Trevor the Musical Discussion Questions and Review written by the Ent on June 25th, 2022. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch
Movie: Trevor the Musical
Rating: TV-PG
Genre: Musical, Coming of Age, Teen
Length: 1 hr. 53 mins.
Age suggested: 12 and up
Release Date: June 24th, 2022
Warnings: Bullying, Suicidal Ideations, sexual references
Quick Trevor the Musical Summary
Trevor the Musical is a recorded stage play that tells the story of Trevor. Trevor is a young teen who simply loves Diana Ross. It’s 1981 and the basketball team is set to do a silly dance as is tradition for the talent show. After his act is rejected, Trevor gets the opportunity to update the team’s routine. While working with the team, he gets closer to some of the members of the team while some of them are getting more convinced that Trevor is just weird. Things come to a head when crushes of different people are revealed and everyone has to deal with the aftermath.
Trevor the Musical Review (Contains Spoilers)
Trevor the Musical is a powerful story of two halves. The first half is about a hopeful boy who is trying to follow his dreams and passions. He gets the opportunity to use these passions with an upcoming talent show, but things don’t go as planned. This leads to the second half of the story as Trevor becomes more of a pariah. The conclusion of this is when Trevor attempts to take his own life. This is the catalyst for people to rethink how they have treated Trevor while also giving him more confidence about who he is.
The soundtrack and acting have similar characteristics. Not every note and motion is spot on, but this lends itself perfectly for a musical about the awkward phases of middle school. The actual performances are really well done. This musical has a lot of range in its emotions and personality. So, it is really impressive that these young actors/actresses pull it off so well. On a sillier note, the microphones are placed on the tops of their heads, which was really distracting to me for a bit because I couldn’t figure out what it was.
–Why Watch Trevor the Musical–
On the surface level, Trevor the Musical provides a great story with some fun music. Trevor is an optimistic kid who is inspiring as he follows his dream. But as you get further into the story, you see him get beat down by society, bullying, and isolation. Although it can be hard to watch, it’s so important to see what led to his depression.
Trevor the Musical is important for adults to possibly rethink the way think of people who they disagree with on a morality or political level. This may also be true for kids, but I see this as more of a chance to listen and discuss what your older kids may be dealing with on a deeper level. We have Trevor the Musical discussion questions and guidance on how to have these discussions below.
Continue reading for our Trevor the Musical Discussion Questions.
-Is Trevor the Musical Appropriate?-
Although it is all there for a reason, there are a lot of topics that may not be suitable for your kid. This will depend on their age and what they can handle. The hardest part of the movie comes when Trevor tries to take his own life after being completely isolated at school. There is a lot to unpack here. First, the fact that his orientation and personality as what was causing him to be isolated can be triggering for some. There is also a suicide attempt and suicidal ideations. These can also be difficult to watch or process for many viewers.
Sexual references and movements are made quite a few times. The first song is more humorous in nature as Trevor and his friend are discussing masturbation and looking at dirty magazines. Nothing is seen or shown in graphic detail, but it is discussed for quite a bit. The other scene is when everyone at the school goes to a quarry to make out and more. There is nothing shown, but there are two characters who are trying to get others to make out with them. Everything ends before anything can happen, but once again, it is discussed a lot.
The overall message of Trevor the Musical is worth making it through and discussing these things with your children if they can handle that. It is also a really good opportunity to check up on them and see if they’ve had any of these struggles as well. You can see our Trevor the Musical Discussion Questions for more ideas on how to dive into these topics.
-Favorite Quote(s): might be turned into images-
“I tried to cure myself, but nothing worked”
“What if who I hid is who I get to be somehow”
“I’m more of a performer than an athlete”
Trevor the Musical Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Coming out, Following Your Dreams, Identity, Depression
- Which was your favorite song of the musical?
- Which character did you relate to most in Trevor the Musical?
- How does Trevor’s demeanor change throughout the film? What causes this change?
- Since this story takes place in 1981, what do you think this story would look like today? What would be different? What would be similar?
- Who do you have in your life that could benefit from learning the story of Trevor?
- How could Trevor’s parents supported him more in the beginning of the story?
General Note on Harder Discussions:
This is a good chance to discuss with your kid about what they may be struggling with. Although you think you may know, could discuss sexual orientation, depression, suicidal thoughts, and following hopes and dreams. If you don’t know how to start these discussions, start with a few of the more fun questions from above and then you can either transition to the harder ones or share some of your struggles, thoughts, or story.
Thanks for reading our Trevor the Musical Discussions Questions and Review. Check out this related content:
-Support The Trevor Project: a nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQIA+ youth.
-Other Family Friendly Disney+ Suggestions
–Better Nate Than Ever Review
–Clouds, the inspirational story of Zach Sobiech
–Hamilton Parent Review
Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and Trevor the Musical Discussion Questions and Review uses affiliate links. We only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.