You know those movies that stick with you long after you’ve walked out of the theater? The ones that you wake up the next morning still thinking about? White Bird is one of those movies. To be perfectly honest, the feeling that I was left with (and had a hard time shaking for quite a while after) was one of sadness and unease. Not because White Bird is dystopian or a horror film (two genres that usually have effect on me), but because it is a historical fiction story with such a realistic portrayal of what happened in Europe in the 1940s and because I could easily see it happening again. The film does offer a glimmer of hope at the end and the promise that we can make better choices that result in a better tomorrow.
For a little more context, Julian (played by Brycec Gheisar) is struggling to fit in at his new school after being expelled from a previous school for cruelty toward a classmate. He is visited by his grandmother (portrayed by Helen Mirren) and is transformed by the compassionate and heroic story of her attempts to escape Nazi-occupied France during WWII. Her story traces the steps as she goes from being a popular, middle-class girl to hiding in a classmate’s barn to escape being arrested and sent to a camp. The film highlights the changes in how her classmates view her and how she views them.
Written by the best-selling author who wrote Wonder, which sparked a movement to “choose kind,” this inspirational next chapter from the director of Finding Neverland, White Bird reminds us to be brave and choose kind.
Tickets go on sale October 4th.
Check out the trailer.
Many thanks to Kingdom Faith Marketing Services for providing a screening copy of the film for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.
heather says
I so want to see this movie with my family it looks so moving.