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Parents' Guide to

A Father's Choice

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Heart-tugging family story set in motion by a mom's murder.

Movie PG 2009 96 minutes
A Father's Choice Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

William W.
William W. Adult
March 16, 2020
age 13+

Rough beginning

I sat down to watch this with a 10 year old for a family movie afternoon. I knew from the plot that the parents get killed. But instead of the typical car accident it shows them being shot by a burglar in front of their kids after returning home one night. In the next scenes the tearful kids are being questioned by the police about the murders. Too much for us. The rest of the movie may be family fare but the beginning was way too edgy.

This title has:

Too much violence
LaurieD83
LaurieD83 Adult
September 9, 2019
age 8+

An amazing movie about love, loss, adversity and moving forward.

This movie is based on a true story about Charlie McClain and his girls Kelly and Chris. It speaks about how change is inevitable in everyone's life. These changes may not always be pleasant, but it is how we rise up to the challenge and decide what we learn from these changes. It also speaks about being a parent and how parents and families are not perfect. Parenting isn't easy and everyone makes mistakes. I really love how it shows parents and kids alike that it is never to make things right, you cannot change what has happened in the past but you can decide how you are going to move forward.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Mac (Peter Strauss) is a cowboy, former rodeo star, cattle wrangle, and loner. When his ex-wife, the mother of his two daughters, is murdered, Mac is given temporary custody of the girls, ages 13 and 10. Kelly and Chris have long been estranged from Mac, and the move from their upscale Los Angeles neighborhood to a rustic, small ranch house in the country adds to their grief and seems to be more than they can handle. Mac is also called upon to make significant life changes on short notice. With help from the committed social worker (Mary McDonnell) assigned to their case, Mac and the girls begin to work through their monumental differences, their anger, and their sorrow. The situation is further complicated by their wealthy aunt who is eager to gain custody and move the girls to Chicago, as well as Los Angeles police officers who are trying to solve the murder.

Is It Any Good?

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

Peter Strauss turns in a heartfelt performance as Mac, the dad who becomes a real father. It's a predictable story with a very predictable rivalry between an urban, affluent lifestyle and a modest ranch family with animals, cowboys, and "down-to-earth" values. The gentle romance between Mac and an earnest, sensitive social worker (Mary McDonnell) is well-played and believable.

The girls (Michelle Trachtenberg in an early role as the teen daughter and Yvonne Zima as her little sister) have difficult emotional work to do here, and they both meet the challenge. This made-for-TV movie, later released on DVD, was inspired by a true story.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can discuss movies that are inspired by or based on a true story. What do these terms mean and how do they differ? Is it important to know how much is real?

  • Try writing a short story "based on a real event" in your life. Think about how you would change some of the actual facts if you wanted to make it more dramatic.

Movie Details

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