Advice needed.Should I take my 11 yo to see f/911?

[rhino47]

My 11 year old daughter really wants to see it.I have not seen it as of yet.Today is the first time I will get the chance (sold out then I was on vacation).
I am afraid that there might be disturbing violent images.
Ok all that have seen it.What do you think?

[Beware the Beast Man]

1. Why not?

The "disturbing images" are no worse than anything you'd see on the news. On top of that, only a little harsh profanity.

[cheezus]

4. it's not just the images - it's the feel of the film too

I'm a grown man and the way it was all put together made me feel uneasy.

[cheezus]

2. I wouldn't take an 11 yo

The beheading is tame, but the pictures of war are NOT.

Plus, she can't vote anyway ;)

[rhino47]

7. Are the war scenes really graphic?

nt

[cheezus]

10. dead children in wheelbarrows

kids with their heads split open, horrible burns.

what I found even more disturbing than that were the GIs talking about the killing.

[trof]

30. Nor would I.

The mofo song alone would embarrass both of us, if she knew what it meant. When she was 11 (22 years ago) I don't think she did.
And I think some scenes are too graphic.
Kids grow up all too soon, anyway.
Just my opinion.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Warn her beforehand. Describe the images that appear...

...if you've seen it already. Then let her make up her mind. If she has political awareness she'll get the meaning of the disturbing images in the correct context and won't be Scarred For Life™.

[Dogmudgeon]

5. Trust your daughter

Kids aren't made of crystal. I think Anne Frank was about her age when she and her family went into hiding. Nazi thugs had to kill her body before they could silence her soul.

A little exposure to evil from the safe space of a movie theater may stimulate her adult conscience. No harm in that at all!

It's understandable that you should be concerned, but your children will always surprise you with their strength and resourcefulness.

--bkl

[burned]

6. maybe not

my 13 year old daughter had her eyes covered during some of the dead and wounded shots. they are quick but some of them are really graphic.
the 911 shots go to a black screen.

edit: my daughter is 14 almost 15. time flies. :/

[sidwill]

12. NO

Look, as adults we should seek out the truth about such unsavory subjects as war and politics, but an 11 year old child, at least in my opinion, shouldn't have to see such disturbing images.

Maybe its just me but just let your 11 year old be a kid and don't burden her with this brutal reality.

[tigereye]

27. I just saw it today and I was covering my eyes

there was some pretty disturbing realistic footage. I guess it depends on the kid, but I would say that 11 is too young, regardless of how savvy.

[ihaveaquestion]

8. Go for it. Little there that isn't on the news - except the truth!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

9. Absolutely

It's never too early to prepare your child for the real world, and there's no better way to do so than in a non-sensationalized, non-fictional sort of way.

[cleofus1]

11. no....

go to see it on your own...take your 11 year old to see spider man II or shreck or harry potter...

[livetohike]

13. Why not see it yourself first and then decide

if you feel your daughter can handle it?

I was emotionally drained after the film.

[jobycom]

14. A few scenes that would disturb her (BTW, My daughter is 11)

I didn't take my daughter. She already dislikes Bush, anyway, and she gets that war isn't a game, so I didn't feel she needed any more education on the issue, and I was concerned about the violence.

Here's what would have bothered mine. There are a lot of scenes of dead bodies, mostly just bloody messes. THis is no worse than what you'd see in a graphic war film. There are a couple of close-ups of dead children who are bloody, but not terribly mangled. THere is one shot of a young kid's arm being operated on, and it is graphic, showing all the way to the bone.

There is a scene of a beheading, and while it is from a distance, you do see the head come off, and you do see the sword strokes. While it is not gory, it sticks with you. My daughter is going through her fear of death stage, and I know she would have had nightmares over that scene.

There is also a distant shot of two men being killed by guns, using night vision.

And there are two more factors to consider. There are some loud bombing scenes that make everyone jump, and the sheer violence of those scenes could upset her. And there are a couple of emotionally horrific scenes. One, the Lila Lipscomb scene you've heard of, probably won't upset her too much. There is a scene of an Iraqi woman in complete grief, screaming at the camera. That one won't leave me. To be honest, I'm choking up writing about it.

So you judge. I would have taken my daughter if she wanted to go, but I would have prepared her for the bodies. I wouldn't force a kid to see this film. And all kids are different, obviously. Some would find it boring, since much of the discussion is beyond what they would care about. Others will be upset. All kids need to learn of the horrors of war, especially since our government is inflicting these horrors on kids in Iraq. I hate shielding my own when I know there are so many kids who can't be shielded from it. But I educate mine in other ways.

Hope that helps, if you are still awake after reading this!

[prolesunited]

15. I think it really depends on your daughter

I agree with the poster who said you should see it first and decide if it's suitable for her and what you would need to discuss with her beforehand. I found many scenes deeply disturbing.

[HuckleB]

18. Yes.

If you haven't seen it yet, see it first before deciding. Good advice, prolesunited.

[lovedems]

16. No. It is not a movie for an 11 year old. It doesn't matter how

mature they are.

I left the film disturbed and shaken. The images of war are very disturbing.

[HuckleB]

17. Depends on her maturity level.

I wouldn't take the average 11-year-old, but it sounds like your daughter has an awareness beyond her years. Be prepared to talk with her for hours, and not just the day you see the movie. Things may hit her days, weeks and months down the road.

[tandot]

19. some of the images are really graphic. I had to turn away several

times. Even my boyfriend couldn't stand the sight of some images. Dead and injured children, dead soldiers, dead Iraqis, and those burned "contractors" hanging from the bridge.

To be honest, I wouldn't let my child see such graphic images. I am 40 and I was crying and depressed after seeing that.

[Deb]

20. Depends

I cried through most of the movie. If you think you'll do the same, spare her the emotional upset. The movie visuals are enough for a mature 11 yr old to deal with.


This is real stuff and if she does get upset you won't comfort her by saying it's "just pretend". I'm glad we didn't take our sensitive 12 and 13 year old nieces.

[proud patriot]

21. I say yes , becuase she wants to

If she is mature enough to be interested in it ,
I saw nothing in the film that would make me say
no .

[libertad]

25. My eleven year old wanted to see it and I took her. She was

not negatively affected by having seen it. The two scenes that bothered me (but not her) were the beheading scene - which is very brief and the scene in which they show the dead and burning contractors hanging from the bridge. My older daughter, age 19, was disturbed by the second scene I discribed above. Both of the scenes are brief and it is easy to just avert your eyes for a few moments if it bothers you (that's what I did).

[The empressof all]

22. I took my 13 year old

We discussed the violence in the film prior to attending and her statement was --kids in Iraq have to live this stuff in their daily lives every day-I can handle it in a movie where I can close my eyes if I want to. I was a proud mother

[amazona]

23. there were a few kids that age there when I saw it

None of them seemed to become distressed or bored, but they might be diehard politics junkies since I saw it second day of release. It would probably be better if you saw it first, you could make a better decision based on knowledge of your own child. It does stand up to a second viewing, I've already seen it twice.

[CBHagman]

24. I do not recommend it.

I'm not worried about the language in the movie, but consider the following:

*There's very graphic and clear footage of the burned corpses of the Blackwater Security contractors killed in Fallujah on March 31st. The corpses are beaten, dragged through the streets and hung from a bridge. Not something most 11-year-olds are ready to see. The images of this shown in the U.S. press were graphic but not as graphic as this.

*There's a video of an execution by decapitation (Saudi Arabia)

*There is a close up of the wound of a young child.

*There is footage of dead civilians, stacked up like so much wood, in a truck.

*There is considerable emotional intensity, quite painful, really, connected with the deaths on 9/11 and in the current Iraq war. Again, I don't recommend shielding kids from the issues themselves or any discussion of them, but a sensitive child might be easily traumatized.

Again, you know your 11-year-old best, but I think most parents and teachers would warn against taking anyone that young to "Fahrenheit 9/11."

[DrWeird]

26. Sure

She could get drafted and sent to Iraq someday.

[underpants]

28. NO! gruesome horrific images

NO!

[rbnyc]

29. You might want to see it first.

There are very disturbing images. If she wants to see it, I would probably take her, but I would want to see it first without her, not only so you'll know what to expect, but so you can be there for her, and not be crying and overwhelmed yourself while these things are hitting her.

[TrogL]

31. No - eleven is too young

Hell, I had nightmares and I knew what to expect.

[GreenPartyVoter]

32. I agree... too young

[trof]

33. If you're both comfortable with the word "motherf*cker".

Said and sung, loud and clear.
I'm not.

[rhino47]

34. I ended up not taking my 11 year old

She was rather disappointed.I explained to her that it was graphic in nature.Also that it was coming out soon enough on dvd she could veiw it then.
I am glad I didnt take her actually.I cried all through the movie.
My republican husband went nuts.He was yelling at the screen he was so mad.He cried also.First time in 6 years Ive seen him cry.It was a very emotional time.

[trof]

36. Good move, I think.

[LWolf]

35. It's very graphic.

I suggest you see it the first time by yourself, so you can decide whether or not you want your daughter to see it. You know her maturity level, and what she might be ready to handle, better than the rest of us.

[brainshrub]

37. No.

[Deja Q]

38. No. Take 'her to "Spiderman 2" instead.

Of course, the differences are two:

1. Violence is implied unless it's someone getting thrown against a wall of a building.

2. It isn't real life, though the kid may not know that either.

Obviously I'm being sarcastic. As repuke parents use children for their own personal political gain, I see no problem in showing a child what amounts to the same thing. The difference is, Michael Moore dares to use real unaltered video clips to back up his claims.