Singin' in the Rain
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 6+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
Don Lockwood is a famous star of silent movies in old Hollywood. When movies start to have sound, his co-star Lina has a big problem: her voice is terrible. Don, his funny friend Cosmo, and a kind young actress named Kathy work together to save the picture with singing and dancing. It is a happy, funny movie for the whole family, best for kids about six and up. Greydanus calls it the greatest musical ever made, and the craft is beyond argument. Morally it is light and clean. The plot turns on a lie, with Lina taking credit for Kathy's voice, and the film ends by telling the truth in public and giving honor to the one who earned it. There is no faith content, so it sits at wholesome fun, not at edifying. Two things to preview: the long Broadway dance with a slinky dancer, and a brief scene Common Sense Media flags as blackface.
For parents
Kids and up. Common Sense Media says six plus and Greydanus says kids and up. Preview the Broadway Melody dance near the two-thirds mark. A dancer in a short dress vamps the hero, and some parents will skip it for little ones. Common Sense Media flags a quick blackface moment. Tell your children plainly that mocking people for their race is wrong. Talk about honesty. Don invents a grand life story for the fans, and Lina wants to take credit for Kathy's voice forever. A lie is speaking falsely in order to deceive, and it harms the person lied to (CCC 2482-2486). Ask: who gets hurt by Lina's lie? Why does Don tell the crowd the truth? Point out that Kathy and Cosmo do hard work with no credit and stay cheerful. Lina is vain and cruel, yet notice that the film laughs at her. Ask your children whether that is kind.