Parents' Guide to

Flags of Our Fathers

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Harrowing World War II drama isn't for kids.

Movie R 2006 132 minutes
Flags of Our Fathers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

Plague
Plague Parent
January 7, 2010
age 13+

Flags of Our Fathers

A great war movie for all patriots. Moving and explosive, and a grand Clint Eastwood film.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Structured as a series of flashbacks and interviews, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS focuses on the pain, fear, and calamity of combat, and the difficulties faced by the three surviving flag-raisers captured in Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer Prize-winning World War II photo, whom the government sent on tour across the United States to encourage people to support the war effort. The men include Navy corpsman "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford) and Ira Hayes (Adam Beach). Along with the lasting, horrific affects of war felt by the men, the film reveals the irony behind the photo itself, and how the flag-raisers feel exploited by the fundraising process. We also see the hardships of Ira, a Native American who's dogged by racism by fellow Marines and civilians. Ira turns to alcohol to numb his pain and eventually, after retiring from the military, he's found dead at age 33, a victim of "exposure," according to the coroner's report.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (9 ):

A large, roiling reassessment of the relationships between war, commerce, and mythology, Clint Eastwood's film is at once magnificent and disquieting.

Complex and earnest, Flags of Our Fathers emphasizes that the flag-rasiers most admire their fallen friends, who didn't "think of themselves as heroes." In doing so, the film indicts the war-makers -- then and now -- who have "never been to war" but still send young men to fight, and honors those warriors who saw and committed acts, both horrific and heroic, that they can never forget.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the legacy of World War II, often thought of as the "good war." What gets left out of the equation (pain, violence, other devastating experiences) when people look back and focus on the heroism of war? Is there such a thing as the "true" version of history? Also, how do the men who go on the fund-raising tour realize that they're being treated as commercial products? How do they suffer as a consequence? How does the movie question the notion of "heroism" as it's used to promote war?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: October 19, 2006
  • On DVD or streaming: February 6, 2007
  • Cast: Adam Beach , Jesse Bradford , Ryan Phillippe
  • Director: Clint Eastwood
  • Inclusion Information: Indigenous actors
  • Studio: DreamWorks
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 132 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: for sequences of graphic war violence and carnage, and for language.
  • Last updated: July 21, 2023

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