Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
It’s 1963. Melody Ellison (Marsai Martin of Black-ish) is a ten-year-old black girl living in Detroit.
In the opening scene, her grandfather tells her about girls not much older than her being arrested for trying to eat at a lunch counter. The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama — in which four girls died — plays a pivotal role in the trajectory of Melody’s story. Some very young viewers might not be ready for such a stark and upsetting depiction of America’s racial history. Grownups may wish to preview before showing to kids and I definitely recommend making this a shared experience. An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win stirs up some strong emotions, and it definitely provides plenty of material for conversation. Amazon’s first American Girl special — streaming now — offers a realistic view of what life would have been like for Melody and her family.
None of this is to say that this special is unrelentingly grim. Melody is an engaging kid with a big imagination and a strong sense of self. My daughter — also a ten-year-old — and I both enjoyed spending time with her. And there are some especially lovely moments between Melody and her mother. The tensions in their household arise largely from conflicting views about how best to raise Melody. Her grandfather believes in preparing her for the injustices she will face throughout her life; Her mother wants to prepare her for something better. Ultimately, Melody will have some tough decisions to make for herself.
This movie gives kids a lot of credit in terms of storytelling and content. This is not a fast-moving, action-packed entertainment that glosses over hard subjects. One thing this movie accomplishes is making racism real and immediate even for kids who have never experienced it. The Birmingham bombing is shocking, but so is the way Melody is treated by kids at her school, where she is the only black student. My daughter was upset and disturbed both by the horrifying violence of murdering kids in Sunday school as she was by the hatred Melody dealt with every day.
The story ends on a positive note, one that reinforces the idea of choosing love over hate and shows that people can change. My daughter was glad there was a happy ending. But, when I asked her, “Is it really the ending, though? Will Melody’s life be perfect tomorrow?” My daughter just shook her head.
[Watch Melody 1963: Love Has To Win on Prime Video]
Jessica Jernigan is a writer, editor, and mom-about-town in a mid-sized Midwestern city. You can find her professional website here, but Instagram is where the cat photos are.
