Parents' Guide to

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Delightful Disney charmer may be too long for youngest.

Movie G 1971 140 minutes
Bedknobs and Broomsticks Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 8+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Renee W.
Renee W. Parent of 7-year-old
October 30, 2021
age 4+

still as funny and engaging as I remembered

I was a little apprehensive about showing this movie to my kids (7 and 4), but I was delighted to find it just as funny and engaging as I remembered from my own childhood. I see others expressing concern about the context…Nazis, the Blitz, children leaving London. Honestly, our kids accepted our brief explanations at face value. We educate them about history using other tools - this is just a fun movie, with a great role model in Ms. Price (Angela Lansbury). There were no huge “cringe” moments that jumped out at me watching this movie 30 years later. The Portobello Road scene glorifies colonialism a bit..but it’s not central to the movie. The ending scenes where the Nazis come on land has a lot of guns and shooting, which we likely would not see in a kids movie today. I am touchy about gun scenes in kid movies. However, this is SO comedically well done, and literally no one is hurt. My 4.5yo, who gets scared at a lot of movie scenes, was literally rolling on the floor laughing at the crazy antics of the magically animated medieval suits of armor as they beat back the small Nazi force. So much fun!

This title has:

Great role models
2 people found this helpful.
doctora
doctora Parent of 6-year-old
October 14, 2022
age 7+

Lansbury dominates and we are all the better for it!

I do not think I have ever watched this film, although I feel that traveling magically on a bed is the ultimate dream for any kid. So it feels like I have dreamed of this film even thought I have never watched it. Lansbury is a gem in this film and Tomlinson is a close second. I would have scored this film higher except for a few antiquated and damaging gender depictions and the violence around the Nazis are a bit difficult to stomach. But again Lansbury is the reason to watch this film, she dominates every moment she is onscreen.
1 person found this helpful.
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What's the Story?

Based on the book by Mary Norton (also the author of The Borrowers), BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS is the story of three children evacuated from London during World War II who find themselves looked after by an apprentice witch, Miss Price (Angela Lansbury). The witch has plans to save England from the Nazis by casting a special spell, which she awaits from the post office. When she receives word that the special spell will not arrive because her witchcraft correspondence college has been closed, she enchants a bedknob and, along with the children, travel by brass bed to London and eventually to the animated world of Naboombu, to find the spell. The children -- Charlie (Ian Weighill), Carrie (Cindy O'Callaghan), and Paul (Roy Snart) -- help Miss Price and her professor, Emelius Browne (David Tomlinson) wrest the spell from the rough-and-tumble animated creatures of Naboombu and then return to the real world to fight off an enemy invasion. Afterward, Miss Price retires from witchcraft and Professor Browne joins the army, but it is clear they have become a family.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10):
Kids say (10):

Like many classic Disney movies, including Mary Poppins, the more dynamic parts of this movie are interspersed with less compelling scenes, at least for young children. Several scenes focus entirely on adults, including a melancholy song by Miss Price about the benefits of being single, which might lose the attention of the youngest viewers. The animated portion on the island of Naboombu is lots of fun, though. Kids and adults will enjoy the exaggerated characters and their comic shenanigans as they compete in a vigorous soccer match.

But the dance routine in the middle of the movie and the dramatic final battle scene go on too long for even more developed attention spans. Also, the war-time theme and occasional sexist remarks make this film feel dated. Overall, Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a mild, family-oriented comedy about the ability of individuals to make a big difference.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the difference between fantasy and reality, since it may not be clear to many kids. What elements of fantasy are there in Bedknobs and Broomsticks?

  • Talk about magic. What kind of magic do you wish you could perform and why?

  • Families can talk about what makes a movie scary besides the story. How does the music or the lighting make you feel?

  • Families can talk about language and accents. Did you find it difficult to understand the British accents? What other kinds of accents are you familiar with?

Movie Details

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