Mr. Malcolm’s List | 2022 | PG | – 2.1.1

Why is “Mr. Malcolm’s List” rated PG? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “some smoking and mild language.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes a few kissing scenes, many discussions of love and marriage, many cleavage revealing gowns, a hunting scene without blood, many arguments, plots of revenge and humiliation, and name-calling and other mild language. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.

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Set in early 19th century England: A woman (Zawe Ashton) spurned by the most eligible bachelor (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) of the social season is determined to get revenge and solicits help from a friend (Freida Pinto), who is not aware of her scheme. The plan veers off-course when true love intervenes. Also with Theo James, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ashley Park, Naoko Mori, Sophie Vavasseur, Danielle Ryan, Divian Ladwa, Jules Morgan, Sianad Gregory and Paul Tylak. Directed by Emma Holly Jones. [Running Time: 1:55]

Mr. Malcolm’s List SEX/NUDITY 2

 – A man and a woman kiss in a couple of scenes. A man proposes to a woman and she kisses him; he picks her up and they kiss again. A man puts his hands on a woman’s shoulders and on her arms as he holds her from behind to show her how to swing a croquet mallet.
► Men and women dance at a ball and one couple gaze at each other romantically. A man proposes to a woman and she leaves the room. A statue of a man and a woman kissing is shown.
► A man proposes to a much younger woman and he becomes upset when she declines his offer; he says, “It is my fondest desire to have you … as my wife.” People talk about men and women searching for marital partners throughout the movie. A man tells a young woman that he doesn’t think they need a chaperone when they meet. A man declines a woman’s offer to add him to her dance card for an upcoming ball saying that he doesn’t dance because of an injury. A woman is alarmed that a young woman’s dance card is empty. A woman says that she has been married twice and people seem to consider her to have a bad character for having done so.
► A woman adjusts her cleavage in a low-cut dress and giggles. Women wear low-cut dresses that reveal various amounts of cleavage in many scenes throughout the movie. A woman tells a dressmaker to “go lower on the bodice” for a gown for another woman.

Mr. Malcolm’s List VIOLENCE/GORE 1

 – A man charges on horseback after a horse-drawn carriage and cuts across a path in front of it causing the driver to stop short; the passenger in the carriage is jostled, and gets out and yells at the man on horseback. A woman locks another woman in a dark room and then pretends to be her, delivering a note to a man. A woman plots to get revenge against a man that spurned her.
► A woman laughs loudly at another woman’s name. People react embarrassed when a woman talks and laughs seemingly inappropriately. A woman mocks a man’s appearance. Two men argue. A girl tells another girl that she has nothing materially to offer a man (for marriage). A man asks a woman about a political issue and she doesn’t know what he is talking about. A man proposes to a much younger woman and she declines, he moves closer to her and she steps away several times; he becomes upset and tells her that her prospects will be grim and that there will be consequences of this decision. We see a caricature of a man and a woman on a date and it mocks the woman having been dismissed by the man. A woman says of another woman, “She’ll never find a husband.” A woman fears that people will think there is something wrong with her since she has not found a man to marry. A woman snaps at her mother in a few scenes and a man in others. A woman complains about a man having a list of requirements for a woman he’d consider marrying and that he “found me wanting.” A woman talks about a man getting comeuppance. A woman tells another woman that she will get forehead furrows. People talk about the futility of a dream. People talk about a thwarted courtship.
► A woman says, “I feel like I’m going to be sick” (she does not get sick). A man and a woman shoot birds out of the air and dogs retrieve the carcasses (no blood is shown).

Mr. Malcolm’s List LANGUAGE 1

 – 4 mild obscenities, name-calling (namby-pamby, social climbers, ignorant, trifler, strange, breaker of hearts, gossips, arrogant, dreary, nasty habits, dull, spiritless, bother, far too low down, bad taste, radicals, unpredictable, absurd, sad, despicable, childish, idle gentleman, wastrel, prosy preacher’s daughter, hoity-toity, dreadful, manners of a belligerent fish wife, destroyer of young ladies’ hearts, devious, deranged, heinous crime, unpleasant, farce, misguided fool, villain, vulgar, insufferable, fool, performing bear), exclamations (be quiet for once, nick of time, what on Earth, bloody, oh dear, ugh), 6 religious exclamations (e.g. oh God, gift from God, God forbid, good God, for God’s sake). | profanity glossary |

Mr. Malcolm’s List SUBSTANCE USE

 – People drink in a social club, and people drink in several scenes and with meals. A man smokes a cigar.

Mr. Malcolm’s List DISCUSSION TOPICS

 – Wealth, pride, society, embarrassment, gossip, qualifications, hope, true love, insecurity, disappointment, rejection, humiliation, loneliness, character, pity, being judgmental, bravery, irony, motivation, jealousy, reputation, marrying for love.

Mr. Malcolm’s List MESSAGE

 – Marrying for love is something worth hoping for.