White House Cabinet wife seeks truth; language; violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a little
References and images include fear about personal safety, allegations that hate was the theme of U.S. President Richard M. Nixon's presidency, a tranquilizer is injected into a person's body without consent, mental health illness claims, body bruises, guns, war, person held as political prisoner, incarcerations, protesters dragged through streets by police officers, law enforcement arrest men for ransacking, stealing, and installing eavesdropping equipment at Democratic National Committee headquarters, and burglar and Nixon campaign member is hired as a Mitchell household bodyguard who also takes the family's kid to school.
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Discussions and images include male protester nude from the waist up, the courtship, marriage, and estrangement of John and Martha Mitchell, and President Richard M. Nixon's reported beliefs about the importance of political candidates in choosing a wife or partner.
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Images include U.S. luxury home items and lifestyle, television cameras, and apparel with words and messages.
Positive Messages
a lot
Seek the truth. Do the right thing. Don't be afraid to speak up.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Role models include Martha Mitchell, a political activist and wife of U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell. Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward are Washington Post journalists who report about the Watergate burglary. Journalists Connie Chung, Sally Quinn, and Helen Thomas cover the Washington, D.C. political scene. Senate Watergate Committee investigates allegations of a burglary cover-up by the White House. Psychologist Brendan Maher coins the term the "Martha Mitchell Effect," in which a person's beliefs are initially label as delusional, but later turn out to be true.
Diverse Representations
very little
Mostly White images and minimal BIPOC representations, including journalists, political supporters, and White House officials, and women are portrayed in a subservient manner.
Parents need to know that The Martha Mitchell Effect is a short documentary about White House Attorney General John Mitchell's wife who believes U.S. President Richard M. Nixon is behind the Watergate burglary. References and images include fear about personal safety, alcoholism, pipe smoking, male protester nude from the waist up, tranquilizer injection into a person's body without consent, mental health illness claims, body bruises, guns, war, incarcerations, protesters dragged by police officers, men arrested for ransacking and stealing, and alleged Watergate burglar and Nixon campaign member hired as a Mitchell household bodyguard who also takes the family's kid to school. Swear words include "ass," "damn," and "hell." Slurs include "nuts," "stupid," and "wacko." Positive messages include don't be afraid to speak up, seek the truth, and do the right thing. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
In THE MARTHA MITCHELL EFFECT, the outspoken political activist, mom, and spouse of a White House official takes a no-holds-barred stance with the U.S. Executive Branch. Martha Mitchell faults the team for the 1973 break-in of the Democratic National Committee's Watergate headquarters. She also claims that accusations about the burglary may have put her own life at risk and shattered her marriage, but Martha remains steadfast in telling what may be true.
Calling all history buffs to watch this stirring documentary about a woman's life during a notable bygone era. "A political wife isn't like a normal person that can do and say what they please," says Martha Mitchell in The Martha Mitchell Effect. "But I do say what I please." Speaking her mind sets Martha Mitchell apart from the usual Washington, D.C. social scene as seen through the lens of original interviews and archival footage and photos. The community was "run by White men at the White House," recalls journalist Connie Chung, "and men at every single Cabinet level."
Cabinet team member Dwight Chapin, Deputy Assistant to U.S President Richard M. Nixon, remarks that "if Martha was coming to dinner at the White House people were on alert. Women were more reserved then, but not Martha. It wasn't that [Nixon] didn't like women. It was that he didn't like loud women." The legacy of Martha Mitchell's legendary shout-outs may prove to be an important and educational tool for older kids and teens to learn about surviving with seemingly insurmountable odds.
Why is it important for Martha Mitchell to share with the public what she knows about the Watergate burglary? Was the outcome of the crime fair? Why or why not?
How effective is the teamwork between Martha Mitchell and the press in getting the Watergate story told? How would this historic chapter in politics play out in today's social media landscape?
MPAA explanation:
some thematic elements, language, and smoking
Last updated:
February 17, 2023
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By Sabrina McFarland
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