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Bad Day at Black Rock

(1955, Rated NR, Drama, Starring Ernest Borgnine, Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 10.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0

  • Common Sense says

    Fabulous 1955 Spencer Tracy story of prejudice.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 10 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    A theme of the movie
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Fighting with cars, guns, and karate, as noted above

  • Sex:

    Mild implication that Liz Wirth and Reno are lovers

  • Language:

    None

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some by the bad guys
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Bad Day at Black Rock

Parents need to know that this film is a thriller, with intense scenes including a scary car chase and a scene in which one person is shot and another is killed with a homemade bomb, but the violence is not graphic. This film has a stellar performance by Spencer Tracy, offers a dark view of how overseas wars affect those on the homefront, and has strong themes of race and prejudice.

Read our full review by Nell Minow

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about prejudice -- in terms of both race and the disabled. What does it mean to say, "a man is only as big as what makes him mad?" Think about a time you got mad. How big was the thing that made you mad? How do you measure? The people in the town had different reasons for obeying Reno. What were they? How did MacReedy change? What did he learn about himself?
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