Alabama Moon

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
Alabama Moon Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 11+

Low-key family adventure has some dark imagery.

PG 2011 99 minutes
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Parents say

age 8+

Based on 7 reviews

Kids say

age 9+

Based on 3 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this family adventure movie, based on a bestselling 2006 novel by Watt Key, features some intense scenes of violence, including the death of a parent, and a shot of a broken leg with protruding bone and some gore. A second character also dies. There are knives and guns on view (no shots fired), as well as some threats and fighting. The movie features some gateway language ("damn" and "hell") and some offscreen kissing between teens. The 11-year-old hero makes some mistakes, but eventually learns some good lessons: he learns to trust others rather than hiding away.

Community Reviews

jcmcdowell
jcmcdowell Adult
December 3, 2022
age 9+

2 Stars?

What’s with the 2 stars? This movie is a great one for people that love heartfelt movies that are also dark. It is good for kids and entertaining at different times. There are positive messages, including loyalty and perseverance, like surviving in the woods and getting through hard times. I still really like it. I do not think it deserves only two stars. Some characters die, some young, which makes it dark, but has many heartfelt moments, too. The main character, Moon, is mistreated by a redneck constable who abuses the law by using too much force on the people he arrests, and he also tries to get Moon into trouble and lies about his every chance he gets. The only negative thing about this movie is that with his long hair and other looks, Moon looks like one of my enemies from my old scout troop. The guy shirked all chores on camping trips like washing dishes after meals and leaving no trace. He even framed our scoutmaster for child abuse, which ultimately got him kicked out, and I cannot see around the kind of look while watching this movie. But overall, I think it is a great movie, but a low star rating is not necessary for this one.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Debbie9
Debbie9 Adult
May 15, 2020
age 8+

Great movie for boys

This a great movie for boy(mine 8&11), enjoyed the movie.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Following the loss of his mother, Moon (Jimmy Bennett), and his Pap (J.D. Evermore) live off the land deep in the woods, mistrusting others and forever hiding. When Pap dies of an infected broken leg, a mean constable (Clint Howard) nabs Moon and throws him in a penitentiary for boys. There Moon befriends an older bully, Hal (Gabriel Basso), and a younger, sickly kid, Kit (Uriah Shelton), and escapes with them, planning to head to Alaska. Unfortunately, the constable will not let the boys rest, and the idea of living alone in the woods for the rest of their lives starts to sound more daunting than exciting. Can a kindly lawyer (John Goodman) untangle this mess and help set things right?

Is It Any Good?

Directed by Tim McCanlies (Secondhand Lions), ALABAMA MOON is big-hearted and sweet and likable, but it also feels rushed and truncated, as well as uneven in tone. It begins with some very intense, dramatic scenes in which an 11-year-old loses his father and becomes an orphan, and then the tone settles on a rather lightweight, and even comical adventure story that stays somewhat inert; while there is much talk of going to Alaska, most of the images consist of the boys hanging around in one spot. The story doesn't really move.

Add to this the cardboard villain, the arrogant, mean constable played by cult actor Clint Howard, as well as more soapy drama toward the end, and it feels as if these scenes were crammed together, regardless of fit or mood. Yet the movie is not a complete loss. There are many warm, lovely scenes, and the appeal of the mop-top Jimmy Bennett helps a great deal, as does the presence of that kindly old grizzly bear John Goodman.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's violence. Was it necessary to show the father's gory broken leg? Was it necessary for two characters to die? How does the hero react to, or learn from, these events?

  • At what point does Moon start to realize that his father's lessons may have been a bit wrongheaded? What parts of his father's teachings come in handy?

  • How does Moon handle the bully, and what happens afterward? is the bully scary? How would this attempt work in real life?

Movie Details

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