“HEARTFELT STORY ABOUT THE LASTING IMPACT OF KINDNESS”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
WHITE BIRD is extremely well-told. It chooses subtlety over unnecessary violence or gore. In a wonderful balance, the movie manages to leave no doubt as to the nature of evil without showing extreme violence. WHITE BIRD has touching performances from all of the lead actors, especially Helen Mirren as Grandmère. It also has many wonderful moments reminding viewers to follow Jesus Christ’s command to “love your enemies” and show kindness to those we see as different. WHITE BIRD is a heartfelt experience for the whole family. It stresses the need for love, compassion, kindness, and forgiveness. However, some heavier themes of war, require some parental discernment for younger children.
CONTENT:
Very strong morally uplifting story with strong moral themes that reflect much biblical principles although the movie is not explicitly a faith-based movie, plus movie encourages Christ-likeness with its emphasis on kindness, compassion, standing up for what is right in the face of government tyranny (ACACAC), and above all how kindness shown to those who are perceived as different kindles hope, and kindness and love are likened to being a miracle;
No obscenities or profanities, but there is some minor bullying and name calling, as well as bullying and harsh words directed to Jews during World War II;
While the movie does depict the Nazi invasion of France in brief sequences, as well as how the Nazis treat Jewish families, there’s no graphic violence, blood or gore, some intense scenes where a family shelters a Jewish girl in their home and evade the Nazis looking for her, and there are brief scenes of bullying both present day and flashbacks to World War II;
No sex scenes or lewd immorality, but a boy and a girl kiss;
No nudity;
No alcohol use;
No smoking or drugs; and,
Nothing else objectionable.
MORE DETAIL:
WHITE BIRD is based on the book written by R.J. Palacio, the same author behind the 2017 book-adaptation, WONDER.
The story picks up with Julian, a boy who was attending the same school as Auggie Pullman. Auggie is the titular character in WONDER and is bullied at his school due to his facial deformity.
Julian’s hand in bullying Auggie gets him expelled from the school. Julian’s outlook on life is forever changed when his grandmother, played by Helen Mirren, finally tells him her life story.
She begins to tell Julian about her life as a young Jewish girl living in what would soon be Nazi-occupied France. “Bullying” is too light of a word for what the Jews in her school experienced, and she was no stranger to the hateful comments and actions of others.
However, after she meets a boy who shows her kindness, her outlook on life, the war and love change forever. In a poignant line, on which the whole movie revolves, Julian’s grandma says: “You forget many things in life, but you never forget kindness.”
This is a phenomenal adaptation of R.J. Palacio’s graphic novel. The acting is incredible throughout the movie, and Helen Mirren’s turns in yet another phenomenal performance. With much of the movie being set in World War II, the production value and set-design never skip a beat, drawing in the audience to a realistic time and place.
Also behind the making of this movie are Kingdom Story Company’s Jon and Andy Erwin. This movie achieves much without being overly dramatic or falsely emotional. It’s a great example of how subtle character arcs serve to tell a wonderful story with a powerful message. While there are some hints at faith, this movie has more implicit biblical truths that can offer both children and adults with encouragement.
Due to some heavier themes of war and persecution, MOVIEGUIDE® does advise parental discretion caution for younger children. However, WHITE BIRD is one of the best, most morally uplifting movies of 2024.