Parents' Guide to

War Horse

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Spielberg's sweeping horse drama is beautiful but intense.

Movie PG-13 2011 142 minutes
War Horse Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 12+

Based on 32 parent reviews

barlow123
barlow123 Parent of 8, 10 and 12-year-old
October 28, 2022
age 10+

Violence

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
May 29, 2022
age 11+

Keep that Kleenex box close...

Sentimental, tear-jerker...family film if your family is over 11 years old. The majority of the film still takes place in the middle of World War I. It possesses the Spielberg sentimentality, along with a well written script and well acted from a series of top quality performers. Hiddleston, though brief, is quite memorable. Totally reading the children's book it's based on.
See all 32 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In WAR HORSE, after English teenager Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine) sees a beautiful foal being born and his father, Mr. Narracott (Peter Mullan), spends the family's rent money to buy the thoroughbred at auction -- just to outbid his cruel landlord, Mr. Lyons (David Thewlis) -- Albie thinks the foal is his destiny. After agreeing to train "Joey" himself, Albie works tirelessly to teach the horse to plow a field. Against all odds, Albert and Joey succeed -- but when a storm damages the family's crops, Mr. Narracott is forced to sell Joey to a cavalry officer (Tom Hiddleston) setting out to fight in World War I. The action then follows Joey as he switches owners -- and sides -- in the Great War. Eventually, Albie is old enough to enlist and hopes to find his beloved Joey again.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (32):
Kids say (63):

This film combines two of Spielberg's favorite themes as a director -- family and war. The stand-out performances deserve credit for making the movie's 146 minutes worth your while. The cast is a virtual who's-who of rising English talent -- up-and-comer Irvine (making his feature debut), the always terrific Benedict Cumberbatch, and Thor breakout star Hiddleston as the earnest captain who buys Joey -- along with veteran supporting actors led by Emily Watson, who shines as Albert's wise, hardworking mother, who always knows what to say.

Yes, War Horse is long (nearly two and a half hours) and sentimental, but that's fine. The story demands emotional depth, especially in the second and third acts, when it's Joey the audience is following, not Albert. Between the gorgeous cinematography (all those lush landscapes and claustrophobic trenches) and the expert editing, the film doesn't drag. As epic dramas go, this one is more heart than heft, but it's a beautiful portrayal of the extraordinary friendship -- and circumstances -- surrounding a boy and his horse.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about War Horse's violence. What is its impact? Do you think it should have been toned down to make the movie even more family friendly?

  • Talk about the techniques Spielberg uses to "humanize" Joey. Do the extreme close-ups and swelling score make it easy to relate to the horse? Were you expecting the focus to shift to Joey's adventures instead of Albert's?

  • Why are horse movies so popular with audiences? Compare War Horse to other famous horse-centered films.

Movie Details

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