Parents' Guide to

The Rocket

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Faith-based true-life teen sports story has some cursing.

Movie NR 2018 86 minutes
The Rocket Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

Parkey
Parkey Adult
July 22, 2020
age 10+

An amateur movie with a bad message.

I have never been moved to write a review before, but this movie inspired me. The Rocket begins with a father dumping his high school athletic dreams on his pre-schooler and goes downhill from there. The young man is bullied by his father until the child suffers an off-field injury and is then ignored by his father. The young man tries a new sport. This causes his father to make fun of him and ignore him in equal measure. Did I mention that his mother does nothing to intervene? Only when the young man is successful in his new sport does his father even bother to show up. The moral of this story seems to be: Your dad will love you only you are a champion at your father’s chosen sport. Anything less than that, and you are on your own. This is a devastating examination of toxic masculinity in parenting being passed off as inspiration.
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What's the Story?

Josh Davis (Brady Tutton) has been training to play football his whole life in THE ROCKET. He has worked hard, focused, and given his all, especially because he adores his dad and wants to make him proud. As he begins his freshman year at Central High, where his dad is coach, Josh is determined to shine. Sadly, a fall from a moving trailer ends those aspirations. Fortunate to survive a severe head injury, the prognosis is good, except for the fact that Josh can never play contact sports again. It's a devastating blow for Josh, and for his father, Robert (Carl Ciske), who has more invested in his son's success than he should have. Fate intervenes when Keith Olson (Richard Blake), Central High's cross-country coach, needs a seventh man so his team can qualify for competition. Partly because he sees a solution to his own problem and partly because he sees a young man in trouble, Coach Olson proposes that Josh try long-distance running. Reluctantly at first, and facing ridicule from other students because cross-country isn't as "cool" as football, Josh takes the skills and work habits he's developed to give running a try.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

The heartfelt performances of Brady Tutton and Richard Blake, along with enough suspense to elicit strong interest despite a foreseeable outcome, make this low-budget film worth watching. It's a traditional sports story -- a likable character on his way to glory is faced with an insurmountable obstacle in his path and must find the heart to exceed expectations. And it works. The only unfortunate element is what feels like a forced, made-up conflict between father and son. A dad like Robert Davis, cold and petulant, self-righteous and self-involved, isn't easily redeemable. Certainly not in the by-the-numbers way the movie portrays that redemption. It's a wrinkle in an otherwise smooth effort. The combined talents of filmmakers and the people of Kenosha, Wisconsin, where The Rocket is set and filmed, give the movie a homemade quality, in the nicest sense of the word. Kids will enjoy this story and hopefully gain some insights into the concept of "putting in the time."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the power and satisfying nature of stories like The Rocket, about overcoming great obstacles and handicaps. Why do they appeal to audiences? Do you think it's always necessary for the struggling character to win the big prize, or are you satisfied with that character simply doing his or her best? Why?

  • What is the meaning of the word "underdog" in a story? Besides the world of sports, in what other areas of life can someone be an "underdog"?

  • Do movies like this one motivate you to go beyond your expectations? Think of an instance in which a movie has changed your behavior or given you insights about yourself.

  • How does this movie demonstrate such life skills as perseverance, teamwork, and empathy?

Movie Details

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