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Parents' Guide to

Tom Thumb

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Fun musical adventure for the family.

Movie NR 1958 98 minutes
Tom Thumb 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

Looking4BestMedia
Looking4BestMedia Parent
July 7, 2014
age 10+

Disappointing Degrading Chinese Character

While the movie was interesting and fun to watch for the most part, it needs to be mentioned that there is a very problematic character in the Chinese male doll, Con Fu Shon. Not only does the character have a degrading name, but also it speaks with the stereotypical "Oriental" pidgin English. The character is not enough of a reason to avoid the movie, but parents who care about racist or outdated portrayals of Asians should definitely use this movie to discuss how or why characters were depicted they way they were back then.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

The fairy tale about the boy no bigger than a thumb is brought to life with Russ Tamblyn as the title character. Fiendish villains Terry Thomas and Peter Sellers try to get the tiny boy to steal for them, but watching over tom is a good fairy. Watching over the good fairy is the handsome woodsman whose kiss can turn her into a mortal. Without giving anything away, it is fair to say they all live happily ever after, at least those who deserve to!

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Released in 1958, TOM THUMB is a fine film that the whole family can enjoy. Tom is as irresistibly charming as his "Very Own Song," one of many enchanting musical numbers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about other films about tiny characters. Why are they are so appealing?

  • Is it fun to watch a movie made so long ago?

  • How does singing and dancing enhance the storytelling?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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