Wish You Well

Flashbacks of a car accident that left a father dead show broken glass, a bloody body hitting the ground; a boy dies in an explosion (death not shown); a woman has a stroke, falling to the ground, then dies in bed later; a woman spends a large part of the film in a haunted, catatonic state; a few scenes of children fighting or bullying, including punching and kicking each other, later shown with black eyes or busted lips; a group of men punch and kick another man; several guns are pulled on others to intimidate or shot as warnings.

"Hell"; an African-American character is called "hell no" by the townspeople; some era-specific language, such as referring to adult African-American men as "boys."

Man smokes a cigar.

Parents need to know that Wish You Well is a slow-paced, character-driven drama based on the David Baldacci novel of the same name with lots of heavy themes concerning loss, grief, tragedy, racism, and small-town politics. Tense scenes include guns being pulled on others or shot as warnings, some kids fighting, a few scenes of death (one in a car accident, another peaceful) that leave two kids potentially orphaned, an abusive father, and racist attitudes, all of which create a more menacing or somber tone than an explicit show of violence. An African-American character is called "hell no" by the townspeople, and there's some era-specific language, such as referring to adult African-American men as "boys." It's beautifully shot with provocative storytelling but best for older kids who can handle the heaviness.

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