Sharon Crowley

I thought this movie about Ruby Bridges was excellent! (But not for lower elementary-aged students). Before watching the movie, I knew a bit about the extraordinary courage and grace Ruby showed, as a young child facing such awful opposition, and choosing to pray for her enemies day after day. I loved how this movie focused on her parents' perspectives as well, showing their ongoing courage and commitment, in the face of struggle and sacrifice. One thing to be aware of when considering watching this movie with children though - the scenes of protesters shouting threats at Ruby when she is on her way into school may be a bit too much for some children, even children within the target age-range. (I'm not sure what Disney or others recommend, but Common Sense Media recommends it for ages 10 and up). I watched this with my 9-year-old Third Grader, who is quite sensitive. Overall, she enjoyed the movie (and I don't regret letting her watch it, since the story has such great merit); however, she was deeply troubled (understandably so), by the awful death threats made against Ruby. My daughter was particularly troubled by a scene in which a woman was holding up a doll-sized casket, with a doll that looked like Ruby in it. My daughter later asked me, "has anyone ever threatened to kill me?" She also said she didn't want to sleep that night, as she was afraid she was going to have bad dreams. If you're unsure if your child is really ready to grapple with such weighty matters, you may want to hold off on showing them this movie for a while. So, I highly recommend Disney's Ruby Bridges movie for adults and teens, and would say it's a good choice for many upper elementary students as well; but do watch it with them, and be prepared to help kids and teens process it (both before, and after watching).