The Searchers
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 13+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
A hard, angry cowboy and a young man search for years for a girl taken in a raid. The cowboy hates the people who took her. In the end he chooses to save her and bring her home. This is one of the great Westerns, and a hard one. Ethan's racism and lust for revenge are shown as ugly, and the film's heart is with Martin, who will not give up on Debbie. Ethan's last choice to carry her home is mercy winning out. The one age is 13, set by Lumen's own call, matching Decent Films' Teens & Up. Expect a massacre, an implied rape, implied scalping, battles and racist talk.
For parents
Best for teens and up. The one age is 13, set by Lumen's own call, and Decent Films also says Teens & Up. No Catholic classification or MPAA rating was found. Name Ethan's hatred plainly. He says he would rather see his niece dead than living with the Comanche, and that is a sin against the dignity of every person. Martin is the hero to follow. Talk about how revenge eats a man from the inside. Ask: why does Ethan change his mind at the end? Why does he walk away alone? How does God see people of every race?