Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Community fights to save beloved school in inspiring docu.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
All In: Miracle At St. Bernard's
What's the Story?
ALL IN: MIRACLE AT ST. BERNARD'S tells the story of how a small Catholic high school in central Massachusetts won back-to-back state championships. These championships happen at a time when St. Bernard's Central Catholic faces closure due to lack of funds from the diocese -- a chronic problem impacting Catholic schools across the country as enrollment continues to drop. Together, the principal, football coaches, staff, concerned members of the community, and students work together to find ways to raise the money necessary to keep the school open.
Is It Any Good?
This is an inspiring story of football and community spirit. All In: Miracle at St. Bernard's addresses the crisis in Catholic education of declining enrollment and the shuttering of schools with long histories in their communities, but viewers don't need to be Catholic to enjoy it. Fans of underdog sports stories will be especially interested. It's a great story of a seemingly outmatched high school football team representing their struggling school, and perfectly symbolic of the greater struggle the school faces to keep its doors open.
While it's a solid story, some of the production values mar the overall enjoyment. Documentaries like these always feel the need to be playing "rousing" and "inspirational" background music on an endless loop, as if the story itself can't move the audience. It mostly balances the story with the broader concerns, but it would've been helpful if there was more talk of the bigger picture for Catholic education -- the problems of declining enrollment and funds.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about documentaries like All In: Miracle at St. Bernard's. How is this similar to and different from other documentaries you've seen?
What character strengths are on display? Why are these so important?
Who are some of the positive role models in the documentary, and what makes them positive role models?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : December 13, 2022
- Cast : Michael George
- Director : Gregg Backer
- Studio : Gravitas Ventures
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate