The Art of Racing in the Rain | 2019 | PG | – 3.4.1

Why is “The Art of Racing in the Rain” rated PG? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “thematic material.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes several kissing scenes and cleavage revealing outfits; the death of a woman, a dog and discussions of a race driver dying in an accident, several scenes of prolonged illness and its effects on loved ones, an argument that ends in a struggle and an unseen injury, a few scenes of race driving and a dog hallucinates that a stuffed animal pulls its own stuffing out; and some strong language. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.”

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A Golden Retriever (voiced by Kevin Costner) narrates events from the time he is adopted by his human companion (Milo Ventimiglia), an aspiring Formula 1 Race car driver, and through their lives together. Also with Amanda Seyfried, Martin Donovan, Gary Cole, Kathy Baker, Al Sapienza, Lily Dodsworth-Evans and Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Directed by Simon Curtis. [Running Time: 1:49]

The Art of Racing in the Rain SEX/NUDITY 3

 – A man and a woman snuggle and nuzzle in bed and when the man gets up we see that he is wearing boxer briefs (we see his bare back and legs to the upper thighs) and the woman’s T-shirt reveals cleavage (sex is implied). A husband and his wife kiss at their wedding. A man and a woman hug and kiss in several scenes. A husband and his wife dance and kiss. A wife tells her husband that she is pregnant and they kiss.
► A dog approaches a woman who is speaking to a man and talks about the man liking her “grooming.” A dog makes reference to a woman’s’ “plump buttocks.” A woman’s dress reveals cleavage and her bare back. A woman wrapped with a towel opens the towel to look at herself in a mirror (we see her bare shoulders and legs to the thighs). A woman’s bare legs are shown when they are propped up during labor and delivery. A woman undresses to shower after a hospitalization and we see her bare back.

The Art of Racing in the Rain VIOLENCE/GORE 4

 – A dog runs with a man and it crosses a road in front of a car that is unable to stop; we see the dog lying on its side in the road and we hear that it has sustained internal injuries and that at the dog’s advanced age, this could be the beginning of the end. A woman lies motionless on a bed as her husband grieves over her (she has died) and we see him and the rest of her family preparing for the funeral. It is implied that a dog dies but we do not see it die.
► Two men argue about the custody of one man’s young daughter; one man grabs the other and the other shoves him causing him to fall against a stone wall (we hear that he broke a rib). A dog chews up legal documents and a man chases it yelling. A young girl discovers her stuffed animals shredded in her room and cries; a man blames a dog and yells at the animal while pulling on its collar (the man apologizes afterward).
► A woman walks through woods with her dog and she leans against a tree, she seems weak and sick and she collapses on the ground. A woman gags and stumbles in a couple of scenes (we hear splatter in a sink in one scene). We see a woman in labor and she yells repeatedly; we see the newborn with blood on her forehead. A woman is shown with her head wrapped, no eyebrows and very pale, and seated with an IV in a wheelchair in a few scenes (it’s implied she has brain cancer).
► Several men in race cars speed on a track and when it begins to rain, one car spins out (no injuries are seen). A man talks about a race driver crashing into a wall at 190MPH and that a piece of equipment pierced his helmet killing him. We hear that a woman underwent brain surgery and that she is recovering from an extended illness. A man berates another man (he’s married to his daughter) about his dangerous occupation and that he is not planning for their future, in several scenes. A man’s voice speaks for a dog and explains that some people believe that when a dog dies it comes back to life as a human. A husband and his wife debate whether to give birth in a hospital or with a midwife at home. A woman talks about having been so sick and that the doctor said it must be a virus.
► A dog imagines a stuffed zebra dancing, its eyes glowing red, and it tears open its own chest and pulls out its stuffing. A dog is left alone for several days without food and talks about beginning to hallucinate from lack of food. A dog lies on the floor and seems unable to move with a puddle of urine near him on the floor (we see this scene twice); a man carries the dog to a sofa where they sit together. A pregnant woman moans and lies on a sofa. A dog places its head on a pregnant woman’s belly and is startled when the baby kicks; the dog describes imagining “a magic sac where the baby was being assembled.” A dog describes a “demonic vision.”
► A dog eats a spicy pepper, we then hear its stomach gurgling and then see a pile of runny feces on a freshly washed carpet as a man yells at the dog — and for his wife. A puppy urinates on the floor (we see a puddle of urine). A dog says that it has had a tapeworm. A dog says that he can smell something like rot coming from a woman’s nose and ears. A dog drinks from a toilet and eats from spills on the floor in a few scenes. A dog urinates and defecates on a door mat (we see piles of defecation).

The Art of Racing in the Rain LANGUAGE 2

 – 1 mild scatological term, 2 mild obscenities, name-calling (garish, bad dog, stupid dog, gross, demon), exclamations (stop), 8 religious exclamations (Oh God, Oh My God, God Forbid, For God’s Sake, For Christ’s Sake). | profanity glossary |

The Art of Racing in the Rain SUBSTANCE USE

 – A woman takes over-the-counter pain relievers in a few scenes complaining of a headache, and we see vials of medications on a nightstand. A man mixes and drinks martinis in a few scenes, a woman drinks champagne at a wedding reception, people drink bottles of beer in a man’s apartment, and an open bottle of champagne is seen in a home.

The Art of Racing in the Rain DISCUSSION TOPICS

 – Friendship, pet/human relationships, pregnancy, cancer, grief, family, reincarnation, fate, luck, human behavior, car racing, balance, patience, dreams, destiny, parenting, restraining order, custody.

The Art of Racing in the Rain MESSAGE

 – Life is challenging, but having a canine companion can help.