Review

Carousel

  • Review Date: February 10, 2008
  • NR
  • Genre: Musical
  • 1956

Common Sense Media says

Not like sunny Oklahoma! -- much darker.
Age
11
Quality
 
  • Positive messages0
    Billy beats his wife (not shown), is unwilling to work, and steals when he's alive. He's only a little better when he comes back as a ghost. Julie explains that feelings of love can overcome physical pain, a message that may send mixed signals about justification of domestic violence.
  • Violence3
    There's implicit domestic violence that's never shown and may go over younger viewers' heads. Billy attacks a man with a knife and ends up falling on it and killing himself. As a ghost he hits his daughter -- she doesn't feel it.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this musical from Rodgers and Hammerstein isn't like their other crowd pleasers such as The Sound of Music and Oklahoma!. The themes are darker and the characters are flawed, especially Billy who beats his wife (not shown), steals, and dies in a knife fight. When he comes back as a ghost he may be after some form of redemption, but there are some mixed signals -- at one point he hits his daughter (who doesn't feel it).

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