Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Small-town nostalgia drives enjoyable faith-based story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
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Mary 4 Mayor
What's the Story?
In MARY 4 MAYOR, 18-year-old high school senior Mary (Cameron Protzman) decides to run for mayor of her small town against her father, the incumbent mayor running unopposed until Mary steps in. Father-daughter tensions are already high enough. Dad is too absorbed in his job as mayor to pay attention to his family, and in fact moved back in with his own father (Corbin Bernsen). Mary's been hurt and resentful ever since, but the last straw comes when her father cancels her school's annual outdoor dance, claiming it's too dangerous. What better way to get back at her dad than by beating him at his own game? During the course of her campaign, Mary learns a lot about her town and the sense of community that binds it. She also learns that there's a lot more to local politics than meets the eye, and that not everyone's motives are what they seem.
Is It Any Good?
This movie has a lot of nostalgia for small-town America and will be especially enjoyable to viewers who share that nostalgia. Mary 4 Mayor presents small-town "Main Street" as the heart of the community, a place for people to gather and socialize, and where multigenerational businesses keep food on family tables. It also shows how preserving history helps bind communities together. But it would feel more inclusive if there were more people of color in the cast.
On the plus side, the faith-based messages are fairly universal, though of course they assume a belief in God, and they're straightforward without being too preachy or heavy-handed. The acting and production quality are good, too, about on par with made-for-TV movies or long-running, if older, TV series like Murder, She Wrote. There's no real content of concern, but kids younger than tweens probably won't be interested in a story about local politics with no cast members younger than teens. Tweens and teens will likely enjoy watching Mary as she shows that she's not too young to have a big impact and make real changes in her community.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Mary is portrayed in Mary 4 Mayor. What are her character strengths? Did you like her as a character? Why, or why not?
How is small-town life portrayed in this movie? Does it seem realistic? Why is it important for communities to preserve their history?
What other faith-based movies have you seen? What are some of your favorites? How does this one compare?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : April 4, 2021
- Cast : Corbin Bernsen , Amanda Pays , Cameron Protzman
- Directors : Chris Aronoff , Corbin Bernsen
- Studio : Bridgestone Multimedia Group
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Activism , Faith ( Christianity )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : February 4, 2026
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