Story
In A Month of Sundays, Frank Mollard (Anthony LaPaglia) is a real estate agent who’s struggling to move on with his life after his divorce from Wendy (Justine Clarke) and the death of his mother. When a woman called Sarah (Julia Blake) calls him, he thinks she’s his dead mother. Ultimately this experience helps him remember the important things in his life and gives him the chance to say goodbye to all that he has lost.
Themes
Family breakdown and divorce; death of a parent; cigarette dependence; serious illness and death
Violence
Content that may disturb children
Under 8
A Month of Sundays has some scenes that could scare or disturb children under eight years. For example:
- Phillip’s father is in a nursing home with dementia, and he suffers from hallucinations and memory loss. This might be scary for some children.
- Frank discusses the fact that his mother died, which is why he’s in a bad mood.
- Frank Jnr breaks his arm while rehearsing for a play and needs to go to hospital for a cast.
- Frank finds Sarah collapsed on the floor and she is rushed to hospital. She is hooked up to several machines. This might be confronting for children. Sarah eventually dies, which is emotional for both Frank and her son Damien.
From 8-13
Younger children in this age group might be disturbed or scared by the scenes mentioned above.
Over 13
Children in this age group are unlikely to be disturbed by anything in A Month of Sundays.
Sexual references
A Month of Sundays has some sexual references. For example, someone suggests that Frank is an ‘ambulance chaser’ – that is, someone who flirts with older women.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
A Month of Sundays shows some use of substances. For example, Frank often smokes cigarettes. He lies to other characters when they ask if he’s still smoking. But at the end of the movie, he starts using a patch to try to quit smoking.
Nudity and sexual activity
A Month of Sundays has some mild sexual activity. For example, the auctioneer and his girlfriend kiss.
Product placement
Nothing of concern
Coarse language
There is some coarse language in A Month of Sundays.
Ideas to discuss with your children
A Month of Sundays is a funny and touching Australian movie set in Adelaide. It’s a refreshing story that highlights the importance of home and family.
We recommend parental guidance for children aged 8-12 years. Because of its coarse language and mature themes, A Month of Sundays is most suitable for children aged 12 years and older.
The main messages from this movie are to remember to tell the people you love that you care about them, and not to take your family for granted.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include honesty, kindness and perseverance.
A Month of Sundays could also give you the chance to talk with your children about different ways of dealing with grief and loss, and how some ways might be less healthy than others – for example, Frank’s dependence on cigarettes to help him grieve.