What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this movie is very violent, with a lot of shattered lances and battered combatants, but little gore. There is some strong language and a mild sexual situation.
- Families can talk about the pros and cons of the use of anachronisms (Wat says, "It's a lance? hel--LO!") to tell this story, and about the loyalty shown by William, Jocelyn, Roland, Wat, and Geoffrey (and Coville) to each other. They should also talk about why Adhemar was willing to do anything to win and how he would have felt if he had been successful. Why does the Prince want to compete without letting anyone know who he is? Why was it important for William to allow Coville to lose with honor? And families should discuss Jocelyn's order to William that he lose to prove his love for her, and whether that was fair or kind. Take a look at Leigh Hunt's poem, "The Glove and the Lions" at for a similar story that concludes, "No love," quoth he, "but vanity sets love a task like that." They might want to take a look at a modernized version of "The Pardoner's Tale" to see if Geoffrey Chaucer kept his word and got his revenge.