 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Newsies
- Review Date: October 12, 2007
- PG
- Genre: Musical
- 1992
Common Sense Media says
Kids go on strike in gritty, historical musical.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this Disney production features a tough, New York street-level milieu, in which confrontations frequently threaten to culminate in fist-fighting, and often do. There are menacing scenes of adults threatening to beat children using clubs and chains, and a rivalry between different subsets of kids looks somewhat like street gangs. One boy smokes cigarettes. There is a strong pro-union (and anti-management) sentiment throughout.
What's the story?
Loosely based on actual incidents, NEWSIES casts New York City daily-newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer ( Robert Duvall) in a most villainous light. Engaged in a circulation war with rival William Randolph Hearst, the greedy Pulitzer raises the rates at which the "newsies" buy the "papes" every morning. The street-savvy kids decide to form a union of all newsboys in the city, to defy not just Pulitzer but also Hearst and anyone who pushes them around. Leading the strike is orphan Jack (Christian Bale), and David (David Moscow), who works to help support his family. Pulitzer refuses to negotiate. He fights back viciously, with hired muscle, "scabs," and, finally, blackmailing Jack. David and his household also become targets, in between the singing.
Is it any good?
Newsies, with its energetic score and large-scale dance gymnastics, hits a note lost between the pop-fantasy and ragtime of Bugsy Malone and the R-rated realism of Gangs of New York. Dramatically there is some surprisingly strong stuff here, and perhaps Newsies would have come across better without the tunes.
Even with an upbeat finale, most grownups come across as the worst kind of abusive authority-figures, domineering and brute-force guardians, although a few adults support the boys. There is pretty strong Goliath-vs.-David sense of injustice and helplessness, with police and hired thugs against the kids. Ruthless, immoral corporations control everything, and mainstream media is not to be trusted -- especially when its own investments are threatened.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the history of labor movements and strikes, plus the larger-than-life characters of Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, and a certain U.S. president who makes a cameo at the end. There really was a newsboys' strike, and you could fact-check the parts about it this movie gets wrong. Newsies also proposes, loud and clear, that despite its supposed watchdog role, the media is just as corporate as any other business -- and just as nasty and unethical when its interests are threatened. Of course, unions can misbehave as well, for the same reasons, but you don't see that here. How do we look at the media and at unions today?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
It's a musical.I recoment for tweens and teens.
I think this movie was great. The songs were amazing. There was some violence,but most of it was fistfights. The characters make an occasinal "dont" but have in mind they almost all are orphans. A few cusswords are thrown around, but can go unnoticed. The characters are good rolemodels. Jack Kelly becomes a "scabber" to protect his friends. David Jacobs often tries to do whats right. However, some of the characters smoke cigars/cigarettes. David's little brother Les menchons taking a sip of beer to get a quarter. All in all, its a great movie.
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AGE
A movie you can melt in to!
I am a parent and I love this movie, its fun and if you watch it with your kids you can explain any part you dislike or really like about the movie. its a very interesting movie.
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AGE
RIGHT ON
i like it alot but not for those who dont watch oliver twist.
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AGE
good movie.
i enjoyed the historical realism and context in the movie and some of the music numbers.
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AGE
It's okay...
This movie was rather disappointing to me. For me, it was boring. Be aware of the smoking and language involved!!!!
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AGE
fun!
a good movie for bored teenage girls, has all the problems that titanic has: historically inaccurate, the only thing that keeps it going is teenage girls who swoon over the hot(?) newsies. fun if you have time to kill
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AGE
A Family Favorite
One of our family's favorites, great songs, dancing and story.
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AGE
Amazing classic Musical
Man, I havent seen this since sixth grade in music class. We were looking at musicals, and I fell in love with this one. It has hardly nothing wrong with it. A+
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Kid, 11 years old
October 8, 2011
AGE
Great for kids
I LOVED this movie. I watched at school with my class. Nothing really to worry about just some fist violence, a couple swear words, and some child smoking and drinking but they are all mild.
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AGE
Postive Message, Great for Any Age
"Newsies" is very inspiring and postive. It sends a message to the viewer that you are capable of anything you put your mind to. A 10 year-old mentions him drinking beer to win a bet, though. Also, some of the boys smoke cigars, although they are a bit older. (around 14-17 yrs.)
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| Topics: | history, music and sing-along |
| Studio: | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Director: | Kenny Ortega |
| Cast: | Christian Bale, David Moscow, Robert Duvall |
| Genre: | Musical |
| Run time: | 121 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | April 10, 1992 |
| DVD release date: | January 15, 2002 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | parental guidance |
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