North Country

MPAA Rating: R

Entertainment: +2

Content: -3

In this fictionalized account of a landmark sexual harassment case won in 1984 in northern Minnesota, the divorced Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) with her two children moves in with her parents after being beaten again by her husband. Due to a strained relationship with her father, she moves out and finds work at the local mine. But the mines are dominated by men who make life miserable for the scared female employees. The sexual harassment begins on her first day and is nonstop throughout the movie. When Josey complains to the owner of the company, she is angered to find that she has been labeled a promiscuous troublemaker and takes her grievances to court with the aid of a hometown attorney (Woody Harrelson). In the courtroom, she faces stiff opposition and is forced to testify about being raped in high school. Courageously standing alone, Josey hopes that others will eventually join her to finally stop the harassment.

The actual sexual harassment lawsuit was apparently not exciting enough for Hollywood, so they added some spice. While the case happened in 1984, the movie version takes place in 1989, coinciding with the Anita Hill Clarence Thomas accusations. The subtle message is that Josey is being victimized like Anita Hill was by current Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Politics aside, Preview recommends avoiding this movie for the language alone, which is vulgar and nonstop. Additionally, men are portrayed as insensitive, lustful Neanderthals who care nothing for women. The most positive male role model is Joseys attorney, who takes the case only because its the first-ever class-action sexual-harassment lawsuit. The films only redeeming aspect is the change in Joseys father who finally learns how to love and support his daughter. This movie would be better off buried deep in the mines where no one can find it.

Preview Reviewer: Henry J. Rogers
Distributor: Warner Bros.

Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.

Crude Language: Many (33) times mild (hell 3, damn 1); moderate (wh-re 5, t-ts 1); strong (b-tch 10, -ss 12, SOB 1)

Obscene Language: Few (34) times moderate (cr-p 1, p-nis 1, b-lls 2, sl-ts 2, p-ssed 1); strong (s-word 7, f-word 13, finger gesture 2, d-ck 1, p-word 1, c-nt 2, c-ck, 1)

Profanity: Few (6) times strong (GD 4, JC 1, J 1)

Violence: Few times moderate (man throws woman to the ground, aftermath seen of woman who had been beaten by husband)

Sex: Few times mild (boy grabs girls bottom, two high-school students kiss, man reaches in a womans top pocket for cigarettes and feels her breast, man grabs crotch); moderate after teacher grabs a female students breast and unzips his pants to rape her, her pained faced is seen through a window; woman opens lunch box and finds an anatomically correct dildo; woman opens locker and finds semen on her clothes)

Nudity: Few times mild (calendar on wall shows a picture of a woman in panties spreading her legs)

Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: Few times mild (sexual graffiti is written on walls; after woman is given a vaginal exam, her boss tells her that the doc said she looks good under her clothes)

Drugs: Few times mild (smoking and alcohol consumption that in some scenes lead to drunkenness, underage boy gets drunk)

Other: None

Running Time: 124 minutes
Intended Audience: Teens and Adults

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