Big Eyes

A newly single mom, Margaret (Amy Adams) with a daughter to support, meets a charming, kind, and generous man named Walter (Christoph Waltz), who seems to be the prince of her dreams. Both looking for a new start, and both burgeoning artists, they quickly marry, going on a romantic honeymoon together in beautiful Hawaii.

However, upon returning to the mainland, Margaret discovers that her new husband’s charm is beginning to wear off. Although their shared passion for painting initially brought them together, it soon becomes clear that Walter Keane’s interest in art has more to do with business than pleasure. At first, Walter appears to be helping Margaret get her artwork noticed, while also selling some paintings of his own. But when Margaret’s “Big Eye” paintings become more popular with the public, Walter begins taking credit for his wife’s work. Walter claims that no one wants to buy “lady art,” and that without his wit and charm to close the deal, Margaret’s paintings would never sell.

Feeling coerced and without recourse, Margaret goes along with the lie, to her own emotional detriment. The lie also damages her relationship with her daughter, as she locks herself in her art studio and paints for hours on end, day after day. Sworn to secrecy by her husband, not even Margaret’s daughter is allowed to know the truth about who the real artist is. As the family acquires wealth and fame through Margaret’s increasingly popular paintings, Walter’s demands on Margaret only increase. Can the new car, bigger house, and celebrity friends quiet the fierce and ever-growing desperation Margaret feels inside?

Positive Elements

Margaret and her daughter share a close relationship throughout the film, although they become somewhat estranged for a time, due to Margaret’s secrecy regarding her paintings. When Margaret lies to her daughter, she feels convicted and goes to a priest to confess her sin. Margaret is not really seeking fame or riches with her artwork. She just wants to do what she loves, which is to paint. Also, Margaret doesn’t allow herself or her daughter to stay in an abusive situation, once it becomes clear that her relationship with Walter has escalated to that point.

The film does a good job of portraying a woman who starts off as naive and fearful, and how she eventually overcomes her feelings of helplessness and shame to do what’s right. There is no nudity in the film and little, if any, sexual content, and there are very few obscenities.

Negative Elements

One character is seen “flipping off” another character, and some curse words, including the f-word, are exchanged. In one scene, two characters get into a physical fight in a bar/club. In the beginning of the film, Margaret and her daughter are shown packing up their belongings and leaving Margaret’s first husband. An explanation is never really given, except that the husband was “smothering,” which doesn’t seem like a very good reason, in and of itself, for ending a marriage. Margaret jumps into her next marriage rather suddenly, which is probably not a very prudent idea. However, it is portrayed as a red flag in the movie.

Margaret allows her husband to lie to the public about being the artist behind her “Big Eye” paintings, and she goes along with his lie, as well. Although the truth is eventually brought to light, for a long time Margaret is too weak and fearful to be honest with the public, or her own daughter. The lie is portrayed as being wrong, though, and the fact that the truth will eventually come out is a strong theme in this movie.

The movie portrays Margaret’s redemption as coming through her conversion to Jehovah’s Witnesses, when two members of the Watchtower Society visit her home and share their beliefs with her. While many of the Scriptures shared in the movie are from our actual Bible, it is important to realize that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult. As Paul says in the New Testament,

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a Gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!”

We are not to accept other versions of the Gospel, which do not align with God’s Holy Word. Any other version of the Gospel that contradicts the Bible is actually a lie from Satan, and not the true Gospel at all.

Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Heavy—“My G*d” (4), “hell” (6), “G*d-d*mn,” “For Chr*st’s sakes,” “For G*d’s sakes,” “Jesus,” “Christ,” “Good G*d,” and “Oh God,” “d*mn,” “f*** you,” s-words (4), SOB / Sex/Nudity: Moderate—passionate kiss, swim suits, cleavage, bare breasts in a painting, a sexual remark

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