Copyright, Lionsgate (Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.)
Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

White Bird: A Wonder Story

also known as “Wonder: White Bird,” “Alas Blancas,” “Bela golobica: Čudežna zgodba,” “Beyaz Kuş,” See all »
MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating for some strong violence, thematic material and language.

Reviewed by: Blake Wilson
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Average
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults Young-Adults Teens
Genre: Coming-of-Age Biography War Drama Adaptation
Length: 2 hr. 0 min.
Year of Release: 2023
USA Release: July 30, 2023 (festival)
October 4, 2024
DVD: December 3, 2024
Copyright, Lionsgate (Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.)click photos to ENLARGE
Relevant Issues

One act of kindness can live on forever

Heroism, bravery, courage, self-sacrifice

What is true love—a feeling, an emotion, or an action?

Childhood of a young Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France during World War II

Being hidden from German troops in a barn for more than year

Deep, close friendship between a girl and boy

Boy living with polio lameness


The Holocaust


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Featuring Gillian AndersonVivienne
Helen MirrenGrandmère
Bryce GheisarJulian Albans
Olivia RossRose Blum, Sara’s mother
Stuart McQuarriePastor Luc
Patsy Ferran … Mlle Petitjean, Sara and Julien's teacher
Jo Stone-Fewings … Jean Paul Beaumier, Julien’s father
See all »
Director Marc Forster — “The Kite Runner” (2007), “Finding Neverland” (2004), “A Man Called Otto” (2022), “Machine Gun Preacher” (2011)
Producer David Hoberman
Todd Lieberman
See all »
Distributor
Distributor: Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. Trademark logo.
Lionsgate
(Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.)

“Kindness lives forever.”

It’s been a few years since Julian Albans (Bryce Gheisar) was expelled from Beecher Prep. now 15, the young man finds himself divided as to what kind of person wants to be. Coming home from his new school one day, he finds his grandmother Sara (Helen Mirren) visiting from Paris. Sensing Julian’s struggle to figure himself out, Sara decides to tell Julian the story of her childhood as a young Jewish girl in the midst of World War II, and being taken care of by a courageous young man named Julien!

Despite sharing the same author (RJ Palacio), “White Bird” is thematically and narratively different from “Wonder”. Instead of a contemporary, modern-day story regarding the issues/themes of bullying and childhood disability, this is a wartime drama that shows the horrors of ethnic and religious discrimination that was a painful part of our world’s history. The only callbacks to the original movie and story are in the first 10 minutes.

However, from a production standpoint, there’s still a lot to admire here. I have always enjoyed director Marc Forster’s work (“Christopher Robin,” “Finding Neverland”), and thought he would be a great choice for this. And he brings the same level of sincerity, authenticity and whimsy to this as he does those other two productions. The acting performances here are really nice too (Gillian Anderson and Mirren are terrific here), and Thomas Newman does fine work with the score.

The production design and cinematography balance a little whimsy with the dark and grittier side of the story. On the downside, the pacing is too drawn out at times. And, there’s a couple of somewhat outlandish story leaps along the way.

In terms of Biblical messages, the message of kindness shines in a different way in this movie. In the first Wonder, the key message was, “When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind.” In this story, that message is re-shaped into something bolder and more mature. This movie suggests that being kind comes from putting others’ needs ahead of our own. It also suggests that kindness can require sacrifice. In essence, it echoes the thinking of John 15:13. And it also made me think about how Jesus’ sacrifice was the ultimate act of kindness for a whole world of sinners who did not deserve it.

The film is rated PG-13, and accurately appropriately so. The film deals with the darkness of Antisemitism from that time period, and, there’s some unsettling moments here. Jews and Julien (who is crippled) are treated cruelly. There’s also moments of violence, including someone being shot in the head just offscreen. Another is killed by wolves (again, just off-screen, but some blood is seen on the body). Prisoners are shot dead on the way to a concentration camp. “Auschwitz” is referenced once and someone’s cruel fate there. One scene shows German sympathizers shooting up a movie theater screening room.

Elsewhere, we hear a little language (one use each of “bulls***”, “b***rd”, and two of “h***” and “oh my g**”). Wine and Prozac are referenced. Two teens kiss at one moment, and they are later seen snuggling (they go no further). One character likes to draw the faces of boys she likes. A few characters lie, but to save others’ lives. In the present day, Julian is invited to go to a Social Justice Rally.

In the end, while I didn’t find “White Bird” to be an instant classic like “Wonder,” it is still a moving and relatively well-made story about the power of kindness and bravery in one of the most difficult times in history. It is restrained for a movie set in its time period, but it does deal with mature subjects that might not be suitable for younger moviegoers. As mentioned before, the PG-13 rating should be taken into consideration here.

However, for parents and older children ready for these themes, “White Bird” is a worthy discussion starter. And it might lead to some great conversations about Biblical themes too.

  • Violence: Moderate
  • Profane language: Mild
  • Vulgar/Crude language: Mild
  • Sex: Minor
  • Drugs/Alcohol: Minor
  • Occult: Minor
  • Wokeism: Minor
  • Nudity: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—This was a beauuuuuuutifully made story!! I don’t know why it’s not more widely available or popular. We had to search and search to find a viewing of it (at 10 a.m.!).

First, the story itself: Imagine if the two movies “Wonder” and “The Diary of Anne Franke” had a baby… that’s “White Bird.” If you haven’t seen “Wonder” yet, I highly recommend it. This movie starts where “Wonder” left off, BUT you don’t have to watch the first one to understand the second one. It’s a movie set during the time of WWII when the Jews were being persecuted by the Nazis, and when very few non-Jews were willing to step in and save a few from certain death. It’s filled with both ends of the spectrum: love and hate. I 10, 000% recommend this movie for ALL teenagers (and adults)! It should be required for history classes, and it would make an excellent movie choice for Scouts BSA members who are learning about citizenship in the community (since a movie is required to earn that badge).

I’ll give the run-down of offenses:
—Violence: Moderate. (It’s WWII, after all!) The violence comes in the form of fear/suspense and personal attacks on Jews (physical and guns). You see blood in a couple of scenes, but it’s not like other “war time” movies where people are being blown to bits by bombs.
—Nudity: None
—Sex: None (There is one scene of innocent kissing.)
—Profane Language: None
—Vulgar/Crude Language: very light. Sh*t (1) and Cr*p (1)
—Drugs/Alcohol: Mild (Period-appropriate alcohol and tobacco use.)
—Occult: None
—Wokeism: None
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Chrystal, age 47 (USA)
Positive—Excellent Movie quality—Good. …The movie is a beautiful love story set in Nazi controlled France. Life has been good for the Jewish family but then the Nazi’s start making changes. The young girl escapes while her parents do not. A young man classmate who has polio and has suffered bullying rescues her and takes her to his home. His mom and dad welcome her and hides her.

John 15:13—Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

There was cost, the cost of losing one’s freedom and life. Like “The Hiding Place” and many other stories of those who helped the Jewish people during that time, this story is one to be seen.

I am not a film critic but I thought the movie was made well and the acting was good. It showcased a pure young love without any of the lust in most modern films. It taught that we should not judge people by how they look or what we think they may be. This film is important for our culture today. The question was asked in the movie, why Jews? The answer is simple for they are representatives of God. Know that Christians are a target too! It is a spiritual war. A flash of a note says “Never again!” This is said on Holocaust Remembrance day and should be said for the millions being killed today!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Vickie Matthews, age 73 (USA)

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