Parents' Guide to

The First Grader

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Inspiring true story has some violent wartime flashbacks.

Movie PG-13 2011 103 minutes
The First Grader Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

In 2003, the Kenyan government began a free primary-school education program for all. THE FIRST GRADER is set in a remote Kenyan village, where 84-year-old Kimani Maruge (Oliver Litondo) decides that he no longer wants to be illiterate and attempts to enroll. The school's principal, Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris), politely declines because there are too many pupils enrolled, but Maruge -- a former political prisoner who's still plagued with memories of his capture and torture at the hands of the British -- is persistent, even buying the official boy's uniform of a sweater, collared shirt, shorts, and knee socks to prove his determination. He wants to learn to read so he can finally decode an important letter sent to him by the government. Obinchu relents, and Maruge joins the first-grade class, much to the resentment of a few of the local parents and the government superintendent. Overcoming physical threats and nasty gossip, Obinchu enlists the press to aid her in promoting the importance of Maruge's education.

Is It Any Good?

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

Director Justin Chadwick lovingly depicts the story of an old man who recognizes his last shot at learning. That said, The First Grader isn't always an easy film to watch. Slowly paced and featuring lots of subtitled dialogue, the story unfolds almost like a documentary or TV special, not a gripping drama. And, like Hotel Rwanda, there are scenes of violence and torture that, while not bloody, are horrifying. But it's undeniably uplifting, and Litondo -- with his walking stick ever ready to poke some oppressor in the shins -- is quite a compelling actor.

Although they're difficult to see, the horrors of the past are necessary to witness, because they explain why a man like Maruge would have waited a lifetime to become literate. If an 84-year-old can be a first grader, the movie posits, no one should ever feel embarrassed by trying to learn something later than others, and that's the sort of feel-good lesson every viewer could use.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's message about the importance of literacy and education. Does age have anything to do with wanting to learn? Why does Ms. Obinchu give Maruge a chance when others have written him off as an old man who's about to die?

  • How would the movie have been different if the director hadn't shown the violence Maruge endured earlier in his life? Do you think those scenes are necessary to the story?

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