Pearl Harbor (2001) Parents Guide: Is the movie OK for kids?
Age Rating, Sex, Violence & Language
The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the two ace fighter pilots become entangled in a love triangle with beautiful Naval nurse Evelyn Johnson. But the rivalry between the friends-turned-foes is immediately put on hold when they find themselves at the center of Japan's devastating attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
Rated NR • 2001 • 1h 40m
Pearl Harbor is a PG-13 war romance whose first two hours are largely a love triangle between Rafe, Danny and nurse Evelyn Johnson, and whose middle act is a forty-minute recreation of the December 7th attack that is genuinely punishing to sit through. The rating comes almost entirely from that sequence: torpedo bombers strafing sailors on deck, the USS Arizona detonating, men trapped and drowning inside the capsized Oklahoma, and a… Sign up for the full guide
Cast
Is Pearl Harbor appropriate for kids?
Pearl Harbor is a PG-13 war romance whose first two hours are largely a love triangle between Rafe, Danny and nurse Evelyn Johnson, and whose middle act is a forty-minute recreation of the December 7th attack that is genuinely punishing to sit through. The rating comes almost… Read more — free account
Content severity in Pearl Harbor
What happens in Pearl Harbor, moment by moment
- 0:05 🔥 Mature Themes 5/10
- 0:07 ⚔ Violence & Gore 4/10
- 0:27 ♥ Sex & Nudity 3/10
Sex and nudity in Pearl Harbor
Restrained for a wartime romance. Rafe and Evelyn's courtship stays chaste on screen - dancing at a nightclub, a first kiss, a borrowed police boat in New York Harbor. The single love scene, between Danny and Evelyn among billowing parachutes in the hangar, is shot in silhouette with no nudity and cuts away quickly. Period pin-up imagery appears around the airfield.
Violence and gore in Pearl Harbor
Strong, sustained and the reason for the rating. The attack sequence runs roughly forty minutes: Zeros strafing sailors along Battleship Row, bodies thrown by explosions, the Arizona's magazine detonating, and men hammering on the hull of the capsized Oklahoma as the water rises around them. The aftermath is arguably harder - a hospital overwhelmed with severed limbs, arterial bleeding and triage decisions made in lipstick. Danny is later shot repeatedly in a firefight in occupied China and dies on screen.
Language in Pearl Harbor
Mild for a war film. Scattered profanity - 'hell', 'damn', 'bastard' - concentrated in the bar scenes and during the attack. No f-words.
Drugs, alcohol, and smoking in Pearl Harbor
Heavy drinking in one concentrated stretch. The pilots' welcome-back celebration at the Hula bar on the night of December 6 runs on hard liquor, and Rafe - having just discovered Danny and Evelyn's relationship - gets visibly drunk and starts a fistfight with his best friend.
Mature themes in Pearl Harbor
War, grief and betrayal drive the whole film. Danny is struck by his war-damaged father in the 1923 prologue; Evelyn is told Rafe is dead and grieves him at length before he reappears; and the film ends with Danny dying in Rafe's arms after learning he was going to be a father. The trapped-sailors sequence in the Oklahoma is the most disturbing idea in the film - men dying slowly while rescuers fail to cut through the hull in time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pearl Harbor appropriate for kids?
Bontent's parent guide suggests Pearl Harbor is best for ages 13+. It's rated NR. Pearl Harbor is a PG-13 war romance whose first two hours are largely a love triangle between Rafe, Danny and nurse Evelyn Johnson, and whose middle act is a forty-minute recreation of the December 7th attack that is…
What age rating does Pearl Harbor have?
Pearl Harbor is officially rated NR. Bontent's independent parent guide recommends it for ages 13+.
What is Pearl Harbor about?
Pearl Harbor is a PG-13 war romance whose first two hours are largely a love triangle between Rafe, Danny and nurse Evelyn Johnson, and whose middle act is a forty-minute recreation of the December 7th attack that is genuinely punishing to sit through. The rating comes almost entirely from that sequence: torpedo…
Is there sex or nudity in Pearl Harbor?
Restrained for a wartime romance. Rafe and Evelyn's courtship stays chaste on screen - dancing at a nightclub, a first kiss, a borrowed police boat in New York Harbor. The single love scene, between Danny and Evelyn among billowing parachutes in the hangar…
How violent is Pearl Harbor?
Strong, sustained and the reason for the rating. The attack sequence runs roughly forty minutes: Zeros strafing sailors along Battleship Row, bodies thrown by explosions, the Arizona's magazine detonating, and men hammering on the hull of the capsized…
Is the language in Pearl Harbor appropriate for kids?
Mild for a war film. Scattered profanity - 'hell', 'damn', 'bastard' - concentrated in the bar scenes and during the attack. No f-words.
Are drugs, alcohol, or smoking shown in Pearl Harbor?
Heavy drinking in one concentrated stretch. The pilots' welcome-back celebration at the Hula bar on the night of December 6 runs on hard liquor, and Rafe - having just discovered Danny and Evelyn's relationship - gets visibly drunk and starts a fistfight with…
What mature themes appear in Pearl Harbor?
War, grief and betrayal drive the whole film. Danny is struck by his war-damaged father in the 1923 prologue; Evelyn is told Rafe is dead and grieves him at length before he reappears; and the film ends with Danny dying in Rafe's arms after learning he was…
How long is Pearl Harbor?
Pearl Harbor runs 100 minutes, directed by Unknown.
Where can I read the full Pearl Harbor parent guide?
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