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Parents' Guide to

The God Committee

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Medical ethics drama is short on heart; swearing, surgeries.

Movie NR 2021 98 minutes
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A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

In THE GOD COMMITTEE, a team of medical professionals convenes to decide the fate of a heart that has suddenly and unexpectedly become available for transplantation in their hospital. With three viable candidates to receive the organ, the group has one hour to choose who will get it -- while checking their own beliefs, biases, and ambition.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
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Kids say (1 ):

Austin Stark's cerebral medical film highlights how many shades of grey exist in between right and wrong and good and bad. Life-saving doctors are often in a position to "play God," but never more than in this film, which centers on the difficult decisions made by organ-transplant committees. Some viewers may be surprised to learn that a panel of medical professionals determines which patients are worthy of receiving life-saving organs and that factors like substance use and having a family support system in place impact their decisions. While the scenario in the movie is an extraordinary situation, it's not out of the realm of possibility. The fact that filmmakers solicited contributions from a team of real-life medical experts who do organ-transplant work is felt in crafting an honest portrayal of a fictional situation.

That said, for a film about heart, there's not a lot of it here. This drama is as cold as an emergency room gurney. We're only given one character to care about, Dr. Jordan Taylor (Julia Stiles), who delivers lukewarmth compared to the worn-down pragmatist committee head (Janeane Garofalo) and her cranky but brilliant senior colleague (Kelsey Grammer). In this world, even compassion is built on facts. Ultimately The God Committee is all about the brain, posing a question that may activate viewers' own thoughts: Who should hold the authority to decide whose lives are more valuable than others? And, more importantly, are you living a life worth saving?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether it's ever justifiable to sacrifice one life to save many. What other ethical dilemmas might a doctor face?

  • Several doctors who work in the organ-transplantation community served as medical consultants on The God Committee to ensure accurate depictions. How does that impact your experience as a viewer?

  • How does the team demonstrate communication and integrity? Are there any characters you believe showed a lack of integrity -- or do you think they believe they were doing the right thing? Why are these important character strengths?

  • A supporting character is a priest who delivers a sermon; would you consider this a faith-based film? Why, or why not?

  • While this film depicts a fictional (and extraordinary) case of organ transplantation, how does it relate to decisions that had to be made during the COVID-19 pandemic?

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