Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 13+
Formulaic, overly simple, too violent for tweens.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this movie has a lot of violence, including swords, knives, and guns. We see the result of the massacre of Native Americans at Wounded Knee, with dead bodies everywhere. Characters and horses are shot, impaled, stabbed, and beheaded and one is threatened with castration. There are many tense scenes of peril, including quicksand. Characters drink, and Hopkins develops a drinking problem. A character smokes a hookah. There is some strong language and some crude humor. A woman offers Hopkins money and sex to get him to throw the race. The problem of prejudice against women and against those of other races, particularly mixed races, is a theme of the movie.
- Families can talk about why Hopkins was so conflicted about his heritage and how his experience in the race made him understand it differently. They might want to look this tribute to "the legend of Frank Hopkins" and comments like these from historians who say that he fabricated his stories.
What to watch for
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Violence: Killing, battle violence, knife, gun, sword fights, Indian massacre.
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Sex: Brief crude humor, reference to castration.
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Language: Mild profanity.
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Consumerism: Not an issue
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Drinking, smoking, character with drinking problem, hookah.