Parents' Guide to

Can You Dig This?

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Inspiring docu about urban gardening; some profanity, drugs.

Movie NR 2015 80 minutes
Can You Dig This? Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

age 13+

Inspiring, hopeful, challenges stereotypes

Moving documentary that sparked meaningful discussion for me and my 13-year-old. Challenges stereotypes of African-Americans and South Central LA; shows the power of one individual action (planting a garden) but also the power in coming together to make change; showcases the value of patience, family/friends/community, and courage; inspires viewers to examine their relationship to food production/consumption; documents the ravages of poverty, incarceration, hopelessness, and the web of challenges that result from them; and ultimately offers a hopeful way forward, toward healthy eating, stronger communities, and a life with meaning.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Director Delila Vallot's ability to find the defining moments in the lives of her characters in South Central makes for intense "rooting interest" in a remarkable film. It's humanizing above all else; a community that is often defined by its poverty, violence, and hopelessness is defined instead by the audience's journey with a few of its most vulnerable members. Caution: In an effort to accurately portray the grim reality of the neighborhoods, Vallot has included profanity, marijuana use, and references to violence, which may preempt viewing by younger kids who might otherwise find Can You Dig This? uplifting and memorable.

Movie Details

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