“Finding Entertainment Appropriate for Kids,” or FEAK, runs every Friday and discusses places – mainly the movie theaters – where parents can look to find things for their kids to watch over the weekend.
Sure it’s not technically a “Twilight” movie, but “Remember Me,” one of the films that opens this weekend, sure feels like one. First of all, it starts Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen in the “Twilight” films. Second, it’s about a romance that may not be destined to be and third, it will have the trailer for “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” attached to it.
All of those factors are sure to make the little girl in your family beg, beg, BEG to take you to see this film. But…is it appropriate for them?
“Remember Me” is rated PG-13 for “violence, sexual content, language and smoking.” So, right there, the film is giving parents a little bit more than they bargained for, especially compared to the wholesome values in the “Twilight” films. Those films have some violence, but the sexual content and language is basically non-existent.
Still, PG-13 is okay for many parents. In this case, though, there are things that rating doesn’t say. The most important thing for parents to know about “Remember Me” – the thing that isn’t being mentioned in the marketing or commercials of the film - is that it has a bit of a swerve at the end that their young children might be confused, or even, deeply upset by.
Basically, the film stars Pattinson as Tyler, a young man with some serious daddy issues. He falls for,and has a summer fling with Ally, played by Emile de Ravin. The two are just a young couple living in New York, trying to come to terms with things like their budding relationship and their parents. There’s obviously much more too it, but that’s not important to you.
However, and this is a MAJOR SPOILER so if you don’t want to ruin the ending of the movie, STOP READING….
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…. but, it turns out that at the very end of the film, we find out that Tyler’s father died on 9/11 and the film uses the images of those buildings to evoke a strong, almost forced, emotional response from the audience.
If you feel your kids can handle such images just so they can see Robert Pattinson fall in love all over again, then go for it. “Remember Me” is getting the type of reviews that one would expect from a simple romance starring young actors like de Ravin and Pattinson. Chances are, the film is fine and you’ll get your moneys worth. But, in the end, “Remember Me” is not all it is cracked up to be an, as a parent, one should decide for themselves if a film with such strong images is truly appropriate for their kids. It very well may be.
And, if you decide it’s not, there’s always “Alice in Wonderland” that you and your family can check out.
