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"JUDE"
(1996) (Christopher Eccleston, Kate Winslet) (R)

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


QUICK TAKE:
Drama: A nineteenth century stonemason carries on an affair with his cousin.
PLOT:
Near the end of the nineteenth century, Jude Fawley (CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON), a stone mason, wants to be accepted into Christminster, a theological university. After briefly being married to Arabella Dunn (RACHEL GRIFFITHS), a woman he thought he impregnated, Jude meets his cousin Sue Bridehead (KATE WINSLET), an independent and head strong woman who also wants to be a teacher. Jude gets her a job working for Richard Philloston (LIAM CUNNINGHAM), an old acquaintance, and eventually Sue and Richard are married. But there's a building and tempting chemistry between the two cousins and soon they're having an affair. Sue leaves Richard and she and Jude begin a family, although they refuse to marry. Because of this, they have to continually move from place to place looking for lodging and work. As they search for a place that will accept them, tragedy meets them in a way they couldn't have expected.
WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Not a chance. Neither the story nor the actors will draw kids to this film.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For strong sexuality and intense depictions of death and birth.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON plays a man searching for love who twice finds it in the wrong places. The second involves his cousin with whom he carries on an affair and fathers several children.
  • KATE WINSLET plays a head strong woman who eventually succumbs to the growing chemistry between her and her cousin. She then has an affair and children with him.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    OUR TAKE: 3 out of 10
    This is a bleak, drab, and depressing story. The performances are good and the actors create memorable characters, but the plot meanders and scenes come and go without really helping the story along. One feels as if we're seeing snippets of the story instead of a nice orderly, linear storyline. Those wanting a sunny, uplifting story should look elsewhere. This one has a dark, grimy feel to it and includes a very shocking and depressing turn of events toward its end. Other than for the fine performances there aren't many reasons to recommend this film. We give it just a 3 out of 10.
    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    There are many items that you may object to in this film, but in most cases, your children won't want to see this movie. But if for some reason they do, the story deals with two cousins who lust for one another and then finally have an affair. They then go on to have children, but remain steadfast against the notion of getting married. There are several sex scenes, including one with female full frontal nudity. There are also several graphically bloody and gory scenes involving a pig slaughter and a bloody childbirth. And to top if off, there's a shocking scene where a young boy has killed his two younger siblings and then hanged himself. He does this because the family is told to leave their lodging and when the boy asks his mother why, she replies that it's because there are too many of them. He obviously takes this quite literally and decides to "solve" the problem and leaves a note "because there were too many." If you're still considering letting any kids see this, read through the category listings before making that decision.

    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • People are seen drinking beer in a local pub. Sue drinks some but obviously doesn't like the taste.
  • A man is seen drinking on the street.
  • Jude is somewhat drunk in a pub after his admission to Christminster has been turned down. He and others are seen drinking.
  • Jude gives Sue some brandy to drink after having been out in the cold rain and she drinks it from the bottle.
  • After Sue and Richard's marriage, Jude is in a pub drinking (as are others).
  • Sue, Richard and Jude have wine with dinner.
  • Jude and Sue are playing "quarters" where the objective is to flip a quarter into a beer mug. If not successful, one must drink and Sue is seen doing such.
  • Jude and Sue are seen drinking beer again.
  • BLOOD/ GORE
  • Some local girls, including Arabella, throw an internal organ from a pig onto Jude while he's reading (they're flirting with him). It's not bloody, but does have that gross, slimy look.
  • Jude and Arabella slaughter a pig. It's stabbed in the throat and blood pours out and is collected in a pale. Moments later Arabella is seen gutting the pig and its intestines are seen rolling from its belly.
  • Sue lies on a bed with her legs spread and she's extremely bloody (as is the bed) from having, or getting ready to deliver, a baby.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Arabella leaves Jude and says that she married him only because she thought she was pregnant.
  • Jude and Sue begin an affair even though she's recently married to Richard and he's still married to Arabella.
  • Instead of just getting married, the two choose to continue moving from lodging to lodging and job to job as they are kicked out or fired for not being married.
  • Sue tells Jude, "Your son killed my babies" when, in reality, all of the kids were both of theirs (said after the oldest son kills his two younger siblings and then himself).
  • FRIGHTENING/TENSE SCENES
  • There is a pig slaughtering scene that may be discomforting to viewers where the pig squeals in pain as Arabella and Jude begin to kill it.
  • Sue and Jude take their young son to a scary carnival show where there's weird music, moaning sounds, and people running around in sheets. Although it's doubtful little kids will be watching this movie, this scene will be a little scary to them if they are.
  • Sue is seen having a baby and her screams and extremely bloody crotch might be disturbing to some.
  • Jude and Sue return home to find that young Jude (upset that they have to leave their current lodging "because there's too many of them") has killed his two younger siblings and then hanged himself.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Knife: Used to stab a pig in the throat to slaughter it.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Arabella puts a bird egg into her mouth.
  • Phrases: "Shut up," and "Ninny."
  • Jude writes (essentially graffiti) on a wall, "I have understanding as well as you" after being turned down for admission to Christminster.
  • Jude and Sue are playing "quarters" where the objective is to flip a quarter into a beer mug. If not successful, you must drink and Sue is seen doing such.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • None.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • 1 use each of damn, and of "Good Lord," and "For God's sakes" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • Arabella tries to seduce Jude by alternately putting a bird egg into her mouth and then into the cleavage of her ample bosom. She then exposes the top of her breast to him that he then kisses. They frantically pull off their clothes while passionately kissing in a barn, but the camera zooms out and thus there's no nudity, but he is seen getting between her spread legs and there are a few sexual sounds heard. They later have to get married because she believes that she's pregnant from this encounter.
  • After getting married, Jude and Arabella are seen in bed having sex. There's no nudity, but sexual movement is seen and sexual sounds are heard.
  • Jude watches the silhouette of Sue changing clothes through a window and it's seen that she's nude, but nothing other than her shadow can be seen.
  • Sue tells Jude, "No man will touch a woman without her inviting him to -- with a look or a word."
  • Jude and Arabella finish having sex and he rolls off from on top of her. One of her bare breasts is seen for several minutes as they talk.
  • There's female full frontal nudity and male rear nudity as Sue lies on the bed awaiting Jude to have sex with her. He then lies down half on top of her and they begin to kiss and then Jude feels and sucks on her breast. Again, both of them are completely nude and he moves in between her spread legs, but the scene ends before anything else is seen.
  • Sue lies on a bed with her legs spread during a delivery. While her crotch is completely exposed, it's so blood covered that nothing's really seen.
  • SMOKING
  • Townspeople are seen smoking in a meeting.
  • People are seen smoking on the street.
  • Sue is seen smoking on several occasions.
  • People are seen smoking in pubs on several occasions.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Arabella leaves Jude a note saying that she's leaving and the only reason they got married was because she thought she was pregnant.
  • Jude visits his mother who's on her death bed. The next scene is that of her funeral.
  • Jude and Sue take in his and Arabella's son who has been living with Arabella's parents. Thus, the boy has to come and live with total strangers.
  • Jude and Sue return home to find that young Jude (upset that they have to leave their current lodging "because there's too many of them") has killed his two younger siblings and then hanged himself. The two must then deal with the tragic deaths and their marriage coming apart because of that.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Jude and Arabella get married because she thinks she's pregnant.
  • An affair and the having of children between two unmarried cousins.
  • The slaughtering of a pig (that most kids haven't seen before).
  • Jude and Sue return home to find that young Jude (upset that they have to leave their current lodging "because there's too many of them") has killed his two younger siblings and then hanged himself. Sue then says that God punished them for living in sin.
  • VIOLENCE
  • Several dead crows are seen hanging in a farmer's field.
  • A farmer hits Jude (as a young boy) on the back several times with a wooden clacker for feeding the crows in his farming field.
  • Jude and Arabella slaughter a pig. It's stabbed in the throat and blood pours out and is collected in a pale. Moments later Arabella is seen gutting the pig and its intestines are seen rolling from its belly.
  • Jude breaks the neck of a rabbit that's been caught in a trap.
  • Jude and Sue return home to find that young Jude (upset that they have to leave their current lodging "because there's too many of them") has killed his two younger siblings and then hanged himself.



  • Reviewed October 24, 1996

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