The Visitor parents guide

The Visitor Parent Guide

Overall A-

Nothing of significance has happened for a long time in the life of Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins). However, that changes when the dusty economics professor makes a trip to New York City and enters an apartment he has kept for years, but seldom visited. Inside he finds two squatters, Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and Zainab (Danai Gurira). His simple, charitable decision to let the couple to stay, rather than evicting them to the streets, proves to be a new beginning for the old man.

Release date April 17, 2008

Violence B
Sexual Content B-
Profanity D+
Substance Use B+

Why is The Visitor rated PG-13? The MPAA rated The Visitor PG-13 for brief strong language.

Parent Movie Review

When Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins), a tired and worn-out college economics teacher, is conscripted to go to New York City to present a paper he coauthored, but was barely involved in, he has no idea how the event will change the way he looks at life and the people around him.

It begins the moment he opens the door to his presumably vacant apartment in the Big Apple, which he hasn’t occupied for some time. In the bathtub is a woman lounging in bubbles, and a moment later a man has him pressed up against a wall while verbally and physically threatening him.

The confrontation soon dissipates as Terek (Haaz Sleiman) discovers the identity of the supposed intruder, and realizes the person he thought was his landlord is a fraud. Quickly packing their belongings, he and his girlfriend Zainab (Danai Jekesai Gurira) politely leave. But Walter, recognizing these obvious immigrants have nowhere else to go, suddenly has a change of heart. What starts as an offer to let them stay for a couple of days until they can make other arrangements develops into much more than a cohabitation agreement with the mixed ethnic Muslim couple.

Walter, who has long been discouraged by his inability to learn how to play the piano, discovers an unexpected love for African drums as he listen’s to young Terek’s talented fingers tapping the instruments. The activity opens a dialogue between the outgoing Syrian musician and the reclusive American educator that soon has them in Central Park drumming with other members of NYC’s ethnic community. Age, culture and individual temperaments quickly disappear as Walter becomes more intrigued and invigorated by Terek’s interests and Zainab’s Senegalese background.

All is good until the day Terek is stopped in the subway by police who question his immigration documentation. Suddenly, the young percussionist is placed in jail and Walter becomes his only connection with the outside world (because a visit from Zainab would risk revealing her illegal status). When Terek’s mother Mouna (Hiam Abbass) unexpectedly arrives after failing to make contact her son, the man who was once able to ignore the plight of others, feels himself being pulled further into the lives of these threes strangers. His indifference is now replaced by an urgent desire to try and help.

Slow in its pacing, yet determined to keep you interested, The Visitor provides a protagonist that undergoes positive personal change, as well as offering a glimpse into the lives and potential consequences of those who come desperately hoping for a better life in America.

Content concerns for parents in this fine drama are few—the worst being two partial utterances of the sexual expletive, along with a few other moderate profanities heard throughout the movie. In addition, there is the scuffle that occurs when Terek thinks Walter has broken into their apartment and roughly questions if he has touched Zainab, plus the assumption the couple is living together (although no sexual activity between them is ever shown).

Obviously this story is unlikely to appeal to young children and even getting teens to sit down and view it may be a chore. If you are successful however, the outcome will lead to some rewarding discussions about opening our lives to help others, understanding the plights that drive people to seek a better life, and appreciating the opportunities found in the land of the free.

Starring Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira, Hiam Abbass. Theatrical release April 17, 2008. Updated

The Visitor
Rating & Content Info

Why is The Visitor rated PG-13? The Visitor is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for brief strong language.

Providing an enlightening example of how helping others allows us to improve our own lives, The Visitor also offers a perspective on the plight of immigrants to America. Content issues for parents are relatively few. A short scuffle between two men trying to protect each other results in two sexual expletives and a couple of scatological profanities. Other profanity is heard later in the script along with two terms of Deity used as expletives. A man who is suspected of being an illegal immigrant is arrested and detained by police. Characters are seen socially drinking in some scenes.

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The Visitor Parents' Guide

How is Walter’s life changed after his involvement with the three people he meets in New York City? Is his life better or worse after the experience? How can reaching out to others affect the way we tackle our own problems and discouragements?

Walter admits to Zainab that he has never been to see the Statue of Liberty. How does this conversation represent Walter’s appreciation for freedom versus Zainab’s? When is the last time you considered the opportunities available to you in your country?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of The Visitor movie is October 6, 2008. Here are some details…

Invite this Visitor home on DVD. Along with a widescreen presentation of the film, the disc includes an audio commentary (with director Tom McCarthy and actor Richard Jenkins), deleted scenes and two featurettes (Playing the Djembe and The Visitor: An Inside Look). Audio tracks are available in Dolby Digital (English).

Related home video titles:

The plight of illegal immigrants is also explored in the film In America. In the movie While You Were Sleeping, a young woman finds herself thrown into the intimate circle of a family of strangers when they accidentally assume she is engaged to one of their sons.

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