Parents' Guide to

Urban Country

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Sincere, wholesome drama overcomes clichéd plot.

Movie NR 2018 97 minutes
Urban Country Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
August 16, 2018
age 9+

Not what I was expecting

This movie has several actors that I have enjoyed watching on other TV shows and films over the years. So when I saw them all in this I thought it was gonna be really good. The description of the movie doesn’t quite match what the movie really was. I read online that the movie was filmed in 11 days. So for filming in that short of a time I’d say they did a good job. But there were several parts of the movie that left me hanging and I wondered why things happened or how they happened. I wonder what happened to characters that just suddenly weren’t shown onscreen again. But the ending really threw the whole family for a loop. It just ended. Maybe that was the intent? My kids all enjoyed it until the ending happened. Plus they were annoyed that the promo picture shows a girls on a horse but the lead character never actually gets on a horse.

This title has:

Great messages
mariemcconn
mariemcconn Adult
August 5, 2018
age 12+
Very poor acting and directing.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When a wrong turn lands URBAN COUNTRY's Faith (Brighton Sharbino) in legal trouble, and her pushed-to-the-limit father, David (Jason London), is no longer willing to bail her out, her mom, Anna (Barley), steps up to offer Faith a new home on her working ranch in Mississippi. Faith thinks Mississippi will be a place to get away from it all, but her problems follow her even to the Airstream trailer her mom gives her to sleep in. Faith makes an effort, with the help of Anna's ranch hands/adopted sons, Blake (Dean J. West) and Corey (Arthur Marroquin). But her journey to happiness is disrupted by a sudden tragedy -- and it's going to take all of Faith's newly won skills and confidence to keep the ranch -- and her life -- on track.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Sweet, sincere, and ultimately quite moving (to those who can handle its leisurely pace), this surprisingly poignant movie transcends its clichéd coming-of-age plotline and simplistic characters. Viewers will know that Faith is a City Girl on the Wrong Path from the very first moment she's seen on a skateboard with glitter high-tops, intent on breaking into a stadium to tag the stands (it's art, not vandalism, she tells her skater-boy posse, but just try telling the security guards that). One implausible trip to juvie later, and Faith's ready to split the city scene to spend more time with her ranch-owner mom in the great outdoors, a character-building tool in drama since time immemorial. Mucking out stalls and currying horses, it seems, is the key to turning this reckless teen into a caring adult.

It sounds very trite, and it could have been, if not for the talented actors and sympathetic script, which breathes life into the clichés. Faith actually does care about her mom, and soon, about the ranch passed down through her family's generations and the more-or-less adopted sons that are helping Anna run it. As Faith slowly transforms from a smart-mouthed punk into a young woman with courage and grit who earns the affection she gets from others, sensitive viewers may find themselves tearing up a little -- and rooting for Faith and the ranch to find their footing. Though teens and tweens may resist watching such a wholesome movie, protesting that it sounds boring, Urban Country is precisely the kind of movie that adults want them to watch, with relatable characters who grow realistically. If you can get your kids to bite, you won't be sorry you did.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why dramas often focus on characters who change their lives by moving to a new place and dealing with unpleasant realities. Can people make changes without changing their circumstances? How does a move or a major life change often spark people to take stock of their lives?

  • How do Faith, Blake, and Corey show perseverance and teamwork when they figure out how to run the ranch together in Urban Country? Why are these important character strengths?

  • Blake doesn't show emotions easily. How does he demonstrate his affection for his brother and Faith? What evidence does he give that he cares? Is this a common trait in people in real life, that they display emotions through action?

  • Did you notice any stereotyping in the movie? What did characters learn about stereotypes over the course of the story?

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.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate