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Parents' Guide to

Kes

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Depressing but beautiful; a top coming-of-age movie.

Movie PG-13 1970 111 minutes
Kes 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

John W.
John W. Adult
August 3, 2020
age 13+
By the late 1960s, the coal industry in Yorkshire was in decline, and the resulting poverty, apathy and hopelessness of youth in the community is explored in Kes. David Bradley plays the main character, Billy Casper, a sullen young man who develops a special relationship with a hawk, the Kestral of the title. The ending is especially heartbreaking, and the film's depiction of bullying is unpleasant at times. But ultimately this is a moving story that perfectly captures the way people grew up in northern England in the late '60s and early '70s. That world is long gone, but the great thing about the movies is that they can transport us to a different time and place and show us how basically similar we all are.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Billy Casper (David Bradley) is a skinny teen who has a paper route before school, and is not above nicking a bottle of milk from the back of a truck. We learn that he was once involved in a gang and is now trying to go straight. He's not a particularly good student, nor is he good at sports, and he's prone to trouble. Outside of school, he discovers a kestrel nest, and decides to catch one and train it. He tries to check out a book from the library, but is rudely turned away when he doesn't have his mum's signature. So he nicks a book from a shop. He experiences some glorious moments while working with the bird, and even brings his stories to class one day. Will Billy's experience prove to be more than just a temporary escape from the harsh realities of Billy's family, environment, and future?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

Ken Loach's film is grim and rambling, and without a clear victory, yet it's one of the most powerful coming-of-age stories ever told, containing passages of great beauty. It has come to be regarded in some circles as a children's classic. Based on Barry Hines' book "A Kestrel for a Knave," Loach shoots the film like a documentary, simply observing long sequences of the hero at school, suffering the indignities of both the classroom and the football field.

In any other movie about a boy who trains a kestrel, we might expect that the boy finds his "wings," so to speak. But perhaps less than a quarter of the film's running time is actually devoted to the kestrel. Loach's approach feels more honest and more political, mirroring the kestrel training with the efforts of adults to "train" and control young people, breaking their spirits. None of this dulls the heartbreaking power of the ending: a simple tragedy that cuts through everything and goes straight to the heart.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether Kes is a good movie for kids. Is it too violent? Too dark? Does the language or smoking make a difference? What about the ending?

  • Why are most of the adults in the movie unhappy? Is there a connection between the adults' attitudes toward kids, and the boy's attitude toward his kestrel? How do adults influence kids' behavior?

Movie Details

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