Movie Review: Follow Me, Boys!
Quick Plot Summary: Portrayal of the life of a Scoutmaster primarily in the 1930's-50's and the kids he impacts.
Rating: Great
Suggested Ages: 10+
This is a live-action Disney movie from the 1960's that portrays a small American town from a few decades earlier and the man that becomes the scoutmaster in that town. Basically it is the story of this man and how he ends up reluctantly volunteering both to impress a woman he has eyes for and also because the boys in the town need guidance and direction and he ends up staying and living his life there in that role. In the course of that you get to see how he affects the lives of many around him, including several of the boys. This is a lengthy "portrayal of a life" movie that I find inspirational (though there's nothing explicitly Christian in the film) and just fun to sit back and relax and take in the old-school slow-paced small-town Americana vibe of a movie like this.
Regardless of how one feels about the state of the Boy Scouts today, that doesn't diminish what once was. I don't see this movie so much as being about scouting anyway as I do about the power to affect people's lives and really living one's life to make a difference. This is a fun slow-paced movie with some good dramatic moments that's inspirational along the way. Hollywood doesn't really make movies like this anymore and after you see it, you'll know what I mean.
As for kids watching it, I think many of today's kids will likely have a harder time sitting through a slow-paced movie like this (though about 2/3 of the way through there is a lengthy simulated war-games sequence that many boys will probably love). There also is a boy that has an alcoholic father and so forth so there is a little heavier drama in that direction. But if for no other reason then maybe showing them a different kind of movie then they are used to, a movie like this for say ages 10 and up could be worthwhile. It might spur on boys having an interest in scouting, for which there are Christian-based scouting alternatives out there that might be worth looking into.
Reviewed by Christopher Long,
BodEquip Ministries