Moonrise
By Jennifer Green,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Grief turns to love on Texas ranch in faith-based tale.
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Moonrise
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What's the Story?
Will Brown (Granger Smith) is a famous country singer whose career -- and life -- have been basically on hold since his wife's untimely death in MOONRISE. That's made it difficult for his kids, Ellie (Piper Clurman), Noah (Kace Winfield), and Nile (Jaxon Noble Pickens), to move on as well. Ellie wants to ride her mom's horse, but the horse was involved in her mother's accidental death, so Will is opposed. Ellie surreptitiously hires a horse trainer from Houston to come help. When the attractive and talented Sam (Sonya Balmores) arrives, sparks fly between her and Will. Only time will tell whether he'll be able to open up to someone new.
Is It Any Good?
Despite a bit of awkward acting and some clunky filming, this movie successfully tugs at the heartstrings with its story of a family overcoming grief. Teen Clurman and Balmores as the new love interest-slash-horse trainer both offer solid performances in Moonrise, and Ethan Hawke-lookalike Smith makes for an attractive leading man. The Christian themes in the film are relatively subtle. There are a few gawky moments involving some of the child actors, some unnecessary use of slow motion, cheesy close-ups of actors supposedly riding horses, and an awkward final kiss. Texas accents seem to come and go throughout, but Smith's tunes are soothing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the lessons Sam shares about training the horse can also pertain to the people in Moonrise.
How does Ellie demonstrate maturity in dealing with her mother's death and her father's grieving process? How do you think she handles the bullies at school?
The star of this film is an actual country singer. How do the story and his music tie together in the film?
What is the significance of the moonrise? How about the gift Will finds from his deceased wife?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: December 15, 2022
- Cast: Granger Smith , Sonya Balmores , Piper Clurman
- Director: Vickie Bronaugh
- Inclusion Information: Indigenous actors, Polynesian/Pacific Islander actors
- Studio: Pure Flix Entertainment
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Horses and Farm Animals
- Run time: 103 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: mild thematic elements
- Last updated: December 14, 2022
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