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Parents' Guide to

Come from Away

By Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Touching musical has emotional intensity, mild language.

Movie NR 2021 106 minutes
Come from Away Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 9+

Based on 1 parent review

upstateNYmama
upstateNYmama Parent of 9 and 9-year-old
September 11, 2021
age 9+

wonderful musical for kids who know about 9/11

Come From Away is a surprisingly warm-hearted, human, generally positive musical about September 11th. It would only make sense to a child who understands the basic outline of what happened on that date -- I would not recommend watching it if your child doesn't start with those basics. The show does not go into details about the horrors, and many small mentions (the smoke still in the air days later) would go over their heads. It is clear that some characters are worried about loved ones, and we learn near the end that one character's firefighter son died. There's also a mention of a bonobo's baby dying (the pregnant bonobo happened to be on one of the planes that was grounded, and was being cared for). There's a gay couple who are major characters, a couple jokes about "sexetary" (instead of "secretary). There are a couple of passionate kisses between a man and a woman who are clearly falling in love. There are drunk people acting silly. I'm totally comfortable with all of that for my 9 year old. Overall, it is the story of the quirky, generous people in a tiny town in Newfoundland who find themselves caring for the thousands of people who were grounded at their airport for days during and after September 11th. In general the musical does not feel tragic or scary, but mostly uplifting (with sad moments), a show about humanity at its best. Good songs, good stories. My 13 year old adored it (understood more of the nuance) and my 9 year old enjoyed it, too.
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What's the Story?

COME FROM AWAY, based on real people and events, is about a small community in Newfoundland, Canada, that came together to help about 7,000 stranded airline passengers. On September 11, 2001, all flights in the United States were grounded following the terrorist attacks, and over 35 passenger jets were ordered to land at the remote Gander International Airport. The sudden influx of people from around the world nearly doubled the population of the nearby town, but the people there and in nearby communities rallied to provide shelter, food, and necessities for everyone. Most of the passengers were frightened and confused, unaware of the tragic events that happened that day. And when they were finally able to see the news reports, after the shock and horror, all they wanted was to get back to their loved ones. Overcoming language and cultural barriers, the two groups managed to come together to see everyone through their worst nightmares.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (6 ):

This filmed version of a Broadway musical performance is touching and ultimately upbeat, but it may be an emotional trigger for viewers who remember the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Based on real people and events, Come from Away doesn't rehash that terrible day, but tells a little-known side of the story that shows how a community coming together can make anything happen, and how people who are very different on the outside can come together and touch each other's lives in meaningful ways. Compassion, community, faith, fear, heartache, humanity, and more are all explored with humor and heart in this brief look at a terrible moment in time.

It almost leans more toward opera -- most of the stories are told in song with brief exchanges of dialogue in between. But the music is thoroughly modern and does a good job of moving the story along without being awkward. Moving cameras and a section of the stage that rotates add a dynamic feel to watching a theatrical performance. The acting and singing are solid, with each cast member deftly switching quickly between several roles. The all-adult characters and their stories may limit kid appeal, but tweens and up who are interested in history and curious about the events and their aftermath will learn a lot about 9/11 through the personal stories of many different kinds of people.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Come from Away shows how far-reaching the impact was of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. How did they affect the passengers? How about the people in a few tiny towns in remote Newfoundland? Can you find Newfoundland on a map?

  • Broadway plays and musicals have been popular for a long time. What do we like or love about them? What makes them a good way to tell a story?

  • Think about the ways that the people of Gander and other nearby towns pitched in and worked together to provide for the stranded passengers. Why do you think they did that? If you'd been there, do you think you would've helped too? How?

  • What character strengths do the characters here display?

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