Michael
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 18+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
Michael is a crowd-pleasing concert of a film with a real heart for family and for sick children. Michael visits a burn ward and gives generously, and his mother is a steady, loving presence. The reservation is truth. OSV News calls it a hagiography: the story stops in 1988 and asks us to admire a troubled life without looking at it whole. The belt beatings are hard to watch.
For parents
For adults, per the OSV News A-III classification. Common Sense Media says 13 and up. Preview the belt beating. Ask: what did fame cost Michael? How did his father's cruelty shape him? Can we admire a gift without admiring everything about the man?