A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
a lot
Positive messages about the power of family bonds, how finding and understanding your past can be the key to move toward your future, and the impact of a loving family on a child. Themes include compassion, gratitude, and perseverance.
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Positive Role Models
a lot
Saroo's adoptive parents are loving, generous, and supportive. They understand his need to find his birth mother. Saroo himself is persistent, compassionate, and intelligent. Saroo's biological brother was protective and caring. Lucy is an encouraging, loving girlfriend.
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Violence & Scariness
some
Brief but unsettling scenes of endangered, homeless, presumably orphaned street children in India. In one scene, a group of kids sleeping on cardboard boxes in a public transport station is ambushed by men who take several of them away, presumably to unsafe situations. In another scene, a man inspects and touches young Saroo in an uncomfortable but not outright inappropriate way. Implied violence against children, but the disturbing consequences the children have to face isn't explored, whether it's human trafficking, sexual slavery, or something else.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Passionate kissing and scenes of a couple in bed (shirtless man, bare-shouldered woman) after implied sex. Flirting/kissing.
See AlsoRafikiDid you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Language
some
Infrequent strong language includes "s--t," "ass," and "damn."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Products & Purchases
a little
Google Earth is prominently displayed and a big part of the story.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Adults drink at parties and dinners, as well as at home. Some cigarette smoking.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Lion is an emotional biographical drama about Saroo Brierley, who was lost to his family in India at age 5 after ending up on a train bound more than 1,000 kilometers away from his hometown. Based on Brierley's memoir A Long Way Home, the movie chronicles how Saroo (Dev Patel) used Google Earth to track down his birth family after a 25-year separation. Children are shown in danger -- including a disturbing scene in which homeless children are abducted as they sleep, one in which young Saroo is physically inspected in a creepy manner, and others in which he's forced to live on the streets with no shelter or food. When the action switches to Saroo's adulthood, there are scenes of implied sex (he and his girlfriend are in bed, half dressed) and passionate kissing. Adults (twentysomethings) drink at dinner parties, restaurants, and at home; there's also cigarette smoking and infrequent strong language ("s--t," "ass," etc.). And underlying everything are powerful lessons about perseverance, gratitude, family bonds, and the power of technology. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
LION is an incredible story based on Saroo Brierley's memoir A Long Way Home. Born in India to a poor but loving family, Saroo was lost to them at age 5 when he ended up on a train that took him more than 1,000 kilometers away from his modest hometown to the bustling streets of Calcutta. Young Saroo (Sunny Pawar) has no idea how to return to his mother and siblings, so he wanders around, homeless, skirting one tragic close call after another until he's placed into an orphanage and adopted by a loving Australian couple: John (David Wenham) and Sue (Nicole Kidman) Brierley. More than 20 years later, Saroo (now played by Dev Patel) shares his improbable story with new friends who encourage him to use Google Earth to track down all the possible towns he might have come from. From that point on, Saroo isolates himself from his family and girlfriend, Lucy (Rooney Mara), to focus solely on the slim possibility of finding his biological mother and siblings.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes Lion such an emotional story? Do you enjoy tearjerkers? Why do you think we sometimes seek out movies that will make us cry?
How do the characters demonstrate compassion, gratitude, and perseverance? Why are those important character strengths?
What is the movie's message about adoption? Does it offer a positive representation of an adoptive family?
Does the inclusion of Google Earth feel artificial or vital to the story? Why is it different than a random product placement?
Movie Details
- In theaters: November 25, 2016
- On DVD or streaming: April 11, 2017
- Cast: Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman
- Director: Garth Davis
- Inclusion Information: Indian/South Asian actors, Female actors
- Studio: The Weinstein Company
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Book Characters, Brothers and Sisters, Friendship
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Gratitude, Perseverance
- Run time: 129 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: thematic material and some sensuality
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: April 24, 2024
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