Parents' Guide to

Make Believe

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Teens chase magical dreams in inspiring documentary.

Movie NR 2010 91 minutes
Make Believe Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 12+

Based on 3 parent reviews

SB1978
SB1978 Adult
July 15, 2021
age 12+

Disappointing

This was ok as a documentary, although pretty outdated. Some of the kids’ stories are inspiring, but a few of them are… not. There are too many great documentaries out there to waste time with this one. We watched this with our 10 and 13 year-old daughters and were shocked at a scene where a veteran magician is giving a teenage girl advice about being sexy on stage. She tells her that women entertainers are successful because they’re hot and people want to see their t*ts. UGH, really?!?!

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much consumerism
2 people found this helpful.
Michelle T.
Michelle T. Parent of 9 and 11-year-old
February 13, 2015
age 10+

Quite a good movie with one iffy part

We watched this with our 9 and 11 year old. While it wasn't as engrossing as some other documentaries we've watched (e.g. Spellbound) we all were entertained and enjoyed it. The stories of the international contestants were especially good and great to have the kids see a bit of other cultures. One part I wasn't expecting is when one of the women (ex-magician) who runs a magic place in LA and "mentors" a teenage girls magician talks to her about "Flaunting it if you've got it" and telling her how people used to criticize her skills and thought she was only up on stage because of her "t***s". She also calls the girl, who is from Malibu and is a pretty blonde, "Barbie".
1 person found this helpful.
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What's the Story?

MAKE BELIEVE follows the lives of six up-and-coming teenage magicians as they practice and prepare to compete in the World Magic Seminar in the hopes of being crowned Teen World Champion by professional magician Lance Burton. Coming from places as diverse as Skokie, Illinois, and Kitayama, Japan, each magician talks about the amount of time, effort, and sacrifice it requires to be the successful magician many are in the process of becoming. They meet in Las Vegas, and while they feel a powerful sense of camaraderie, when the competition begins, each magician is focused and determined to be the best.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (2):

This award-winning documentary is a fun and inspiring story. It follows the lives of these quirky single-minded teenagers as they focus all of their energies into being the best magicians they can be. Even for those who aren't fans of magic, this compelling story of teenagers aspiring to, in the words of magician Bill Koch, "excellence: nothing less," is nothing less than enchanting. By the time they make it Las Vegas for the World Magic Seminar, you know what's at stake for these six as they each take the stage to perform their tricks.

Also, for those who are interested in learning magic, the DVD includes over an hour of magic tutorials.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the effort these magicians put into learning their craft. What would happen if you put this much effort into your talents? What sacrifices did these magicians make in order to be successful?

  • Why do you think the filmmakers chose teen magicians as their subject? What makes these stories compelling?

  • How do families and communities work together to make the dreams of these magicians real?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: May 13, 2010
  • On DVD or streaming: September 20, 2011
  • Director: J. Clay Tweel
  • Studio: Level 22
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Character Strengths: Perseverance
  • Run time: 91 minutes
  • MPAA rating: NR
  • Last updated: December 25, 2022

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