Our whole family really loves this movie. The performances are perfect, and the setting is stunning. Whenever we watch this, we long for and aspire to the simple, but important, ideals that Fiona and her family achieve.
Good for kids 12 and older who like more complex stories
I love this movie and my 12 year old liked it, too. It is slower paced and more like a "dream" movie where you have to let it all wash over you rather than expect it to be fast paced. Beautiful story, very enchanting; main character is a little girl who's very bold and independent in a quiet way. If you liked Whale Rider, you will probably like this movie.
The films I seek out for my eight-year old daughter are ones that unfold at a leisurely pace, tell intriguing stories,have engaging characters and rich imagery. This film has all of those in spades. It's the antithesis of frantically paced hollywood "family" fare".This story is about living close to nature and involves magical creatures called "selkies", seals that take on human form and that occur in Irish and Scots folktales. There are a few scenes of peril, but they are mild by today's standards: a young baby floats to sea in a cradle and is thought to be lost, and an older child briefly goes adrift in a rowboat in a fog. One scene of a seal transforming into a woman might be mildly disturbing to some kids, but wasn't to my fairly sensitive daughter. The biggest obstacle for many kids would be the thick Irish brogues, which prompted the producers to provide English subtitles even though the film is in English. But my daughter followed things pretty well, and when she didn't, we just hit "pause" and did some explaining.All in all a great, great family film, enjoyed by the adults and the kid in our household equally and hugely.
As American of Irish Heritage and a traditional Celtic musician, I loved that a classic Celtic fairy tale was brought to life in such a precious and compelling fashion. This is a family favorite and we even own the soundtrack. Give this a try for your next Saint Patrick's family time.
This film will hold the attention of people of most ages. It starts slow but steadily draws you in. My (sensitive) 9 year old was a little spooked when the selkie turned into a human, but it did not bother my 5 year old in the least, although the story may have been a little over his head.