• Is it age appropriate?

  About our ratings

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  Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 15; suggested age 15.

• Is it any good?

  4.0

• Common Sense says

  Inspiring docu tackles a tough topic: racism.

Why We Rated This for Ages 15 and Up

The good stuff

• Messages:

  The movie reinforces the idea that people are just people -- no matter the color of their skin -- and that change is truly possible if you work for it.
• Role models:

  Most of the student leaders who support the integrated prom -- both Caucasian and African American -- have admirable qualities. For example, one student-athlete is not only a state champion power lifter who's involved in softball, basketball, track, and church; she also takes college-level algebra, has skipped a grade, and holds the office of National Honor Society president.

What to watch out for

• Violence:

  An archival image of a dead African-American man hanging from a tree is shown while a student talks about another hanging that took place in the town square. Another student describes a verbal fight between a Caucasian student and an African-American student that escalated due to the Caucasian student's allegations that the other student threatened her with a gun; another recounts a fight that broke out at the "white" prom between two students and a parent, who slapped one of the rabblerousers. At the integrated prom, male and female students engage in a dance battle that looks violent (ie., it involves some body pushing/intimidation) but isn’t meant to be.
• Sex:

  Some students discuss having sex, with a focus on the perceived "fear" of interracial sex. Another student talks about having had both African-American and Caucasian “lovers” and asserts that they’re all the same; it’s what’s inside that counts.
• Language:

  Audible words include mild terms like "ass" and "hell," as well as a few unbleeped instances of "f--k." The "N" word is also used quite a bit, both as a hate and a non-hate term.

• Consumerism:

  The soundtrack includes songs by popular artists like Lil Wayne, Usher, Feist, and One Republic. Rap act Kamikaze plays at the prom.
• Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

  A character describes underage drinking in a limousine on the night of the "white" prom, saying students were "getting tipsy, getting crazy." Another student claims that some students drink and "get drunk every weekend."

What Parents Need to Know

About Prom Night in Mississippi

Families Can Talk About