Abraham's Children

Gr 7 Up—Viewers are welcomed into the homes of several American Muslim families, giving us the privilege of witnessing their most private, profound moments. Urban and suburban, Pakistani, Palestinian, Caucasian, and African-American, each family brings a different perspective to the traditions they have in common. The articulate teenagers steal the show with their irreverence and humor. Although the family profiled in the first few minutes of the film appears a bit stiff and scripted, the other families are absolutely delightful. A classic coming-of-age theme—one of questioning and searching for identity—threads together the disparate teenagers' stories. One girl, a figure-skater, makes peace with the competing demands of her religion and sport. Others grapple with questions about friends, college applications, home-schooling, fasting, karate, and becoming engaged at 14. The teenagers' stories are paramount-there is no narrator, and only a few captions to guide us. It is refreshing to learn history and vocabulary through the teenagers rather than professors or scholars. There is no agenda to this film other than an open, free discussion. Even the most devout of the teenagers lack dogmatism and speak candidly. Highly recommended to foster dialogue about religion.—Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard High School, Early College Queens, Long Island City, NY