What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this slow-moving assassination drama deals with mature themes, including insanity, obsession, and murder. The primary violence is the shooting of John Lennon, which is shown in an impressionistic but still briefly disturbing scene. Chapman rails against a gay couple (there are audible sounds of sex off-screen) and hires a scantily dressed prostitute who gets into bed with him (nothing explicit, just creepy). Language includes "f--k" and "c--t" (both spoken by a background character), and other mild obscenities. Characters smoke cigarettes, and Chapman drinks beer.
- Families can talk about how media attention to the assassination of public figures is appealing to some killers, who desire fame. Can you think of other potentially negative consequences of media news coverage? How about positive ones? Families can also discuss the lingering interest in John Lennon and his murder. How is the act symbolic beyond its time and place? What are the various prices of celebrity culture, both for celebrities and for consumers, who might lose track of their own lives in pursuing information about their idols?