Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that The Heart of Christmas is a 2012 movie based on a true story about a family who decides to celebrate Christmas in October when they learn that their son has terminal cancer and has only weeks to live. Parents looking for more lighthearted holiday fare -- as well as those parents looking for something less faith-based -- should seek other options, as this movie is primarily set in the children's cancer ward of St. Jude's Hospital and makes frequent references to prayer, God, and Jesus. It also is, unsurprisingly, a tearjerker of a movie but a movie that also shows bravery, courage, and resiliency in characters going through incredibly difficult circumstances.

Sexual Content

Not applicable

Violence

Not applicable

Language

Not applicable

Social Behavior

This is a faith-based movie in which a community rallies around a family whose young child has been diagnosed with cancer. There are many scenes in which the parents of cancer-stricken children -- as well as the children themselves -- rely on each other for the strength to get through a difficult time.

Consumerism

Much of the movie is set in St. Jude Children's Hospital; frequent reference is made to the hospital being the best in the country for treating very ill children, and the kindness of the staff is shown through discussion and action.

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Not applicable