Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Heartfelt, emotional documentary about Sandy Hook activist.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
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Where to Watch
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A Father's Promise
What's the Story?
In A FATHER'S PROMISE, documentary filmmaker Rick Korn tells the story of Mark Barden, the father of 7-year-old Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012. A professional musician, Mark found his life changed forever that day. He became a gun-control activist, helping to form the organization Sandy Hook Promise, but simultaneously found it difficult to play music like he once did. His activism took off in a big way, inspiring millions to join him. Along the way, thanks to help from Sheryl Crow and Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town, Mark discovered, like his hero John Lennon, that music could be a great uniter. It could help people to come together and possibly find a way to agree that school shootings aren't inevitable, but preventable.
Is It Any Good?
What this documentary, which is filled with heartfelt musical performances, lacks in style, it makes up for in sincerity and compassion. A Father's Promise paints a stirring picture of heartbreak and striving to carry on. The first thing you notice about the film are the images of Daniel, a wild-haired kid with a couple of missing teeth, forever captured full to the brim of life. It's hard not to fall in love with these images or to feel his family's genuine pain. It's also impossible not to admire Mark, who's truly a man of principle. We see him showing up for dozens of personal appearances and speeches, often tearful, standing next to Presidents Obama and Biden and in a crowd with Martin Luther King Jr.'s offspring. And when the movie covers the 2022 trial of right-wing radio host Alex Jones -- who was sentenced to pay $1 billion in damages for lying to his listeners about the Sandy Hook shootings -- and Jones gloats that "they will never see the money," Mark says, "we don't care about the money." And we believe him, totally.
The filmmakers' choice to present the material in the context of music is a powerful one, as the movie's selection of rootsy/bluesy/folksy/country tunes helps the material seem less heavy and more human. By the time A Father's Promise ends, it becomes abundantly clear that the problem of mass shootings is solvable, even if the grief they've caused remains.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the themes and topics addressed in A Father's Promise. Did hearing the descriptions of violence have the same kind of impact on you that seeing violent acts does?
What's your view on the issues of gun violence and gun control? Can you think of other films that have addressed these topics?
Do you agree with Mark that music is capable of healing and bringing people together? How so? Can you think of any examples of this in your own life?
Do you consider Mark Barden a role model? Why, or why not? How does he demonstrate perseverance?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 8, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : December 8, 2023
- Cast : Mark Barden , Sheryl Crow , Karen Fairchild
- Director : Rick Korn
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Abramorama
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Activism
- Character Strengths : Perseverance
- Run time : 98 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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