A Shine of Rainbows

  • Review Date: September 19, 2011
  • PG
  • Genre: Drama
  • 2010
Review

Common Sense Media says

Magical coming-of-age story is intensely emotional.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this poignant coming-of-age story set in the beautiful Irish countryside includes the death of a parental figure. Themes of bullying, loss, and abandonment are throughout this heartrending film, and while such topics may be difficult for younger or less mature children, A Shine of Rainbows should spark interesting discussions within families about these issues. Expect some strong positive lessons about compassion and the value of parental love mixed in with the hard stuff.

  • Positive messages5
    The movie expresses how valuable the love of a parent is to a child. A child learns to overcome his timidity, his stuttering, and his past experiences of being bullied at the orphanage with the help of a loving mother figure. The positives of adopting older children are shown. Characters show compassion for suffering animals.
  • Positive role models4
    Maire is a patient, kind, and loving adoptive mother. Tomas learns to be more confident in himself and his place in the world, and his deep sensitivity, initially treated as a weakness, is shown to be one of his great strengths. As someone who grew up an orphan herself, Maire shows great compassion for the orphan boy. Tomas also takes care of an abandoned baby seal he names Smudge.
  • Violence2
    Early in the film, a character is bullied by having a stool kicked out from under him, getting slapped in the head, and having his pencils broken in half by other boys. One character gets attacked by a bird while trying to steal its eggs. Another is tossed out of a boat while trying to row through choppy waters. A main character dies of an illness.
  • Sex1
    Brief kissing between a husband and wife, who are also seen in bed together talking.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking2
    One character smokes a pipe, and he later drinks whiskey to cope with grief, and is found passed out at the kitchen table with a bottle in his hands.
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What's the story?

Tomas (John Bell), a shy, timid boy with a stutter who is bullied in a dreary orphanage, is rescued from his surroundings by Maire (Connie Nielsen), a kind and compassionate former orphan who takes Tomas to the island of Corrie where she hopes to adopt him. It is in Corrie where Tomas, with the boundless patience of Maire, begins to overcome his timidity and he engages in all sorts of bucolic frolics with other children on the island. Maire's husband, the sullen Alec (Aidan Quinn), is reluctant to share in Maire's unconditional love for Tomas, but as events take trying and tragic turns, he must decide whether to adopt Tomas or send him back to the orphanage.

Is it any good?

 

Full of vibrant color and breathtaking scenes of the Irish countryside, A SHINE OF RAINBOWS, based on a novel by Lillian Beckwith, is a touching coming-of-age story. As the title implies, rainbows make regular quasi-magical appearances on the Island of Corrie, and so do seals, and there's a legend about an old statue that seems to come to life.

Initially, Tomas is a pitiable character bordering on pathetic (no matter his hardships), but as we get to know him, we see him as a kind, likeable, and ultimately heroic boy transcending tremendous difficulties. The story of Tomas learning to overcome his past and his fears should have a broad appeal to families, and even the most jaded curmudgeon wearied of these sentimental stories should, at least, be entranced by the seaside, the hills, and the cottages serving as the backdrop in this film.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the effects of bullying. Does this movie depict bullying in a realistic way? What are the long-term effects of bullying? What can kinds and parents do when confronted with bullying?

  • How is this movie different from those produced in Hollywood? How would this movie have been different, do you think, if it was made specifically for an American audience?

  • How does this film depict grief? Does it seem accurate? How can kids and adults cope with grief in a healthy way?

This review was written by Brian Costello
Teen, 14 years old
September 23, 2011
AGE
13
 
Wow, 2 years later, still in Awe of the emotional heights brought by this film
I couldnàt give an age to this film, because would say a really select group of children should be watching it. Very emotionally heavy, some disturbing content, I cried, and I cried. Age isnt the thing with this one, its about who your child is, what they've been exposed to/can handle etc.
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Helped me decide (12) | Had useful details (12) | Read my mind (17)
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Kid, 10 years old
October 3, 2011
AGE
10
 
good
great story,i cried and cried though.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (8) | Had useful details (12) | Read my mind (14)
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This review was written by Brian Costello
Topics:book characters
Studio:Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Director:Vic Sarin
Cast:Aidan Quinn, Connie Nielsen, John Bell
Genre:Drama
Run time:111 minutes
Theatrical release date:February 13, 2010
DVD release date:March 15, 2011
MPAA rating:PG
MPAA explanation:thematic elements, mild peril, smoking
This review was written by Brian Costello
 

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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.
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