The Miracle of the Bells
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 6+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
This is a very Catholic film on its face: Mass, the Angelus, a parish priest, and a girl who never forgets her poor hometown parish. The trouble is the ending. The priest learns the statues turned because the pillars shifted under the crowd, and he still lets his people call it a miracle. Faith never needs a falsehood to stand on.
For parents
Fine for ages ten and up. A young woman dies of illness. Talk about the ending. The Church tests miracle claims carefully and never asks us to believe something untrue. Ask: was the priest right to stay quiet? Was it honest to pay the churches with checks that could not be cashed?