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Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "COPYING BEETHOVEN" (2006) (Ed Harris, Diane Kruger) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor Mild Heavy Minor None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None None None Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Minor Mild Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Drama: A female composer tries to impress legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven with her work as he prepares his latest symphony. PLOT: It's 1824 Vienna, and famous and nearly deaf composer Ludwig van Beethoven (ED HARRIS) is in need of a new assistant to copy his sheet music for his latest symphony, since his longtime worker, Wenzel Schlemmer (RALPH RIACH), is now an old and sickly man. What he doesn't expect is musical composition student Anna Holtz (DIANE KRUGER) wanting that job. He initially dismisses her simply because she's a woman, but she quickly proves her talent and he likes the 23-year-old's veracity and spunk. Her boyfriend, Martin Bauer (MATTHEW GOODE), an architect who's developed plans for a new city bridge, isn't particularly pleased since the composer has a reputation for being demanding and mean. Moreover, Mother Canisius (PHYLLIDA LAW), the nun who runs the convent where Anna lives, tries to warn her of what happens when dreams meet reality, especially since the young woman longs to write and conduct her own music, something unheard of in their day and age. As Anna tries to get accustomed to Beethoven's ways and rules, she must also contend with his good-for-nothing adult nephew, Karl (JOE ANDERSON), who only uses his uncle for money to sustain his gambling habit and pay off his debts. As the days count down toward the performance of Beethoven's first new symphony in a decade, Anna races to complete her work, all with hopes of impressing the composer enough that he might take a look at her own composition. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of the composer or someone in the film, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For some sexual elements. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ED HARRIS plays the legendary but demanding composer who's nearly deaf yet continues to write symphonies and try to conduct them. He reluctantly takes on Anna as his sheet music copier, is occasionally mean to her and/or Martin, uses some profanity, and is driven by the desire to push his music even more so than before. DIANE KRUGER plays a young woman in a time and place where women don't compose music, yet that's what she wants to do. Accordingly, she takes a job copying Beethoven's sheet music in hopes that she might learn a thing or two and get a chance to show him her work. She alternates between admiring/liking and despising him and his attitude (although it ends up being more of the former). MATTHEW GOODE plays her architect boyfriend who doesn't look highly upon her working for and spending time with Beethoven. PHYLLIDA LAW plays the nun who runs the convent where Anna lives and tries to instill some common sense into her head about dreams vs. reality. JOE ANDERSON plays Beethoven's good-for-nothing nephew who's always borrowing or stealing money from his uncle to cover his gambling habit and debts. 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 drama that's rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 3 "s" words, while a handful of other expletives and some colorful phrases are also uttered. Some sexually related dialogue is present (including a non-specific erection reference), a man playfully moons a woman, an unmarried couple briefly makes out, and a woman somewhat sensually sponge bathes her male boss (he's shirtless). Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, including a man who smashes another man's architectural model, while other brief contact occurs between people. There's brief drinking and one woman smokes once, while some scatological material is present, as is a brief view of a person being bled for (antiquated) medical purposes. 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. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of camera movement -- sometimes bouncy, sometimes spin around shots or rapid panning -- throughout the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Beethoven has a drink. Mother Canisius rhetorically asks Anna what she can learn from Beethoven beyond drunkenness, profanity, and something else. Beethoven briefly states that his father was a drunken "sod." A miscellaneous person drinks during Beethoven's performance. BLOOD/GORE Schlemmer tells Anna he has to pee when she arrives. He then sets a chamber pot on the floor and we partially hear him urinate, as does Anna who's turned away. Anna empties a chamber pot of Beethoven's urine, with Karl referring to it as a "piss pot." Beethoven talks about music coming from one's gut and their bowels, with him holding his hand to his clothed butt and then talking (symbolically) of getting "sh*t" on one's boots. We see a doctor bleeding Beethoven as part of a medical procedure (we see blood running down his arm and hand into a bowl). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Various men, including Schlemmer and particularly Beethoven (at least initially) discount and/or laugh at Anna's abilities, first as a copier and then as a composer, just because she's a woman. Schlemmer says that compared to working for Beethoven, cancer is a gift from God in that death will be a vacation from the demanding composer (viewers suffering from the same or who know someone who is might not like that comment). Upset with his work, Beethoven hits Schlemmer with a bunch of papers, saying that if he disappoints him again, he'll kill him (although he doesn't literally mean that). Although Anna is being honest in approving of Beethoven's work, he condescending responds about her relative inexperience proving that her kind words mean nothing. Beethoven's comment that he knows he's a difficult person, but that he takes comfort in knowing that God made him that way. When Beethoven tells a tavern owner that he wonders if God sent Anna to him, the man jokingly replies that they're usually sent by "the other one" (meaning the devil). Beethoven states that female composers are like dogs that walk on their hind legs -- It isn't done well and it's surprising to see at all. Anna shows a little cleavage while bent over and cleaning Beethoven's floor on her hands and knees. Unbeknownst to her, Karl has entered the room, snuck up behind her, and then uses a walking cane or pole to lift her dress even more after she briefly does the same, exposing some leg (and he lasciviously tells her she should lift it more -- but she quickly scrambles away from him). He then comments on Beethoven normally liking his women older and then reaches out, apparently groping her chest, prompting her to smack him. He's then verbally condescending to her, while exhibiting a bad attitude toward Beethoven, his uncle. Karl is a freeloader with a gambling problem who's always asking Beethoven for money. Anna finds Karl breaking into Beethoven's drawer and stealing money from him. About Anna wanting to be a composer, Beethoven says that God made a serious mistake in making her a woman. Beethoven stating that his head is constantly filled with sound, and then asks if a loving God would make him deaf so that he can't hear his own music. He then states that God is his father, but that he disowns Him (some may view that as having a bad attitude). Anna shows Beethoven the music she's composed, with him responding that it's like "intellectual wind breaking" (as he makes farting sounds with his mouth and laughs at the work, calling it "fartisimo"). He later apologizes for doing that. Beethoven doesn't think highly of Martin's bridge model at its competition unveiling, and thus smashes it with his cane, saying it has no soul and that he's doing him a favor. FRIGHTENING SCENES For those scared of such rodents, a rat surprises Anna by scampering across Beethoven's floor. Beethoven collapses after his latest performance. It's implied that Beethoven has died (finishing off the opening scene where Anna arrives to tend to him on his deathbed). GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "I haven't had a hard-on since he could hear," "You idiot," "Piss pots," "Filthy old bastard," "What the hell are you?" "You son of a bitch," "G*ddamn you," "Drunken sod," "You filthy bastard" and "It's like intellectual wind-breaking." Beethoven playfully moons Anna (commenting on the "moonlight") and we see his bare butt. Anna shows Beethoven the music she's composed, with him responding that it's like "intellectual wind breaking" (as he makes farting sounds with his mouth and laughs at the work, calling it "fartisimo"). He later apologizes for doing that. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 3 "s" words, 1 hell, 1 S.O.B., 4 uses of "Oh my God," 2 each of "Christ," "For God's sakes," "G-damn" and "My God" and 1 use each of "For Christ's sakes," "God," "Jesus" and "Oh God." SEX/NUDITY A tavern owner wonders why Beethoven isn't at home working, with Beethoven replying that he has a 23-year-old woman in his place. That prompts the man to say if he had the same, he'd never leave his home. A woman (presumably a prostitute who shows cleavage) then wonders if Beethoven is available, with the tavern owner saying Beethoven has a woman. That prompts her to ask about him, but the tavern owner replies, "I haven't had a hard-on since he (Beethoven) could hear." Anna shows a little cleavage while bent over and cleaning Beethoven's floor on her hands and knees. Unbeknownst to her, Karl has entered the room, snuck up behind her, and then uses a walking cane or pole to lift her dress even more after she briefly does the same, exposing some leg (and he lasciviously tells her she should lift it more -- but she quickly scrambles away from him). He then comments on Beethoven normally liking his women older and then reaches out, apparently groping her chest, prompting her to smack him. He's then verbally condescending to her, while exhibiting a bad attitude toward Beethoven, his uncle. Beethoven starts to undress in front of Anna who isn't sure of what to do or where to look. We then see him shirtless as he pours water over his torso in sort of a bathing fashion, but the water goes through the floor, thus angering his downstairs neighbors (but he can't hear their protests -- this happens on several occasions). He then playfully moons her (commenting on the "moonlight") and we see his bare butt. Anna wants to see Martin's bridge model, telling him, "Show me?" He playfully asks what (in something of a suggestive fashion), prompting her to jokingly reply, "The bridge." Martin and Anna passionately kiss while standing and then kneeling. Anna shows some cleavage in the dress she wears to Beethoven's performance, with him commenting that she looks like a woman in it. We see Beethoven shirtless while practicing. Beethoven tells Anna, "Wash me," and so she does, in a slightly sensual fashion (he's shirtless and she runs the rag over his chest, belly and such). SMOKING Beethoven's older neighbor briefly smokes a pipe. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Beethoven wishes his nephew would be a composer, but the young man has no such desires and dislikes his uncle, only using him for money for his gambling debts. Beethoven briefly states that his father was a drunken "sod." TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Various men, including Schlemmer and particularly Beethoven (at least initially) discount and/or laugh at Anna's abilities, first as a copier and then as a composer, just because she's a woman. The historical accuracy and/or artistic license taken with the real story. Schlemmer says that compared to working for Beethoven, cancer is a gift from God in that death will be a vacation from the demanding composer. How Beethoven could compose his music while deaf (or near completely so as represented here). Beethoven's comment that he knows he's a difficult person, but that he takes comfort in knowing that God made him that way. Mother Canisius tells Anna that dreams (of what someone will become) can be wonderful, but also dangerous, with that latter quality sometimes making them even more enticing. Schlemmer saying that it's as if Beethoven's soul went deaf the same times as his ears, and questions for whom he composes his music nowadays. About Anna wanting to be a composer, Beethoven says that God made a serious mistake in making her a woman. Beethoven stating that loneliness is his religion. Beethoven states that he and God are like two bears in the same den (meaning they're always loud and battling). Beethoven's comment that music is the language of God, and that musicians are as close to God as man can be. Beethoven stating that his head is constantly filled with sound, and then asks if a loving God would make him deaf so that he can't hear his own music. He then states that God is his father, but that he disowns Him. Beethoven saying that while God might whisper in some men's ears, "He shouts in mine." We see a doctor bleeding Beethoven as part of a medical procedure (we see blood running down his arm and hand into a bowl). VIOLENCE Upset with his work, Beethoven hits Schlemmer with a bunch of papers, saying that if he disappoints him again, he'll kill him (although he doesn't literally mean that). After hanging onto her exterior window to sneak a brief chat with Anna, Martin falls off to the street below, but lands on his feet and is okay. Anna smacks Karl after he apparently gropes her. While mad at her for being apologetic, Beethoven grabs Anna by the chin. Beethoven doesn't think highly of Martin's bridge model at its competition unveiling, and thus smashes it with his cane, saying it has no soul and that he's doing him a favor. Reviewed November 1, 2006 / Posted November 17, 2006