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Carousel

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 11; suggested age 11.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Not like sunny Oklahoma! -- much darker.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 11 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Billy beats his wife (not shown), is unwilling to work, and steals when he's alive. He's only a little better when he comes back as a ghost. Julie explains that feelings of love can overcome physical pain, a message that may send mixed signals about justification of domestic violence.

  • Violence:

    There's implicit domestic violence that's never shown and may go over younger viewers' heads. Billy attacks a man with a knife and ends up falling on it and killing himself. As a ghost he hits his daughter -- she doesn't feel it.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some alcohol and tobacco use.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Carousel

Parents need to know that this musical from Rodgers and Hammerstein isn't like their other crowd pleasers such as The Sound of Music and Oklahoma!. The themes are darker and the characters are flawed, especially Billy who beats his wife (not shown), steals, and dies in a knife fight. When he comes back as a ghost he may be after some form of redemption, but there are some mixed signals -- at one point he hits his daughter (who doesn't feel it).

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about whether the film portrays Billy and Julie as fully developed characters, rather than as a stereotypical couple facing domestic violence. Also, what are some examples of those stereotypes in other films? How might the film be different if it were made today instead of 1956?
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