see wine in glasses in front of Eileen and her friends with dinner. Eileen and Tim have wine in front of them with dinner. Tim has wine. A person states that many disappearing person issues stem from disagreements over drugs. Miscellaneous people have drinks in a flashback. We briefly see a beer bottle in a fridge door. Eileen drinks from a glass of wine. Wayne briefly talks about people raising a glass to toast his dead father. BLOOD/GORE We see Arnold prepare to urinate behind a tree, but don't hear or see anything beyond that. During a struggle with Arnold, Wayne ends up hitting his head quite hard on the ground, slightly bloodying it from a cut. We see that some blood was sent in the mail to Eileen, and Fuller drops a drop of it onto some paper or cloth. We see a vial at an arm as someone prepares to draw blood, but don't see the act. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Arnold obviously has a bad attitude for kidnapping Wayne and demanding money from his family. We hear that Wayne had an affair with a coworker and then regularly called her after Eileen made him fire and agree to stop seeing her. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Arnold aims his gun at Wayne who confronts him by asking how many times he's shot a gun. Arnold then turns and shoots a tree to prove he can. Arnold cocks the handgun he aims at Wayne. Wayne tackles Arnold and they struggle on the ground in the rain. Wayne then proceeds to strangle Arnold until he loses consciousness. We then see Arnold come to and find his gun (without Wayne knowing this). He then aims his gun at Wayne. Eileen returns to the remote nighttime spot of her ransom drop. She then slowly proceeds to go down an embankment and cautiously makes her way through the dark as she hears various noises. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns: Carried/worn and/or used to threaten and shoot another person. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "The faintest f*cking idea," "You're a (miserable) piece of sh*t," "Shut up," "Why the hell is he doing that?" "What the hell are you doing?" "You G*ddamn lunatic" and "Do you think I'm an idiot?" It's possible the film could inspire some kids to try a kidnapping ploy of their own. Jill wears a midriff-revealing top. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of ominous and suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 2 "f" words (1 used sexually), 3 "s" words, 2 hells and 4 uses of "G-damn." SEX/NUDITY After Eileen asks about Tim and his wife having another child, he jokingly replies that they're not going to have one as their current child is in bed with them every night. We see Jill in a bikini before she enters a pool. When she bends over (facing the camera), she shows cleavage. We see Eileen sitting in a bathtub and see her bare back. Eileen tells Wayne's lover that she thinks she would prefer if that woman and Wayne were "f*cking" in a hotel rather than the woman's place. SMOKING Arnold offers a cigarette to Wayne. The latter says he quit, but then says, "Under the circumstances" and takes one. As he lights it, he offers one to Arnold who says he doesn't smoke (but that his wife does). Arnold says that his wife is trying to kill herself by smoking. Several miscellaneous characters smoke. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Eileen and then her kids worry about Wayne's disappearance and then news that he's been kidnapped. In addition, she must deal with the fact that her husband had an affair in the past and then the discovery that he continued that after he said he would stop. Fuller admits that he's not in a good marriage at the moment (when asked by Eileen). Wayne briefly talks about his father being sick and then dying. It's suggested that a person's spouse has been killed, but we don't know that for sure. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Kidnappings. Affairs. Strained marriages. Arnold comments, "It stinks seeing your life fall apart." VIOLENCE Arnold pulls a gun that he aims at Wayne. He then pushes him hard into the car window (from the inside) and cuffs Wayne's hands behind his back. We see Wayne lying in a car trunk with his hands cuffed behind his back and tape over his mouth. Arnold then opens the trunk and aims his gun at Wayne. When Wayne's cell phone rings, he tries to retrieve it from his jacket, but Arnold struggles with him. Wayne ends up hitting his head quite hard on the ground, slightly bloodying it from a cut. Arnold then smashes the phone. Wayne stumbles and tumbles down a hill as he tries to flee from Arnold. Wayne tackles Arnold and they struggle on the ground in the rain. Wayne then proceeds to strangle Arnold until he loses consciousness. We then see Arnold come to and find his gun (without Wayne knowing this). He then aims his gun at Wayne. We briefly see a view of a person dragging another person through the woods. We see a flashback to a person raising a gun toward another person in the dark. That person then shoots and we briefly see the victim's reaction, but no impact or blood. Reviewed July 14, 2004 / Posted July2, 2004