THE SHACK | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"THE SHACK"
(2017) (Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer) (PG-13)

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: Still reeling from his youngest daughter's abduction and murder, a bitter family man ends up spending time with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and demands answers as to why they let that atrocity occur.

PLOT:: It's been some time since the abduction and murder of his youngest daughter, Missy (AMELIE EVE), and Mack Phillips (SAM WORTHINGTON) is letting his understandable anger and pain consume him, much to the detriment of his relationship with his wife, Nan (RADHA MITCHELL), and surviving kids, Josh (GAGE MUNROE) and Kate (MEGAN CHARPENTIER). While they're away during a snowstorm, Mack is startled to find a mysterious letter in his mailbox, addressed to him by Papa, Nan's name for God. He knows she didn't put that there as she's hurting as much as he is, and initially thinks it might be a sick prank by his long-time neighbor, Willie (TIM McGRAW). He denies any part of that, but agrees to travel with Mack to the shack deep in the woods where Missy was apparently killed, and which is addressed in the letter.
As they prepare to leave, Mack takes Willie's truck and travels there by himself, more expecting to meet his daughter's killer than God. But it's the latter who he meets in the form of Papa (OCTAVIA SPENCER) who, along with Jesus (AVRAHAM AVIV ALUSH) and Sarayu (SUMIRE MATSUBARA) the Holy Spirit, tries to help Mack heal. But he initially wants no part of that, what with angrily blaming them for allowing the abduction and murder to occur. Over the course of several days, however, they manage to get him to understand how they work, believe in that, and allow forgiveness into his heart.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: They might if the religious story entices them (and they're fans of the book on which this is based), or if they're fans of anyone in the cast.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For thematic material including some violence.

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