Contagion

Summary

When Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to Minnesota from a Hong Kong business trip, she attributes the malaise she feels to jet lag. However, two days later, Beth is dead, and doctors tell her shocked husband (Matt Damon) that they have no idea what killed her. Soon, many others start to exhibit the same symptoms, and a global pandemic explodes. Doctors try to contain the lethal microbe, but society begins to collapse as a blogger (Jude Law) fans the flames of paranoia.

What's the Story?

Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow), a married Minneapolis executive, flies to Hong Kong on business. Upon her return, she's gripped with flu-like symptoms, has a seizure in her kitchen, and dies. Her husband, Mitch (Matt Damon), is in shock. Meantime, the Center for Disease Control is flooded with calls from around the country -- and the globe; whatever killed Beth is killing plenty of other people, too. Meanwhile, a blogger (Jude Law) is convinced of a government conspiracy and hypes an alternative remedy, while others are up in arms and start looting. It's up to Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) and his investigators (including Kate Winslet), as well as other scientists and doctors around the world, to identify the agent and find a cure before the planet loses millions more citizens.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this grim thriller about the spread of a deadly, fast-acting global virus helmed by Oscar-winner director Steven Soderbergh and populated by an all-star cast (including Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow, among many others), may be too intense and/or overwhelming for younger kids given its stark, uncompromising depictions of death and the somber, sometimes scary exploration of what it's like to live in a constant state of fear. Expect disturbing imagery (including a gory autopsy) and mature themes, such as death (in one case, of a child) and infidelity. There's also some swearing (including "s--t") and social drinking. Families can talk about what makes this film scary and/or intense. Is it the tone? The subject matter? Are you scared that something like this could really happen? Parents, talk to your kids about any fears the movie raises. For tips, try this article. How does the movie portray the Internet as a source of information regarding disease and health?