Last night we watched Ruby Bridges as a family. It was a made-for-tv movie in 1998, rated PG, and only 96 mins long. All of my kids liked it. The movie is, of course, about Ruby Bridges and her experience being one of the first black children to integrate into a white school. Because Ruby is only six years old in the movie, my kids were interested in the events and problems she faced.
While the movie is family-friendly, there are racial slurs and some yelling between adults as well as adults threatening Ruby which can be frightening for children. These situations raised questions for my kids which resulted in some great discussions during and after the movie.
Researching the film afterwards, I was surprised that it is fairly accurate for a biopic. Even some details that I thought were for dramatic effect were in fact true. I also was surprised how religious the movie was and how it showed the struggle between the family and not only the school but also with friends and the NAACP. I appreciated Ruby's parents' perspective in the movie which I had never before considered. A major focus of the film is how children deal with stress. The way the movie explores it through Ruby, religion, and her psychiatrist is fascinating.
My only complaint about the movie is how it ends. Usually a biopic shows pictures or footage of the actual individuals as they were and where they are now, which I would have loved for my kids to see and compare. But the movie ends with a few spoken sentences about a foundation that Ruby has set up. A lackluster ending in my opinion. Other than that, I really liked the movie, the dynamic relationships, and the questions it raised for my family to discuss.
