A Complete Unknown parents guide: What you should know

“A Complete Unknown” is a biographical drama on the early days of Bob Dylan, the rise of Dylan in the 1960s folk scene and his controversial move toward electric rock. It combines music, history and investigation of character and writing with an emotional tone, rather than flashy. The movie is approximately 2 hours and 21 minutes and is rated R. For parents that rating begs a natural question: Is A Complete Unknown safe for kids. This “A complete unknown parents guide” can help you decide whether it is good to watch with teens, to preview or to leave it for adults only. This guide breaks down the rating, provides concrete examples of the content in place, and breaks down the themes so that you are able to make an informed choice.

What is A Complete Unknown all about?

“A Complete Unknown” focuses on Bob Dylan from 1961-1965, beginning with his arrival in New York City as an unknown 19-year-old musician. He goes to meet his hero, Woody Guthrie, who is in a hospital, slowly dying of Huntington’s disease. These scenes reveal Dylan as a young artist who is still struggling to find his voice and is influenced by older mentors and the political tensions in America.

The film demonstrates Dylan’s entry into the Greenwich Village folk scene with the help of Pete Seeger and other musicians. Coffeehouses, cramped apartments, and smoky clubs are the setting as Dylan writes protest songs, acquires fans and burdens critics. The story weaves in and out of his love affairs, his complicated friends as fellow artists, and the pressure that accompanies sudden fame.

As his career develops, Dylan becomes restless with traditional folk expectations. The movie focuses on his decision to “go electric” at the Newport Folk Festival by using amplified instruments in an arena valuation and acoustic authenticity. The backlash against it by the purists, the crowd’s anger and the charge of “betrayal” create a basic dramatic arc.

Key characters include Dylan himself (played by Timothee Charlamet), Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and several composite or inspired characters based on people in Dylan’s life. Many scenes center on the rehearsals, backstage quarrels, press interviews and nervous performances. The result is a character driven music drama, emotional weight, but no horror or graphic gore.

Why is A Complete Unknown rated R?

The film’s rating is R, for strong language (its primary concern). There are secondary concerns for mild sexual content and limited substance use.

According to detailed parental assessments, there are more than twenty instances of the F- word, in addition to other strong profanity and religious exclamations. There is some use of a derogatory racial term, and some heated name-calling. The language is natural to the adult, mid-1960s music scene but is intense to the younger audiences.

Violence is confined to a few scuffles, crowd clashes and historical news footage. There is no graphic gore, torture or sadistic violence. Sexual material is suggested rather than overt, partial nudity in short scenes. Alcohol and cigarettes use is abundant, indicative of musician lives of the time.

Overall, the R rating indicates that the film is for adult audiences or for older teenagers who are mature enough to be able to take in the frequent strong language, some sensuality and emotionally heavy themes.

A Complete Unknown parents guide

Sex & Nudity

Level: Mild to moderate

There are one or two implied sex scenes in the movie. These are not explicit but viewers see some nudity and intimate situations between consenting adults. The camera plays more on the tension of emotion and relationship than it does with graphic sexual detail.

There are several kissing scenes for characters. Some at moments show couples in bed together, partially undressed. There might be shots of bare backs or shoulders and glimpses of what might be nude under sheets, but not extended or explicit frontal nudity.

Violence & Gore

Level: Mild, situation, and history

Violence appears mainly in:

• Crowds brawling at concerts and festivals.
• Short fist fights/Shoving matches.
• Historical news reports.

At one folk music event an audience fight has broken out. People are shoving and punching each other around in a chaotic crowd scene. Another sequence shows two men pushing and trading blows when one attempts to interfere with the sound equipment during a performance. A character gets a punch in the face; later, a bruise can be seen, but there is no graphic injury.

There are also some background references to political violence. News stories describe the murder of President John F. Kennedy and the nuclear crisis of the Cuban Missile. Crowds are shown rushing to leave New York in fear of a possible nuclear strike. These are scenes that are more emotionally tense than graphically.

Profanity

Level: Heavy, frequent & central to rating

Profanity is the primary cause of the R rating. Reports indicate:

• Over 20 uses of the F-word.
• Several scatological terms.
• A few terms relating to anatomy and sexuality.
• A slurful name against African-American people.
• Repeated religious profanities exclamations (“Jesus,” “Christ,” “Oh God,” and the like).

The verbal tone is sharp and at times cruel. Name-calling (insults, such as “subversive,” “drunkard,” “freak,” “jerk,” etc.) There is argument about authenticity, politics, and artistic choices among characters, and tempers are frequently flared.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

Level: Heavy, frequent & central to rating

This is a movie from the 1960s music industry, so there are constant background elements of cigarettes, drink, and bar culture. Of course, there are characters who drink wine during dinner, tank drinks in clubs and toast after shows. Some scenes involve shots or more hard liquor. It is the behavior of adults unwinding, not couched in outrageous partying but the frequency is high.

Smoking is shown in numerous scenes, particularly among musicians and people in industry. The film is more realistic than glamorizing the habit, but young viewers will perceive cigarettes as a normal part of artistic life.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

Level: Moderate intensity of emotions, low level of horror

There are no monsters, jump scares or horror elements. However, there are some scenes which can be quite intense or upsetting to sensitive viewers:

• A man (Woody Guthrie) is in a hospital bed in the picture – suffering from Huntington’s disease. He has difficulty moving and speaking and his decline is there with time.
• News coverage of the Cuban Missile Crisis and nuclear build-up shows people fearful for their annihilation. Crowds rush to get out of the city and prepare for a possible attack.
• Professional pressure scenes – hostile audiences, nasty critics and betrayals in the music scene – high emotional stakes. Dylan is yelled at, accused of “selling out” and swarmed by fans.

Themes and messages

A Complete Unknown has many complex themes:

• Artistic identity and re-invention. Dylan continuously re-invents his sound and persona, even with the demands of critics and fans for consistency. The movie raises the question about the responsibility of artists to expectations or the vision of the artist themselves as they develop.
• Authenticity vs. popularity. Folk purists accuse Dylan of being a traitor to the movement by “going electric.” The movie demonstrates how ideas of “authentic art” can become stiff or dogmatic and how innovation can appear like betrayal to insiders.
• Mortality and legacy. Dylan’s visits to Woody Guthrie, who is nearing death, compel him to ask himself what kind of career and impact he would like. Throughout are contrasts between a declining hero and an up-and-coming star, bolstering issues of meaning, memory, and aging.
• Politics, protest and responsibility. The story is rooted in civil rights struggles, cold war tensions and the changing world of youth culture. Dylan struggles with whether he will have to remain a “protest singer” or if he will be able to pursue more personal themes.

The messages are nuanced as opposed to simple. The film suggests that:

• True creativity usually involves risk and the courage to disappoint other people.
• Fame does nothing to solve questions of self-worth or purpose.
• Heroes are human and at times, contradictory.

For teens who are mature, these ideas can lead to great discussions of identity, art and integrity. For the younger viewers, the subtlety might be difficult to follow without some guidance. This structured “a complete unknown parents guide” can assist you within formulating those discussions.

Is A Complete Unknown family-friendly?

By mainstream standards, this is not a family movie. It is a serious and slow-burn biographical drama with heavy language and adult themes, aimed at adults and cinephile teens.

The movie may be suitable for:

• Adults who like Music history Or Bob Dylan.
• Older teens (15-17+) already watch R-rated dramas and are able to handle strong language.
• Families that love to talk about the art, politics and history together, and are nothing afraid to stopping here and there to unfold some heavy content.

It is less suitable for:

• Tweens or younger teens who are sensitive to being cussed or being emotionally heavy
• Kids who might be out of kilter due to illness, political unrest or crowd chaos.
• Families that prefer clearly uplifting and light or comedic stories.

There is no wide appeal to children, no slapstick humor, and no action intended to entertain younger ages. Most of the power is by dialogue, music, and emotional conflict.

Should parents let their kids watch A Complete Unknown?

The decision is very much dependent on the age and maturity of your child and the amount of exposure that your child has had to the media.

For pre-teens and younger teens (13-14), the R level language and implied sex is probably inappropriate, even if they may enjoy the music. The historical politics and subtlety of the character work will likely feel slow and confusing. For this group the safest option is to wait.

If old (15-17) years the film may be suitable; only if:

• They already watch realism dramas with a strong language.
• You don’t mind partial nudity and suggesting sex between adults.
• You are ready to discuss the racial slur, religious profanity and portraying substance use.

In which case a good way is to first watch the film yourself. Then either decide to co-view and discuss, or recommend to them later when they are closer to adulthood.

For those parents who may want more control over what kids watch and how long they watch, a blend of discussions and use of technical tools can be helpful. Apps such as FlashGet Kids can be a lifesaver to keep kids safe in the digital world. Through these tools, you control screen time, can filter mature content and get a view of what your children are accessing across devices. Using such tools alongside discussions about movies like this allows you to get transparency and teaching moments rather than just working off of ratings.

Conclusion

“A Complete Unknown” is a richly detailed look at the early career of Bob Dylan, from the folk clubs of New York to the electrified controversy at Newport. It is thoughtful, musically pleasant, have good performances and emotionally resonant scenes.

Taking a parental point of view, the primary concerns are easy to spot: it profans a lot and loudly; it implies sex with partial nudity; it deals with alcohol and smoking regularly; it gets emotionally heavy around sickness, assassination, and fear of nuclear-related attacks. There is violence but it is limited and not graphic. There are no elements of horror, but several scenes may seem tense or upsetting.

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