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Sounder (1972)

(1972, Rated G, Drama, Starring Cicely Tyson, James Best, Carmen Mathews)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 12.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    A strong family triumphs over poverty and racism.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 12 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Depicts the poverty, desperation, and bigotry of the rural South during the Great Depression.

  • Violence:

    Implied rather than depicted. The dog Sounder is shot, but recovers. Father Nathan Lee Morgan is hauled out of his family's arms and sent to a prison camp, but the resolution of this injustice is the foundation of the film.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    A nasty insult and "shut up" are used casually once each; "Bastards" once in righteous anger.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Sounder (1972)

Parents need to know that there's a bit of mild language. But it's all in the service of the movie, which doesn't pull punches in depicting the poverty, desperation, and bigotry of the rural South during the Great Depression.

Read our full review by S. K. List

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about whether movies usually depict life realistically. Do movies ever gloss over distasteful but real life experiences such as poverty, death, or loss? Why or why not? Does this movie do so? Do you think realism adds to or detracts from stories?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    book_lover411
    Lives in Tennessee
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 4.0

    a must see

    teachers if ur readin this make sure u show this to ur class b/c its a great movie

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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