Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this movie, based on the classic children's book by Arthur S. Maxwell, was a project for the School of Visual Art and Design at Southern Adventist University. As such, it's a good choice for families who seek out Christian films specifically. Families who don't may find it a little message-heavy, but may enjoy the mild spook-factor; there's lots of scary music and cloaked figures running around in a small Irish fishing village. Roy, the young American boy at the film's center, is dumped there by his father to stay with his uncle while his parents file for divorce; he broods about this but comes through with a thoughtful and mature perspective.

Sexual Content

One tiny kiss.

Violence

Plenty of scary music and cloaked figures running in shadows and getting chased, but never any real peril. Roy arrives in town as a coffin falls off a horse-drawn cart and attends a funeral. Most in the town think a ghost or angel is at work when mysterious things happen. Roy falls from a boat and almost drowns.

Language

"Idiot."

Social Behavior

Here are some of the biggies: Do good for its own sake; we are at our strongest when we realize we need to ask for help; and the world is larger than our own problems, and making a positive impact on others can make our problems seem smaller.

Consumerism

Roy is always listening to his iPod until he soaks it in the ocean.

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Not applicable