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Parents' Guide to

Last Ounce of Courage

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Amateurish drama opposes the "War on Christmas."

Movie PG 2012 101 minutes
Last Ounce of Courage Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Armymom1
Armymom1 Adult
July 4, 2021
age 10+

Great message

As the mother of a current military officer and daughter, granddaughter, aunt and sister of military veterans, I think this message is VERY PERTINENT today and I think it needs to be heard. I know it’s considered a “Christmas movie” but, it is relevant for 4th of July as well because it’s about freedom. I share this movie and it’s message with everyone I can. Thank you fir this movie/message.
The_Rose_23
The_Rose_23 Parent of 1, 5, 8 and 10-year-old
October 25, 2012
age 10+

Great Movie

Awesome wholsome movie. There was some mild violence, however no blood.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Fourteen years after his son Thomas died in the Middle Eastern war, distraught father Bob (Marshall R. Teague) gathers for Thanksgiving with his wife, Dottie (Jennifer O'Neill); his teen grandson, Christian (Hunter Gomez); and his widowed daughter-in-law, Kari (Nikki Novak). Watching an old family Christmas video, Christian wonders why Christmas celebrations are no longer so joyous. Bob realizes that, since his son died in the name of freedom, he owes it to Thomas' memory to do something about Christmas. He starts putting up decorations all over town, but opposing political forces soon intervene, threatening Bob to get him to take them down.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

For starters, LAST OUNCE OF COURAGE looks and sounds terrible. Shot on bleak video with a kind of hollow soundtrack, not even the Christmas decorations look festive. The actors struggle with their dialogue, resulting in flat, awkward performances. The filmmakers are clearly more concerned with their message than they are in developing a strong story or characters, and the movie comes across as angry and heavy handed.

Moreover, the message itself is mixed. Bob champions freedom of religion and each person celebrating the holidays in his or her own personal way, but in the end, he seems intolerant of any other faith or way of life except his own. (The most interesting element of the movie is a school play, which tells the Nativity story in an outer space setting, something Last Ounce of Courage clearly disapproves of.) Families that already agree with the filmmakers' ideals may enjoy it, but for others, it's more likely to be exasperating than persuasive.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what different audiences might get out of Last Ounce of Courage. If you're religious, do movies like this one help reaffirm your beliefs or introduce new ones? If you're not religious, what can you learn from them?

  • What are the various ways that different groups celebrate the holiday season? What are your own family's holiday traditions?

Movie Details

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