Moving tale of woman who hid Anne Frank's family from Nazis.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
The series begins right away with a sense of peril as a Jewish girl has to face a Nazi checkpoint. Scenes feature Nazi soldiers marching on Amsterdam and rounding up Jewish people by throwing them into the back of trucks. A story is told of an ice-cream shop owner who was shot and killed by Nazis after standing up to them for harassing his Jewish customers. Margot's mother becomes upset when Margot receives an order to report to a German work camp, yelling that it's a death camp. A Jewish family talks about waiting for the Nazis to kill them.
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Young adults are shown going out dancing and looking for romantic partners. The girls talk about needing versus wanting a man and about their parents wanting them to get married. People are shown kissing. A few times husband and wife take off their clothes and begin to have sex; no nakedness is shown other than the man's chest. A husband sits near his wife as she takes a bath.
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Put others' needs before your own -- people risk their own safety again and again to help others. Miep tells Margot she is so much stronger than she thinks she is.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Miep is a brave, smart, and capable young woman. Miep, her husband, the Jewish people they're hiding, and many others take on danger and do what's necessary to save the lives of others.
Educational Value
a lot
Tells the story of Anne Frank's family. Explains the Netherlands' role in World War II as well as the Jewish experience in Holland during that time. Shows the nuances of the effects of Holland's Nazi occupation for Jewish people, their allies, and those who did nothing.
Diverse Representations
a lot
The story centers on the persecution, imprisonment, and killing of Jewish people by the Nazis. Miep's brother, Casmir, is gay.
Parents need to know that A Small Light tells the story of Miep Gies (Bel Powley), who hid Anne Frank's family and other Jewish people in Amsterdam during World War II. While appropriate for older tweens, it deals with heavy material. Some characters tell emotional stories about when they realized that Germany wasn't their home anymore. Others talk about death camps and waiting for Nazis to come and kill them. Scenes show Nazi soldiers marching on Amsterdam and rounding up Jewish people by throwing them into trucks. Someone tells the story of an ice-cream shop owner whom the Nazis shot and killed because he defended his Jewish customers. Miep talks about being malnourished and near death at 10 years old, which led to her birth mother giving her to a family who could feed her. Characters kiss, and a married couple starts to take off their clothes to have sex (only a bare male chest is shown). Language includes insults ("idiot") and occasional use of words such as "s--t."
Me and my kids love this show. It is still new and nobody is really talking about it but it is so good. By the end, I was literally crying. There were a couple things that were inappropriate like 2-3 uses of Sh-t but other than that, there wasn’t really any language. Sex wise, there was one seen where 2 characters undress each other and a husband watches his wife take a bath but other than that, the show is pretty innocent. There is drinking and smoking but it a part of the time where they smoked a lot so I found the amount of drinking and smoking reasonable. The story follows Miep Gies, and her husband Jan Gies, try to protect the frank family (Anne Frank, Margot Frank, Otto Frank, and Edith Frank), The van Pels (Mr. van Pels, Mrs. van Pels, and Peter van Pels), and Mr. Dussel, Miep’s Jewish dentist and close friend of the Franks, from the nazis. We follow Miep hiding the 8 people in a secret annex, robberies, air-raids, etc. it’s such a sad but brilliant show that is really well done and if you have read Anne Franks diary, all the events in the show are in fact true except for a couple of scenes made for dramatic effect.
What's the Story?
A SMALL LIGHT is based on the true story of a young Dutch woman, Miep Gies (Bel Powley), who went to work for Anne Frank's father as a secretary and soon found herself playing an important role in the Nazi resistance movement, hiding the Frank family and other Jews for over two years.
A deeply moving series that humanizes the story of Anne Frank through the eyes of Miep Gies, her father's loyal employee and the Frank family's protector. A Small Light captures the complexity of the time as Miep and others navigate the growing dangers of Nazi rule while trying to protect Jewish friends and new acquaintances. Excellent performances bring emotional depth and authenticity to the show; Miep (Bel Powley) draws the viewer in with her quick humor, frank self-assessments, and willingness to always do what needs to be done. Liev Schreiber conveys the torment Otto Frank feels throughout his family's ordeal, especially when putting others in danger by asking for help. By providing a poignant perspective on the Holocaust, A Small Light offers a compelling reminder of the consequences of prejudice and hate.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Miep and others show empathy toward their Jewish friends and acquaintances. What does Miep mean when she tells Otto she'll never understand the Nazis like he does?
Why do you think some people fought against the Nazis' treatment of the Jewish people while others stood by and did nothing? Point out ways that Margot, Miep, Jan and others display courage during the series. Why is this an important character strength?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
