Is Mighty Oak Kid-Friendly?

Coming to digital on demand, July 7, 2020, Mighty Oak is a story of redemption, forgiveness and family but is Mighty Oak kid-friendly?

Just hitting the peak of their stardom, The Army of Love lead singer, Vaughn (Levi Dylan) is tragically killed leaving his sister, Gina (Janel Parrish), struggling to move on. But could 10-year-old, Oak Scoggins (Tommy Ragen), be her guiding light to redemption and the reincarnation of her beloved brother?

What is Mighty Oak rated?

Mighty Oak does have some elements that border the line of PG-13 and R but slips in with a PG-13 rating.

Are there swear words in the movie?

Yes. And actually there is quite a bit of adult language. Sh*t is sprinkled throughout the film. Maybe in the attempt to show how “bada** and edgy” these young rockstar wannabes were.

Personally, it fell flat no matter what the purpose.

Does Mighty Oak have adult content?

The simple answer is yes. But because parents have differing opinions on what adult content is ok for their children – here’s the breakdown.

Sexual Content

Honestly, for a rock n roll themed movie, there wasn’t nearly as much sexual content as one might expect.

There are kissing scenes and one scene that could lead to sex but never happens.

And there is a reference to “getting laid” in another scene and when 10-year-old, Oak, asks “what’s getting laid”, they quickly change the topic of conversation.

Drugs and alcohol use

Drug use is implied with prescription pill bottles, needles and a trip to Mexico to pick up some pills. But they never actually show the usage.

Alcohol use runs rampant the entire hour and 42 minutes and there is mention of a drunk driving accident.

Again, the alcohol use feels pushed and overused to show their rock n roll lifestyle.

Death, depression and grief

With the death of Vaugh, we watch his sister, Gina fall into a deep depression as she struggles to deal with her grief. That grief is carried with her the entire film. And I’ll be honest as someone who has been down a similar path of depression and grief, it was hard to watch at times.

We do see one more death before the movie is over and while it didn’t catch me off guard, it was a heartbreaking scene.

Religious views

Talk about reincarnation is recurring as the film goes on as Gina thinks Oak Scoggins is her brother reincarnated.

Whether you believe in reincarnation or not, it can be hard to watch how much Gina pushes it.

So is Mighty Oak kid-friendly?

This is a tough one. It is definitely not a movie for the littles.

But if you don’t mind cursies, drugs and alcohol use or the reincarnation aspect of the film, the overall story is family-friendly.

Because Mighty Oak does deal with some hard-hitting topics, has cursies and substance abuse – I’m going to leave this one up to parents.

We don’t censor much in our house because we have such a wide range of ages 22-12 years old, and we use movies and tv shows as jumping-off points for open conversations with our youngest two.

But with that said, I struggle with saying it’s good for those 12 and under. More because I’m not sure they’d be entertained enough. Even teens might have a hard time staying interested in it.

My Mighty Oak review

I’m not offended by reincarnation theories, so I was intrigued by the synopsis of Mighty Oak.

But it floundered. And seemed confused about if it was a drug-fueled rock n roll disaster or a heartwarming tale about a young boy finding a place to belong.

I understand we all handle grief differently but Gina’s obsession with her brother and then with Oak because she thought he was Vaughn come back to life, was well, awkward.

And how the “happily ever after” came about was unrealistic. We all know someone that is gullible but this was completely unbelievable.

But the casting was spot on. Janel Parrish has been a favorite since Pretty Little Liars and plays that dark, tormented young woman well. And pre-teen, Tommy Ragen, was the obvious standout. His talent and portrayal of Oak Scoggins won me over more than a few times.

Overall, I didn’t think it was a bad movie. But I feel the film missed the mark it was striving so hard to meet.

So, I’m left conflicted. Watch it or don’t. But if you do, I would LOVE to hear what you think about Mighty Oak!

More about Mighty Oak

SYNOPSIS:

Mighty Oak tells the story of Gina (Janel Parrish, “Pretty Little Liars,” To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before), a band manager who struggles after losing her brother/lead singer (Levi Dylan, 12 Mighty Orphans) in a fatal car accident while traveling to a gig. A decade later, Gina meets a 10-year-old music prodigy named Oak, played by newcomer Tommy Ragen, a real-life prodigy whose music inspired the screenplay. Oak seems to possess the same qualities as Gina’s late brother, inspiring her to pull her life back together and try to reunite the band with Oak as its new front man.

Available on these digital platforms July 7, 2020

Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV, Sony PlayStation Video, FandangoNOW, and more.

Mighty Oak on social media

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Instagram: @mightyoakmovie
Twitter: @mightyoakmovie
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