Story
After her mother remarries, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) moves to the sleepy town of Forks, Washington to live with her father Charlie (Billy Burke), the town’s police chief. Bella enrols in the local high school and is immediately attracted to the school’s pale-faced loner, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Edward is actually a vampire, and spends most of his time glaring at Bella and avoiding her. This is not because he dislikes her, but because he is so attracted to her that he is afraid he will be unable to control his instincts and will harm her.
Luckily for Bella, Edward and his family drink only the blood of animals rather than humans. After Edward uses his superhuman strength to save Bella from being struck by a car, Bella begins to search for answers to her questions about him. Edward avoids direct sunlight, his skin is the colour of powder, he never appears to eat, his eyes change colour, he is unbelievably fast and has superhuman strength, and his skin is ice-cold to touch. Bella comes to the inescapable conclusion that Edward is a vampire. She is so infatuated with him, however, that it makes no difference to her feelings and they begin to display their affection for each other.
Meanwhile a group of rogue vampires has been terrorising the locals. They have killed two people, but the authorities put this down to animal attacks. Bella’s relationship with Edward puts her in danger from one of these vampires, the evil James (Cam Gigandet).
Themes
Vampires; destructive relationships
Violence
Twilight contains both visual and implied brutal violence, with many of the horror scenes seen from a distance. For example:
Sexual references
There are some sexual references in this movie, including the following:
- A reference is made to a high-school boy’s swimsuit being ‘Olympic sized’.
- Bella’s mother asks her if there are any cute guys at her new school.
- A waitress in a restaurant refers to a man who dresses up as Father Christmas as ‘Butt-crack Santa’.
- While trying on a prom dress, a teenage girl says, ‘I like this one – it makes my boobs look great’.
- While having dinner in a restaurant, Edward tells Bella that he can read the minds of all the people in the restaurant. He then tells Bella that two people are thinking about money, two about having sex, and one about a cat.
- Edward caresses Bella’s neck and chest. He tells Bella that he is the lion who fell in love with the lamb.
- Edward tells Bella that her scent is like a drug to him.
- When Bella tells her mother that she is seeing a new boy, her mother asks her if she is being safe.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
There is some use of substances in this movie. For example:
- Bella’s father drinks beer from cans in his home.
- Edward tells Bella that she is like his own personal brand of heroin.
- A man talks about playing the role of Father Christmas, and how children like the little bottles he gives them.
Nudity and sexual activity
There is some nudity and sexual activity in this movie. For example:
- Teenage girls wear dresses and tops that reveal cleavage.
- Bella and Edward lie on the ground together, looking longingly into each other’s eyes.
- Edward sits on Bella’s bed facing Bella. He is fully clothed, while Bella is dressed in a tank top and underwear. We see a quick glimpse of Bella’s underwear-covered buttocks. Edward tells Bella to keep very still and not to move. He moves closer to Bella and then gives her a tender kiss. Bella grabs Edward, pulling him on top of her. They kiss passionately. Partway through the kiss, Edward jumps back off Bella, telling her that he can never lose control with her. They then both lie on the bed with Bella falling asleep on Edward’s chest.
- At their high school prom, Edward and Bella dance close together and kiss. Bella offers Edward her neck and asks him to bite it. Edward tips Bella back and kisses her neck instead.
Product placement
The following products are displayed or used in this movie: cars, particularly Volvo, and American beer.
Coarse language
This movie contains infrequent mild coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Twilight is based on Stephenie Meyer’s best selling series of books. It is an intense teenage love story. The film targets and is likely to appeal to adolescent girls, particularly those who are fans of the book series.
The main messages from this movie are that:
- Love conquers all boundaries and prejudices.
- Forbidden fruit tastes the best.
- Family ties are extremely strong.
Values in this movie that you might wish to reinforce with your children include self-sacrifice, family ties and commitment.
You might also wish to discuss Bella’s self-destructive streak. Bella knows that Edward is a vampire and a confessed killer, but she refuses to believe that she is in any real danger. She talks about how dying for someone you love is a worthwhile thing to do. You could talk about the real-life consequences of this type of thinking.