A little disturbing, violent images of African Americans. One was hung and burned. All in all, everyone over 12 should see it. The N word a few times.

We watched this movie in school, that's how educational and powerful it is. Although there's a lot of violence, such as gun shots, lynching, and fist fights, as well as some sexual and squeamish scences, it doesn't take away from the powerful messages this movie presents about racism and acceptance. There are some great role models, such as Samantha, the first female member of the Wiley College debate team, and James Jr, who's attending college at the age of 14, and one of the brightest debaters on the team. Some stuff might be a little tough for younger kids to chew, like views on communism and scenes of rebellion and a barn burning resulting from it, but with a little bit of explaination and education on the topics, this movie proves to be very intresting and valuable in the lessons it teaches. This definetaly made my "Best Movies" list!

The Great Debaters is without doubt one of the best movies ever made. The journey of the four young people as they confront the world is exciting and inspiring. The messages, of course, are excellent. Each character is intelligent and driven, and the themes of confidence, sticking up for what is right, and perserverence are superb. On a content note, the violence is phsychologically disturbing and deeply saddening. The sex scene is breif and romantic. Altogether, the film is best for teenagers, as younger kids won't really understand what's going on.

My husband and I saw this movie at a Hollywood industry screening before it was released to the general public. We thought it was a fantastic movie that leaves you feeling like it was worth your money. The story and acting are stellar. The movie makes you think hard about the type of person you are and the struggles of black history in the U.S. (I'm white and my husband is Mexican). As a parent, I probably wouldn't take my 13 year old girl, but I wouldn't disagree letting my 17 year old son watch this movie. Although this movie is rated PG-13, it has a lot of talking and the theme is for an audience that can handle more critical thought and get enjoyment out of it. There's one sex scene, but it doesn't show any nudity -- it's in dark lighting under the sheets -- but it happens. There's a lynching scene, which could be shocking for a younger person -- though the scene shows the end of the lynching, not the actual lynching. Letting an older teenager see this film could actually prove beneficial in demonstrating how unfair black segregation was -- lest we all forget.

This fantastic movie does deal with racism, and it gives you a clear understanding what African-Americans went through during that time. As for violence, there is an extremely disturbing scene of a lynched man, and some fighting. Plus, all in all, the movie is very deep and intense. The sex scene is very breif, so it's nothing too bad. The only language issues are the use to bad words to describe African Americans, but when you take the times into consideration, it's not too shocking. The movie is too mature for young children, but great for adults and older teens. Definately worth watching. The performances are fantastic too.