Topics: Ariana Grande, Celebrity, Cynthia Erivo, Film and TV, Parenting, US News, Social Media, Instagram
A mom says she walked out of watching Wicked: For Good with her children out of fear it was 'casting legit spells' over her family.
The movie sequel to the adored musical, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, hit theatres on November 21 and has apparently caused quite a bit of controversy compared to its first instalment.
Before Wicked: For Good even came out, some fans of the OG stage musical shared their reservations about the second part of the family fan-favorite, as one user on Reddit said Act Two is 'significantly darker than the first.'
Without spoiling the story, there are character deaths, passionate love affairs and 'some truly horrifying concepts' with torture, crucifixion and child kidnapping, plus a lynch mob to boot, according to the Redditor.
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"Also, the second act just has an overall more somber tone than the first act," they penned. "I’m a little concerned that this film’s all-ages marketing might backfire and lead to angry parents and a disappointing box office return."
While still a hit at the box office, grossing almost $400 million worldwide, it certainly has shocked some parents over its risqué scenes.
Sara Burnett, who goes by SincerelySaraB on Instagram, took to social media to reveal why she walked out in the middle of the movie with her kids.
The mom shared her 'honest review' in a lengthy caption, stating it boiled down to one particularly sexually-charged scene and its accompanying song.
"I am shook with how they handled the movie," Sara wrote, before stating in a disclaimer that her family 'love theatre and musicals'.
She continued: "We love appreciating the talents and God given-gifts that people have. Seeing the acting, the arts and all the creativity.
"But gosh, I am not sitting in a movie that is casting legit spells over me and my family and allowing my children to watch scenes where men are sexually taking off women’s clothing and music that is talking about them laying in bed together."
This is the moment where Erivo's character, Elphaba, sings 'As Long As You're Mine' to Fiyero, played by Jonathan Bailey, in an intimate scene with some spicy lyrics.
The mom, who boasts almost 40k followers for sharing content about parenting, marriage and Christianity, continued: "I have a feeling that the spells cast in this movie weren’t just some made up words.. they had purpose in them!"
Sara said her children clearly 'felt uncomfortable in certain parts of the movie' and her mom instincts kicked in and 'knew it was time to walk out'.
Although she expressed disappointment with the movie, she said it ended up turning into a 'great learning moment' for her girls.
"Learning that when we are in situations that we don’t feel are right then we need the courage to walk away," she continued. "I have a feeling this won’t be the last time that our girls have to walk away from a situation that isn’t from the Lord.
"Friends. Stand firm in your faith and always do what's right. Even if it’s not what the crowd is doing."
Although rated PG, Sara also isn't the only one to have been left questioning if the movie is appropriate for young eyes.
Another mom took to Reddit where she said she thought the scene was 'too sexual for my comfort levels' and for her six-year-old daughter to see.
"We don’t watch TV, and she hasn’t seen many other movies. I honestly wouldn’t have taken her had I known!"
Others also said they 'cringed' when they saw kids at the screening and felt it was 'pretty damn awkward' to watch the infamous steamy scene alongside children.
"A couple of kids near me complained about it, thinking it was gross," read one, while another said they overheard children speak out in shock during the movie to ask if the pair were 'naked'.
