If I Had Wings

Movies that provide examples of the values we all share are important to watch. Children today develop empathy and generous thoughts through examples that they can see and touch. Of course family and friends provide the first line of learning. However, social media and cerebral cinema can provide valuable talking points for parents and friends to have with their children.

If I Had Wings is a movie that can provoke some great conversations for families viewing this film. The topics for discussion include children with a disability, bullying, poverty, and overcoming adverse situations due to intolerance. This movie has many conversation starters for families to engage with their children, or in some cases vise versa. As the movie progresses, it may cause kids to question whether their own family does enough to respond to intolerance within their own community.

The  movie is based on a story of a blind young man that wants to run cross country at his high school. The barriers to overcoming his disability provide obstacles that no one imagined. The movie provides examples of intolerance that exists in a school settings across our country. While some scenes are not as genuine as what could happen in tradition school settings, the movie provides us a glimpse of the world our children are growing up in. Some moments are very real. The portrayal of social media and bullying, makes for a great discussion for parents and kids to have about the responsibility of technology. There are some powerful moments in this movie, and due to the content, I would recommend children over 10 view the film and children under ten should be mindful of parental discretion.

If I Had Wings is a genuine portrayal of the world our children know and navigate. It may give us as adults some insight into the barriers our children face every day in school, and life.