SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: THE VILLAGE

"THE VILLAGE"
(2004) (Joaquin Phoenix, Bryce Dallas Howard) (PG-13)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
*None	Moderate	Heavy	*Heavy	Moderate

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	Moderate	Extreme	None	Minor

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Minor	Minor	Heavy	Moderate	Heavy

QUICK TAKE:: Suspense/Thriller: Old-fashioned members of an isolated and simple village must contend with what appear to be incursions of monsters from an adjacent forest.

PLOT:

Somewhere in the middle of the immense and thick Covington Forest exists a small village of old-fashioned people leading a simple life. Led by a group of elders including Edward Walker (WILLIAM HURT), August Nicholson (BRENDAN GLEESON), Alice Hunt (SIGOURNEY WEAVER) and others, the villagers work hard in their self-sustaining hamlet. No one ever leaves or visits due to reports of monsters in the woods that won't enter the village's perimeter as long as its inhabitants don't enter theirs.

Yet, Alice's adult son, Lucius (JOAQUIN PHOENIX), wants to do just that, but only to obtain medicine from a nearby town that might help save some of the inhabitants in the future. Everyone is against the idea, particularly when some livestock end up being killed and skinned, seemingly as a warning to stay out of the woods.

Not everyone is disappointed that he doesn't get to go, however, especially Edward's blind adult daughter Ivy (BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD). Since Lucius turned down her sister's romantic intentions, Ivy -- who's something of a tomboy and good friends with Noah Percy (ADRIEN BRODY), the village's mentally challenged resident -- is now determined to make the reserved Lucius hers.

With increasing incursions from the creatures in the woods, however, they have something more important to focus on than love. And when a person is severely injured and needs medicine that can only be found in an outside town, one of the villagers must make their way through the woods and contend with a potentially dangerous or deadly encounter with one of the beings.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they're fans of spooky films, the work of M. Night Shyamalan ("The Sixth Sense," "Signs") or anyone in the cast, they might, but this one seems most attractive to older teens.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For a scene of violence and frightening situations.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: JOAQUIN PHOENIX plays a reserved and quiet young man who offers to risk the dangers of entering the woods to obtain medicine that might help his neighbors in the future. He's also romantically interested in Ivy.
BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD plays Edward's blind adult daughter who's something of a tomboy but wants to romance Lucius, and shows bravery under adverse conditions.
ADRIEN BRODY plays the town's mentally challenged resident who becomes jealous upon learning of a reported romance between Lucius and Ivy.
WILLIAM HURT plays the town's elder leader who wants to maintain the status quo and lifestyle of his small and self-sustaining village.
SIGOURNEY WEAVER plays Lucius' mother and one of elders who doesn't want him to go through the woods.
BRENDAN GLEESON plays one of the village's elders who's still grieving over his son's recent death.; BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD plays Edward's blind adult daughter who's something of a tomboy but wants to romance Lucius, and shows bravery under adverse conditions.
ADRIEN BRODY plays the town's mentally challenged resident who becomes jealous upon learning of a reported romance between Lucius and Ivy.
WILLIAM HURT plays the town's elder leader who wants to maintain the status quo and lifestyle of his small and self-sustaining village.
SIGOURNEY WEAVER plays Lucius' mother and one of elders who doesn't want him to go through the woods.
BRENDAN GLEESON plays one of the village's elders who's still grieving over his son's recent death.; ADRIEN BRODY plays the town's mentally challenged resident who becomes jealous upon learning of a reported romance between Lucius and Ivy.
WILLIAM HURT plays the town's elder leader who wants to maintain the status quo and lifestyle of his small and self-sustaining village.
SIGOURNEY WEAVER plays Lucius' mother and one of elders who doesn't want him to go through the woods.
BRENDAN GLEESON plays one of the village's elders who's still grieving over his son's recent death.; WILLIAM HURT plays the town's elder leader who wants to maintain the status quo and lifestyle of his small and self-sustaining village.
SIGOURNEY WEAVER plays Lucius' mother and one of elders who doesn't want him to go through the woods.
BRENDAN GLEESON plays one of the village's elders who's still grieving over his son's recent death.; SIGOURNEY WEAVER plays Lucius' mother and one of elders who doesn't want him to go through the woods.
BRENDAN GLEESON plays one of the village's elders who's still grieving over his son's recent death.; BRENDAN GLEESON plays one of the village's elders who's still grieving over his son's recent death.

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 suspense thriller that's been rated PG-13. Various scenes have been designed to be suspenseful and downright scary (concerning monstrous figures in the woods that are making incursions into the village and even into homes, as well as villagers trips into the spooky woods, all accompanied by scary music and some occasional jump scenes).

The very young and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material will likely find it more disturbing, suspenseful and/or scary than other adults will. That said, various revelations/discoveries will make the material seem less that way in hindsight if explained and/or reinforced by adults to kids (meaning less potential nightmares when the truth is revealed).

A person stabs another person several times out of jealousy (with bloody results) and a person dies from a fall, while some dead and skinned animals are seen on occasion (as apparent warnings to the villagers). Bad attitudes are present, as are some tense family moments regarding recent and past deaths in families. The rest of the film's categories have little or nothing in the way of major objectionable content.

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: None, but there's a brief mention of a drug addict.

BLOOD/GORE: The villagers find a small dead animal that's had its neck broken (we're told that) and most of its fur removed (we see that).
We see what looks like a dead fox that's been skinned (and hear flies buzzing around it).
As the villagers return to their homes en masse at night, they find more skinned animals scattered around (we see them from a distance).
A person turns around, looks down and then sees that another person has stabbed them in the gut. The attacker slowly pulls out the bloody knife and the victim falls to the floor. The attacker then stabs the victim at least one more time (the scene ends there). Moments later, we see blood on the attacker's hand and then the victim's clothing. Even later, we see blood on a woman's blouse who found the victim.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Various characters go to elaborate means to lie to and deceive others (for what they believe to be their good) and have apparently been doing so for a long time.
A person stabs another person out of jealousy.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: Younger viewers and those with low tolerance levels for such material will likely view the following as extreme, while others may find it that way to lesser extents.
As the villagers eat together outside, eerie sounds from the adjacent woods make them all stop.
The sight of various dead and skinned animals might be unsettling/disturbing to some viewers.
We hear that there are creatures in the woods that the villagers refer to as "those of who we don't speak."
We see a teen standing on a stump at the edge of the woods to which his back is turned (at night). It's a test of his bravery (other boys watch him), but when eerie sounds come from the woods, all of them run back into the village.
We hear more creepy sounds coming from the woods.
Lucius cautiously enters the woods in the daylight, but then retreats back to the clearing when he hears sounds (including beastly ones) and sees a fleeting image of something moving in the woods.
A tower sentry sees the lit lantern atop the access door move slightly. He then slowly opens the access door and peers down the ladder, only to see sudden movement of something pass by the base. He then sets off the ringing bell alarm that causes all of the villagers to close their shutters, get inside and go down into their cellars. Lucius goes outside and around a corner as we see a large, monstrous type figure in a robe come up to the door around the corner. We then see Ivy standing in an open doorway to the outside, scared but with her hand reaching out into the darkness (as her sister and others urge her to come in and close the door). Another hand suddenly grabs hers and takes her inside as we see a monstrous figure approaching. Lucius then leads Ivy into the cellar with others and they all hear beastly sounds from up above them.
The villagers hear children's screams from a distance. We then see two young boys saying that the creatures from the woods have returned.
As the villagers return to their homes en masse at night, they find more skinned animals scattered around (we see them from a distance).
A person turns around, looks down and then sees that another person has stabbed them in the gut. The attacker slowly pulls out the bloody knife and the victim falls to the floor. The attacker then stabs the victim at least one more time (the scene ends there). Moments later, we see blood on the attacker's hand and then the victim's clothing. Even later, we see blood on a woman's blouse who found the victim.
Ivy is told to try her best not to scream as she's lead into a forbidden shed. Inside, she reaches out and jumps back when she realizes she's grabbed the large claws of one of the monstrous figure. We then see a full view of the monstrous figure (but not everything is what it seems).
Ivy and two young men enter the woods (in an attempt to retrieve medicine for a sick person), but one chickens out immediately and the other gives up due to being sick, thus leaving the blind Ivy in the woods all by herself.
We hear sounds in the woods around Ivy at night.
The ground suddenly gives way beneath Ivy and she nearly falls into a deep hole, barely hanging onto some roots. She then has to claw her way out of it.
We hear more sounds in the woods around Ivy in the daylight and then see one of the monstrous figures near her (she can't see it, but knows it's there). She then moves behind a tree, but when she comes around it, we suddenly see the figure right there. We then hear growling sounds and the figure runs at and by her, causing her to run in one direction and then another.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Knife: Used to stab and seriously wound a person. See "Violence" for details.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: The film could inspire some kids to try to scare other kids in the woods or elsewhere.

JUMP SCENES: A figure suddenly passes by the base of a ladder (accompanied by sudden music).
A person suddenly grabs another person's outreached hand in a tense scene.
A woman (and the camera) moves around a tree and a monstrous figure is suddenly there.
The ground suddenly gives way beneath Ivy and she nearly falls into a deep hole.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): An extreme amount of ominous and suspenseful music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: At least 1 use of "Oh my God."

SEX/NUDITY: Lucius and Ivy lean in toward each other to kiss, but the camera pans away from them.

SMOKING: An elder woman holds a pipe near her mouth, but it doesn't appear to be lit.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: We see that August is burying his son and see him talking to and then crying over the casket that's by a freshly dug hole.
Alice tells Lucius that when his father went to the market in the past, he was robbed and then found naked in the river (presumably meaning he was murdered since he's not in the village).
A woman mentions her sister being murdered at the age of 23. We later hear this again and then learn that the young woman was also raped.
Edward tells Ivy that her grandfather was shot to death in his sleep.
There's talk of various murders in various families.
Parents learn of their son's death.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: The film's big twist.
Trying to protect others from the outside world.
August's comment that you can run from sorrow, but it will always find you.
A woman mentions her sister being murdered at the age of 23. We later hear this again and then learn that the young woman was also raped.
Ivy worries that Lucius thinks she's too much of a tomboy.
Being blind.
Mental illness.

VIOLENCE: We see Noah hitting two other youths on the legs with a stick and then struggling with them on the ground until Ivy comes along and makes them stop.
A person turns around, looks down and then sees that another person has stabbed them in the gut. The attacker slowly pulls out the bloody knife and the victim falls to the floor. The attacker then stabs the victim at least one more time (the scene ends there). Moments later, we see blood on the attacker's hand and then the victim's clothing. Even later, we see blood on a woman's blouse who found the victim.
Ivy slaps Noah several times quite hard on the face while mad at him.
A person ends up falling into a deep hole. We then see their pained facial expression and see them die.
There's talk of various murders in the past, but we don't see any of them.

Reviewed July 29, 2004 / Posted July 30, 2004

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