How Green Was My Valley1941How Green Was My Valley
1941
An old man remembers his boyhood as the youngest son of the Morgans, a devout family of coal miners in a Welsh valley. Strikes, mine disasters, and the departure of his brothers slowly change the family and the village.
The default: films the whole family can watch together; any scary or intense moments for the littlest viewers are flagged in the Context Notes.
Why it’s here
A devout Welsh mining family, a father's dignity and a mother's courage, and a minister's friendship with a boy. It honors a way of life and grieves its passing.
Context notes
For parents, before you press play.
A schoolmaster cruelly canes Huw, and the boxer friends take revenge on the teacher (played for satisfaction); mine accidents kill family members, which may upset little ones. Church deacons publicly shame an unwed mother, shown as self-righteous cruelty, which is worth talking about along with the comic drunkenness.
How Green Was My Valley (1941)
Discussion questions
When the credits end, go around the room. Each person gives the film a score out of ten and says why.
- What did Huw's father teach his sons?
- Why did the deacons' behavior make Mr. Gruffydd so angry?
- How did the family change as the brothers left?
- What did Huw lose, and what did he keep?
Content advisory
Common Sense Media 10+: a teacher canes a boy severely; mining deaths; "damn" and "hell"; pipes and comic drunkenness; an unwed mother shamed in church.
Trailer
Best edition
The disc comes first.
How Green Was My Valley Blu-ray (Fox Studio Classics)
Blu-ray · January 15, 2013
Coming later
Where to stream
Streaming services are not listed yet. When they are, this note stays secondary to the disc.