Parents' Guide to

God Bless America

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Very dark, angry comedy about the media and its effects.

Movie R 2012 105 minutes
God Bless America Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 15+

Based on 1 parent review

age 15+

Everybody Should Watch This Movie

I think this movie sets a great example for teens, maybe not so much the violence, but the way of thinking. Frank is a very inspiring person who is simply fed up with the stupidity and general rudeness of the world. His message is that everybody should just be nice to one another.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

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

This movie has the courage of its convictions all the way up to the closing credits. Bobcat Goldthwait, who achieved fame in the 1980s with his stand-up comedy and his roles in the Police Academy movies, has re-invented himself as a maker of potent black comedies and ferocious commentaries on the withering of the American Dream. His last, World's Greatest Dad, was brilliant and brutal, and God Bless America is its equal. It's a movie for anyone who has ever rolled their eyes at American Idol and the like.

Whereas World's Greatest Dad had a great performance by Robin Williams in the lead, Murray -- briefly seen as a policeman in The Artist -- brings a wry, touching quality to his role in God Bless America. Goldthwait has a knack for pushing the lines between appealing characters and appalling situations. Just when it seems like the movie is about to go too far, it changes direction and gets back on track. Murray carries the burden of this balance, and he pulls it off.

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