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What parents should know about 'Everest'
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Josh Brolin as Beck Weathers in "Everest." - photo by John Clyde


EVEREST We are on the cusp of awards season for movies, which means were going to see better and better movies headed to the theater. Or at least the promise of better movies.

Among the first films to start the season is the true story, Everest. The movie may not win any awards, but the movie is powerfully intense and emotional. I recommend the film, but thats not what were here for. For insights into the film itself check out Travis Poppletons review of the film here.

My job is to give you a heads up about what you can expect in the film so you can make your own decisions about what you and your family see.

Language

There is almost no language in the film. Theres likely more language in a PG family film than youll find in Everest.

Viewers dont really notice the language because the dialogue constructed by William Nicholson, writer of Gladiator, and Simon Beaufoy, writer of Slumdog Millionaire, is intriguing and natural. The script is well written and really didnt call for any language.

Sexiness

The movie is essentially void of any sex or allusions to it. Compared to a Bond film, its more like an episode of Baby Einsteins than the tragic true story of a climbing expedition on the worlds tallest mountain.

There really isnt anything related to sex that would merit anything above a G rating. Incredibly tame on this front.

Intensity

This is where Everest earns its PG-13 rating. There is violence in the sense of what happens to the people on the mountain, but no one is committing violence against another human being.

The movie retells the story of a group of mountaineers who were caught in a horrendous storm on Mount Everest and as you can imagine, the situation was dire and the conditions brutal. Director Baltasar Kormakur does not hold back when it comes to showing the terror, pain, suffering and despair these climbers went through.

On an intensity level, Everest is certainly worthy of its PG-13 rating.

Emotional

Everest is an emotionally draining movie. By the time the credits roll youve been through a two-hour emotional roller coaster. The movie forces you to care about characters and then watching them go through what most would consider hell, can be difficult to watch.

Everest is not an easy movie to watch. Not from the standpoint of disgusting images or graphic depictions on injuries, but rather of the emotionality that it entails. Its not a movie that is set up for multiple viewings.

Conclusion

Everest is very tame in the areas that usually come to mind when thinking about a rating. The language and sexiness is almost non-existent as is the human-on-human violence. The intensity, emotionality and peril certainly make this a PG-13 film.

Everest received its PG-13 rating for intense peril and disturbing images.
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