Movie Mom

Movie Mom

Arlington Road

posted by rkumar
C+
Lowest Recommended Age:Mature High Schooler
Profanity:The usual four letter words
Nudity/Sex:Mild
Alcohol/Drugs:Social drinking
Violence/Scariness:Very intense
Diversity Issues:Issue of hate groups
Movie Release Date:1999

This is a very scary movie about a very scary subject — terrorism. Indeed, its release was delayed due to concerns about the sensitivity of the material. Jeff Bridges plays Michael Faraday, a professor who specializes in terrorism, still grieving for the loss of his wife, an FBI agent who was killed in a Ruby Ridge-style shootout. He is befriended by a new neighbor, Oliver Lang (Tim Robbins). At first, Lang’s family seems like an all-American family straight out of an “Up With People” concert, but Faraday begins to suspect that under their bright smiles and peppy friendship might be something very sinister.

Faraday’s friends think that he has become a little unhinged from his wife’s experience. But as he continues to investigate, he discovers more and more disturbing information about the Langs.

This movie will give thoughtful teens some things to think about — balancing the need for security against individual rights, the difficulty of deciding whom to trust, and the factors that lead to hate crimes. The references to acts of terrorism in the US that are so close to reality you will think you recognize them make this more thoughtful than the usual thriller. The very first image, of a boy walking in an immaculate suburb, bleeding from an accident, sets the stage for the unsettling story, and the ending is not only scary, but hauntingly so.



You Might Also Like...
Previous Posts

Tribute: James Ganolfini
Today we mourn the loss of James Gandofini, who died suddenly to day at age 51 while he was vacationing in Italy with his family.  He will always be remembered for his iconic role as Tony Soprano, the mob guy who was in therapy, in the ground-breaking HBO series "The Sopranos."  His portrayal of t

posted 9:12:17pm Jun. 19, 2013 | read full post »

Interview: Joel Smallbone of "The Book of Esther" and For King and Country
Joel Smallbone of King and Country plays Xerxes in "The Book of Esther," his first film role.  He was nice enough to take some time off from his For King and Country tour to talk to me about playing the Biblical king. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko63DUcc8i4[/youtube] How did you g

posted 8:00:43am Jun. 19, 2013 | read full post »

MVP of the Week: Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion is this week's MVP, with performances in two very different films. In Pixar's animated "Monsters University," he provides the voice for the obnoxious campus jock. And in Joss Whedon's swanky, black and white, modern-dress version of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," Fillion play

posted 8:00:02am Jun. 19, 2013 | read full post »

New From SpiritClips: Hallmark Hall of Fame and More For Families
New from SpiritClips: unlimited access to Hallmark Hall of Fame movies, thoughtfully selected Hollywood classics and original short films via the web and stream-to-TV devices.  This is a great source for inspiring, heartwarming stories that you won't find anywhere else.  Take a look!

posted 10:33:23pm Jun. 18, 2013 | read full post »

Linda Holmes: Where Are the Women in Movies?
Linda Holmes of NPR's Monkey See blog has written a piece that is more than the usual "Why aren't there more women in/making movies?" There are 617 movie showings today — that's just today, Friday — within 10 miles of my house. Of those 617 showings, 561 of them — 90 percent — are storie

posted 3:59:07pm Jun. 18, 2013 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments Post the First Comment »
post a comment

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.





Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.