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Parents' Guide to

The Adventures of Huck Finn

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

'90s Disney adaptation has some peril, violence.

Movie PG 1993 108 minutes
The Adventures of Huck Finn Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • The Adventures of Huck Finn Movie: Scene #1
  • The Adventures of Huck Finn Movie: Scene #2
  • The Adventures of Huck Finn Movie: Scene #3

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Firefly D.
Firefly D. Parent of 8 and 10-year-old
June 12, 2023
age 10+

The Movie is full of scares and bad language

I just recently watched it for the first time and saw how disappointing this is because it was full of Mild Violence and Rude Language!
Jamie P.
Jamie P. Parent of 9-year-old
April 4, 2023
age 10+

Not for kids under 10 but great for parents

My 9 year old daughter watched this movie and it became one of her favorites I rate this movie ages 10+ Just because there was alcoholic drinks, violence , curse words throughout the whole movie, one dead body. There was a tad bit of racism but they never said that was okay at all in the movie witch I liked , other then that this movie has an excellent story line and if your not gonna watch this with your child you should watch it by yourself.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN features an adorable Elijah Wood as the optimistic Huck, who is both Southern to the core and also willing to question the adult Southern values of the time that make it legal to own other human beings. Huck's slave friend, Jim (Courtney B. Vance), has escaped and confides that he plans to head north for freedom so he can make enough money to buy his wife and children's freedom as well. Huck has cleverly evaded his alcoholic and violent father (Ron Perlman) by faking his own death, spreading the blood of a wild boar around his father's cabin. Locals assume that the escaped slave is the murderer and "wanted" posters bearing Jim's likeness go up along the Mississippi, which makes the quest for freedom even more dangerous. Pirates stop them briefly, but it's two scam artists (Jason Robards and Robbie Coltrane) who hold them in servitude against their will when they find out Jim is wanted. Jim and Huck are forced to take part in a scheme to swindle wealthy orphaned girls out of their fortune. The swindlers are caught and tarred, but Huck gets shot and Jim, who was thrown in jail, is taken by an angry gang to be hanged. The noose is around his neck and the villagers are tugging at the rope when someone shows up to assure the crowd that Jim is innocent. Huck is given money, which he gives to Jim. With the prospect of being "civilized" by a well-meaning guardian, Huck tosses his fancy clothes and heads for more self-sufficiency and adventure.

Is It Any Good?

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

This Disney version of a classic story is a well-made film for kids that deals with adult issues: child abuse, alcoholism, slavery, friendship, and doing the right thing. The Adventures of Huck Finn blunts some of the force of Twain's novel, which uses racist language, making this something that can appeal to the sense of fairness that resides in the hearts of most young middle-school kids. Huck's resilience in the face of hardship -- parental abuse, strict rules, and guardians bent on "civilizing" him -- is exemplary. His ingenuity, self-reliance, and poise in difficult situations also makes him a perfect antihero. He has no use for money or nice clothes, and he can as easily shoot a wild boar as pretend to be a demure girl in a pink frock. His example might help guide some kids struggling to handle sibling and schoolyard rivalries, as well as moral dilemmas. Wood is a likable Huck, and Vance plays Jim as a man of great depth, curiosity, and decency.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Huck's struggles to understand that just because slavery was legal didn't mean it was right. How does The Adventures of Huck Finn want you to view his supposedly "wrong" decision to help free Jim? Why do you think Huck changes his mind about that?

  • What does it tell us that Huck is proud that he can read and write? Why do you think Huck doesn't go to school? What is the difference between ignorance and stupidity?

  • Huck gets beaten by his father, a man who abandoned the boy but has come back after hearing Huck was left some money. Huck seems to forgive his father for all the beatings. Why do you think that is?

  • How does Jim show his love and loyalty to Huck?

Movie Details

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