Hamilton Parent Review with Discussion Guide

Hamilton Parent Review with Discussion Guide  written by the Elf. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.

Movie: Hamilton (2020 Filmed Stage Version)
Rating: PG-13
Age Suggestion:  13+
Running Time: 2 hrs 40 min
Release Date: July 3rd, 2020
Themes: Courage, Work Ethic, Legacy, Conflict, Betrayal,
Ambition, Power of Words
Warnings: There is strong language, theatrical violence (duels, war, guns, cannons), although there is nothing inappropriate shown- sex plays a major role in the plot and is discussed in the music, it’s a wonderful musical that earns it’s PG-13 rating.

Hamilton Quick Summary:

The most in demand musical is now streaming on demand. Hamilton follows the founding of the United States through the War of Independence and foundational historical events up to 1804 – through the perspective of Alexander Hamilton. The show really packs a musical punch, there’s no dialogue outside of the songs and they combine your typical Broadway music with rap, hip-hop, and jazz. Although the musical is about events that are centuries old, it’s incredibly relevant to today. Lin-Manuel Miranda says “This is a story about America then, told by America now.” An engaging powerhouse of a musical that really dives into the human experience in an incredible and educational way.

Like many other Broadway musicals, it deals with hard life issues and is not appropriate for younger viewers. Parents should be aware that the film earns the PG-13 rating mostly through cursing and sexual innuendo. We still highly suggest the show. It’s really amazing how they managed to capture the live performances and bring it to the screen.

Hamilton Parent Review FAQ:

–Has the Hamilton movie been censored from the play? Yes, but only very slightly. There is still a lot of language and an affair takes center stage in the story.
–Is Hamilton historically accurate? Yes and no. There are some aspects that are dramatized and other pieces of the puzzle that have been left out altogether. The main points are historically accurate and since the show has been out for years, there are a lot of resources that can help you research what’s what. It’s not a Disney-fied version of history for sure!
–Is Hamilton kid friendly? Short answer- no. You know your kids best, but we would give this a solid PG-13 and suggest it for more mature teens.
–Is Hamilton only streaming on Disney Plus on July 3rd? NO! It will be streaming on the service for the foreseeable future.

Hamilton Discussion Questions:

1) What was your favorite scene in the musical? Was it the same as your favorite song?

2) Which character did you relate to the most? Which did you want to relate to the most?

3) The musical addresses several social just issues that still impact the United States. Here are some of the topics it touches on that would be interesting to compare and contrast between 1800 and current times.
3a) Immigration
3b) Slavery/ Human Traffiking
3c) Political Unrest/ Political and Party Systems
3d) Women’s rights
3e) Orphan Care

4) Are you a fan of the music? Did you like that the whole story was told through song, or would you have preferred more dialogue?

5) What did Burr mean by saying there was enough room for him and Hamilton?

6) Who’s story has been your favorite to learn about from the past?

7) Hamilton spent so much time striving, what worked well for him and how did that work against him and his family?

8) How would you want your story to be told?

Hamilton Parent Review: *light spoilers*

–Hamilton Music:

I’ll admit that when I heard about this mix of music that I thought it wouldn’t work. Not only does it work, it’s masterfully done. Poignant and packing punches in all the right places. There’s a reason the soundtrack is so popular.
*However, as with most musicals, listening to the soundtrack and figuring out the plot before you watch might help you be able to enjoy it more and follow along better. There is a LOT of words packed into these songs.*

–Characters and Acting:

Often acting is really exaggerated on stage, so that emotions can be read from any seat in the house. So I expected that to be a distraction, but it really was not. It was beautifully choreographed and so amazingly acted. Every single person danced, acted, and sung wonderfully in my opinion. Nothing was too distracting or out of place.

–Hamilton Story:

There was a LOT of information in this story! There are a lot of resources available to dig into about it. Like this New York Library article. I thought that the way the story was told flowed really well. Now, not everyone’s a fan of dramatized history, but this did not feel like something happening hundreds of years ago. The story is not 100% accurate, there are some timeline differences and some dramatized points. But they did hire a historian and did a lot to keep it very accurate!

–Film Quality:

This is absolutely the stage show. There have been several different stage to movie adaptions in the past few years. Some are the stage shows and some are more of a traditional movie. This was shot over a couple of live performances with a few extra up close shots from what I’ve read. It’s more than a front row seat to the show, it’s like you’re floating in and out of the front of the scenes. It’s by far the best stage to film adaption that we have seen.

–Favorite Moments: *Spoilers*

* The opening and finale were both incredible.
* King George’s song “You’ll Be Back” made me think of a mix between a boy band and a psychotic obsessive ex-boyfriend. It was both hilarious and at the same time, showed what a big deal it was to go up against the reigning authority.
*I loved how congress was set up as a rap battle.
* Maybe the show should have been titled ‘How amazing is Eliza?’ because she’s pretty extraordinary herself!
* I was not expecting to love the music and I did.
*The thing I loved most was the whole analogy of taking your shot. What taking and throwing away shots figuratively and literally did to his family.

I definitely suggest streaming this one, and streaming it with your teens especially! They’re going to be talking about it, so be a part of the conversation with them. Keep reading to see what to check out next!

We have Hamilton
High School Curriculum here!

We’ve put it up on Teachers Pay Teachers here for only $2.99. Included you’ll find a 15 question quiz, a short answer quiz, a visual note taking sheet, and essay or project prompts. Great for home-school families and history or theater teachers.

What next?

-If you’re anything like us, you’ll want to listen to this soundtrack again and again!

-Check out our other Disney Plus streaming suggestions in this post!

-New to Disney Plus? Check out our original movie reviews here!

-Check out this post on walking your teens through the movie, Just Mercy!

-Our two most recent teen book reviews are for the Book of Boy and Look Both Ways.

We hope you enjoyed the musical! If this review was helpful for you- please take a few seconds and share it on social media!

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