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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

PT Interesting reason why Natalie Portman won't let her son watch SW movies

Discussion in 'Prequel Trilogy' started by JediChipKelly, Aug 27, 2016.

  1. JediChipKelly

    JediChipKelly Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Jan 3, 2016
    Natalie Portman was on Jimmy Kimmel the other night, and Kimmel is a SW fanboy so I knew he would ask her about the franchise. She said she had a 5 year old son and Kimmel asked her if he was a fan of the series since she was Luke Skywalkers mom? She responded, "He hasn't seen them and she doesn't want him to see them because she dies in the movie and doesn't want him to see that image of her.

    Now I'm sure she will eventually let her son watch them when he gets older, but it's was an interesting answer and I never thought of it from that point of view.
     
  2. Lulu Mars

    Lulu Mars Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 10, 2005
    It makes sense, considering the boy's age. As you say, he'll probably see them at some point.
     
  3. Ananta Chetan

    Ananta Chetan Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 11, 2013
    That would be surreal and potentially traumatic for someone that age I would imagine. Just think if he saw some other movie of Hayden Christensen's afterwards and thought to himself: That's the man that Force-Choked Mommy. :p
     
  4. Seagoat

    Seagoat Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 25, 2013
    Well, excuse me if I sound overly sensitive, but ROTS and TFA are rated PG-13, after all

    And at age 5, even in a fictional work I wouldn't want to see my mom die lol

    At least it's not one of those ridiculous "I'm not subjecting my kid to those horrible movies" type of things you see on the darker parts of the internet a fair deal. Natalie's stance on SW now eleven years later is a bit iffy, if I'm not mistaken
     
  5. DARTHLINK

    DARTHLINK Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 24, 2005
    The kid's 5, he probably doesn't yet know the difference between fiction and reality. To him, seeing his mom die onscreen would be tantamount to literallly watching his mom die. It'd be too scary for him.
     
  6. Cryogenic

    Cryogenic Force Ghost star 5

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    Jul 20, 2005
    She doesn't want her son/sun to know he must one day rise up and destroy the Empire!
     
  7. VadersLaMent

    VadersLaMent Chosen One star 10

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    Apr 3, 2002
    I would think of it as a teachable moment where you explain fiction vs reality and pretending.
     
  8. Tonyg

    Tonyg Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 16, 2016

    While TESB is not rated ( I'm mean I think it is like universal to watch) I think the scene with Vader and Luke is quite disturbing for little kids. A dad cuts a limb of a son... well.. it doesn’t sound very good. Not to mention that PT is even darker. There is a time to watch SW and it is not at 5. Also, at this age he would miss some of the greatest moments of the Saga (and they are not the battles).
     
  9. Cryogenic

    Cryogenic Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 20, 2005

    I'm also reminded of this interview, which I came across for the first time the other day:

    https://web.archive.org/web/2005051....com/content/film/features/feature_1115643931

    "The Greatest Story Ever Told: An Interview with George Lucas", R. Burke.

    Lucas' answer to the last question -- the last part of it -- is, well, pretty funny. :D


    Can young children see this movie?

    "Well, it's up to the parents to decide but you've got to remember the part that's disturbing is not the arms getting cut of and everything. That happened in all the movies. It's not that Anakin gets his face burned off and everything because that's in Return of the Jedi and people have seen that before. The real issue is that the father turns bad, you know, this guy that you sort of--Anakin Skywalker, that he becomes a bad person and it's very quick sandy for little kids to see, and the mom dies. So, you know, if you want to, most children, their biggest issue is abandonment. Well, if you really want to feed into that, you know, say I'm going to turn into a murderer and your mother is going to die. That makes them feel real good."
     
  10. Tonyg

    Tonyg Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 16, 2016
    Actually Lucas is completely right. When I said ‘cut a limb’, I didn't mean only the physical injury but also the attitude of the father to the son (it changes in ROTJ, but still). This reminds me when I was a little kid how upset I was from Hansel and Gretel fairytale. And you know why? Not for the witch or what happened to her, the little kids know that she is not human, so they are not bothered to hear that the evil is defeated, it is all the opposite. But I felt so upset that I couldn’t sleep for the fact that the Hansel and Gretel own parents abandoned them in the forest. If they was adoptive parents, I would understand, because for example as is in my native country folklore it happens (they are not their real children, etc.) But never, ever the mother abandons her children ( in my country, for example, there is no such fairytale). She prefers to dies instead of this (as Padme did, in a certain degree). So that's why I think this would also upset the little children.
     
  11. xezene

    xezene Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 6, 2016
    On this subject, there is a fantastic series that was done by a father showing the films to his kids for the first time. He talks about their reactions and so on. Revenge of the Sith, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi are especially worth reading, but they are all worth it if you have the time. I will link the films in the order that he showed them.

    A New Hope
    Empire Strikes Back
    The Phantom Menace
    Attack of the Clones
    Revenge of the Sith
    Return of the Jedi

    Also, since I'm on the prequel forum, I might as quote this part from his "Phantom Menace" rundown. It's a nice moment that I'm sure many of us can agree with.
     
  12. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    The idea of a five year old kid not being able to handle watching his actress mother die in a movie, while his mom sits right next to him, seems rather silly to me.

    I think we're underestimating kids here.

    But it's her son.
     
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  13. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    ROTS was my son's favorite movie when he was five.
     
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  14. Dandelo

    Dandelo SW and Film Music Interview Host star 10 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Aug 25, 2014
    so...

    "Mommy's just pretending" or "Mommy just went for a sleep" is off the cards then ?

    [face_thinking]
     
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  15. Darth Downunder

    Darth Downunder Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 5, 2001
    She probably figures it's bad enough having him see her die on screen, let alone trying to explain to him how she died! None of us can work it out after 11 years ;)
     
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  16. jakobitis89

    jakobitis89 Jedi Master star 4

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    Jan 27, 2015
    I don't think it's a question of him actually think his real mother has just died. He's probably old and smart enough to work out that has happened. But it still really wouldn't be a pleasant thing to see this woman who looks, sounds etc. exactly like your mother die a pretty nasty death on screen when your that age. And with due respect to afs1983 whilst kids in general would probably not have an issue with it, that's because it's not their mother dying there on the screen.

    Maybe I am underestimating kids here but I think whilst on a rational level at age 5 they'd be know the difference, subconsciously that's the kind of thing that can potentially be really disturbing.
     
  17. JediChipKelly

    JediChipKelly Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Jan 3, 2016
    I'm actually going to defend Portman here because many actors never think of the effects of the movie roles they take on and how it effects their kids. I remember hearing an interview on Howard Stern with Bruce Willis/Demi Moore's daughter (she was promoting Dancing with the Stars). And she said she could never watch 'About Last Night' because she didn't want to see her mom and Rob Lowe have sex for 2 hours as it totally creeped her out.

    I agree with many here that a 5 year can watch all 7 SW movies and be fine. Then I put myself in Portman's place and it maybe weird to watch a movie with your son where you get choked, and then die in childbirth.
     
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  18. jakobitis89

    jakobitis89 Jedi Master star 4

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    Jan 27, 2015
    Yes, five year olds in general would probably not have an issue with anything in the main SW movies, but for Natalie's son specifically I can definitely see it being problematic. If she had the stance she would never let him watch the movies ever that would be more problematic but for entirely different reasons.
     
  19. Valiowk

    Valiowk Chosen One star 6

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    Apr 23, 2000
    Especially agree about the part regarding childbirth. I would guess that the fact that the kid's mother plays a character who dies in childbirth might make make the kid particularly sensitive to the dangers of childbirth (even if according to Sith, childbirth was not exactly the problem - but a kid might not get that nuance), and it's probably something that a parent likely would prefer that their kid not think about while the parent is still considering having other kids.
     
  20. darth_mccartney

    darth_mccartney Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Jul 3, 2008
    That's a 100% fair enough reason. I can respect her choice in doing that.

    Just goes to show how good a mum she would have been to Luke and Leia, had she survived! Haha
     
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  21. Darth Formidious

    Darth Formidious Jedi Master star 4

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    Dec 19, 2015
    So he's only watched the OT so far...

    Poor boy will have his view of Star Wars shattered when he comes to watch the prequels! :_|

    (Just joking)
     
  22. Jedi Knight Fett

    Jedi Knight Fett Chosen One star 10

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    Feb 18, 2014
    I'm pretty sure he hasn't watched any yet.
     
  23. Lazy_Ewok

    Lazy_Ewok Jedi Youngling star 1

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    Aug 21, 2016
    It depends on if the kid is able to understand the difference between fantasy and reality.
     
  24. CaptainSuchandSuch

    CaptainSuchandSuch Jedi Master star 2

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    Dec 8, 2015
    Great reads. I wonder what those kids thought about TFA.
     
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  25. mikeximus

    mikeximus Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Jan 6, 2012
    It's her kid, and it's up to her to do what she feels is right, of course...