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Parents' Guide to

A Champion Heart

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Girl and horse heal each other in faith-based tale.

Movie G 2018 90 minutes
A Champion Heart Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Mommato5b1g
Mommato5b1g Adult
January 31, 2021
age 7+

Good movie with a good message

I watched this with my 8 year old horse obsessed daughter. It was a good movie with a good message about overcoming fear and adversity. It also addressed things like bullying, loss, and grief. Faith and trust in God were both discussed and encouraged by the characters in the film. My daughter and I both enjoyed it and it was completely clean and family friendly.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
TurnerTrainer
TurnerTrainer Adult
December 13, 2020
age 8+

Hurting heart can be changed with Mercy

Young pre-teen and teen girls will love this movie. A girl who lost mom, moved, was rejected finds a noble mission.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In A CHAMPION HEART, Mandy (Mandy Grace) and her dad, Jack (David de Vos, also the director), have moved to a California trailer park. Jack is starting a new job. Mandy's mom died a year before. Both are sad and struggling through a tough time. Mandy is a good kid but crashes a friend's off-road vehicle, causing some property damage at a local horse rescue farm. The owner, Diane (Donna Rusch), who speaks of her faith in Jesus, offers Mandy a job to repay the damage. Mandy is reluctant but agrees when she learns that Bradley (YouTuber Devan Key), the cutest boy at her new school, works there too. Horse poop jokes and hard work jokes emerge quickly as Mandy learns how to care for horses, and more importantly, how to care for something other than herself. She relates to a troubled horse she names Tux. The animal had been abandoned by a rich and spoiled schoolmate and resident mean girl, Zoey (Isabella Mancuso), who torments and mocks Mandy mercilessly. Mandy and Tux bring each other out of their shells as Mandy learns to ride, jump, and let go of her fears.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This pleasantly watchable film isn't much more than a rehash of a tired old recipe. See also: Rodeo & Juliet, Healed by Grace, Christmas Ranch, Rodeo Girl, The Horse Whisperer. In this case, take one self-absorbed teen girl, mix with equal amounts hard work and cute guy, and play for 90 minutes. The flavorless, simplistic, but inoffensive fare that results won't bother anyone, but it won't inspire anyone either. Director and co-writer David de Vos plays the dad of Mandy, and Mandy is played by his real-life daughter, Amanda de Vos, credited as Mandy Grace here. A Champion Heart relies on stock characters and a paint-by-numbers script with acting to match. Devan Key as Bradley is the exception: He has a spark that a better script might have developed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how two of the most challenging events in life are the loss of a loved one and moving to a new place. How do you think moving and changing schools would make life more difficult for someone like Mandy?

  • Zoey is spoiled and mean to people. Do you think the movie paints a one-sided picture of her? Do you think the way she's portrayed makes her seem like a real person or like a cartoon villain?

  • Do you think A Champion Heart tries to preach Christianity? What are some ways that goal improves or detracts from the story?

Movie Details

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