Freud’s Last Session Parent Guide

As the Second World War begins, Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins) invites C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode) to his London home for a much more refined war of words. Freud, the founder of modern psychoanalysis, is an atheist and wonders how Lewis, a respected Oxford professor, can profess and defend his Christian faith. As the two men spend the day together, they debate the existence of God and excavate the most painful episodes of each other’s lives. Lewis is haunted by his experiences in the Great War and Freud is dying of oral cancer while micromanaging the life of his 40+ year old daughter, Anna (Liv Lisa Fries). Both men are sharply critical of each other’s lives and beliefs, but their empathy and intellectual respect keep their disagreements civil.

Given the stature of the two men, this script feels thin, barely skipping over the significant issues under discussion. For instance, a big question like why a good God permits human suffering deserves more than the few lines of dialogue it gets. Too often the script feels like it’s trying to rush from one “big debate” to another, without allowing the men to dig past the surface. Instead, they offer a wry quip or memorable quote and then move on to the next issue. It’s profoundly unsatisfying – a waste of the subject material and the impressive talent of its cast.

Frustrating though the film may be, at least the negative content is relatively restrained. Freud takes legally-prescribed morphine to manage the pain of his terminal cancer, there’s a small amount of minor profanity, and there is some non-explicit discussion of sexuality. The movie’s subplot centers on Anna Freud’s lesbian relationship and while it’s not sexually explicit it also feels like a distraction from the movie’s main story, which is already underdeveloped. Battlefield violence features moments of peril and bloody injuries, but it is brief and not gratuitous. The most distressing moments in the film revolve around Freud’s cancer. He’s obviously in terrible pain and the flashbacks of medical procedures are unsettling as is the removal of a prosthesis from his mouth. It’s not violent, but it’s definitely disturbing.

Obviously, this isn’t a show targeted at mass audiences or teen viewers. I’m not even sure it’s going to be a big hit with adults who enjoy films about serious issues. But moviegoers looking for a story that will reinforce their opinions will be satisfied with Freud’s Last Session. Neither man lands a knockout blow on the other, and both clearly (albeit briefly) articulate their own beliefs. For audiences, there’s plenty of bias confirmation to be had – atheist or Christian you’ll find something to like and something to disagree with here.