As a Christian parent, I do my best to be intentional with the movies I allow my children to watch.

Movies are not just entertainment. They can open doors to conversations about values, choices, family, dreams, faith, and the life we want our children to build. They can influence their minds and hearts, and affect their souls.

Recently, our family watched Michael in the cinema. It became more than a movie date. It became a meaningful family bonding experience and a good opportunity to talk about music, giftedness, childhood, fame, excellence, integrity, and the use of one’s God-given gifts.

I was especially interested in watching the movie with my children because Michael Jackson and my kids have something in common: they are musically inclined and gifted. My boys also perform together and sometimes solo. Among our three children, our eldest is the most passionate about music and performing. He is also the most musically gifted.

So, as I watched Michael’s story unfold, I was not only watching as someone who grew up listening to his songs. I was also watching as a mother raising children with musical gifts—children who are still growing, still discovering themselves, and still learning how to use their talents well.

Remembering Michael Jackson’s Greatness and Pain

I enjoyed watching the movie because I grew up listening to Michael Jackson’s songs. Many of them were familiar to me. Hearing them again brought back memories of my younger years. The movie also reminded me of Michael’s greatness as a performing artist. His talent, discipline, creativity, and accomplishments were truly extraordinary.

I also think the actors who played Michael did well, especially the older Michael. He danced well and showed not only Michael’s artistry but also some of his pain, loneliness, and vulnerability.

Michael had an extraordinary gift. But he also paid a huge price for his success. He did not get to enjoy a normal childhood because much of it was spent practicing, performing, and working hard. While other children were studying, playing, resting, and simply being children, he was already carrying the weight of expectations, fame, and the demands of the music industry.

There were scenes that made me feel angry, especially those that showed his father pushing him and his brothers to keep practicing even when they were already tired. Instead of rewarding or affirming them, their father still demanded more.

Children have the right to study, play, rest, and sleep. They should not be treated as instruments for money, fame, or the fulfillment of their parents’ dreams. Parents are called to guide their children, not exploit them. We are called to help them develop their gifts, not crush their spirits.

It was sad to see that Michael’s parents did not protect him the way he needed to be protected as a child. His father pushed him too hard, and his mother, in my opinion, did not seem to fight hard enough for her boys. Perhaps fear also played a role because the movie implied that the father had physically hurt family members before.

Still, our children’s safety, health, and dignity should always come before success.

What the Movie Showed About Gifted Children

One part of the movie that stayed with me was when Michael’s mother reminded his father that the other boys would find their own path and that Michael should be allowed to chart his own.

That resonated with me as a mother.

In our family, all my boys are musical. They can sing, play instruments, and perform together or individually. But they are not the same. They do not have the same level of passion, interest, or drive when it comes to music.

Our eldest is the most passionate about music and performing. He is also the most musically gifted. But I also recognize that his brothers have their own paths to discover.

As parents, we need to recognize that our children are different. Even when they share similar gifts, they may not share the same calling, passion, or pace.

And that is okay.

Our role is not to force all our children into the same mold. Our role is to help each child discover who God created him to be.

Another thing I appreciated about Michael is that it showed some of the traits and challenges often seen in gifted children. Michael was curious, passionate, creative, visionary, strong-willed, and driven to learn and pursue excellence. He could see and hear things in his mind and then work hard to bring them to life through music, dance, and performance.

The movie also showed what some call asynchronous development. A gifted child may be advanced in one area but still very much a child in another. Michael could perform like a seasoned professional, but he was still playful and longed for the childhood he missed.

Giftedness does not remove a child’s need for childhood, rest, friendship, guidance, boundaries, affection, and protection.

The movie also showed Michael’s intense emotions. He had deep compassion and empathy for others, especially the sick and suffering. But he also experienced deep hurt. He felt different. He felt lonely. He struggled with not having real friends his age.

One touching scene was his conversation with his mother when he said that he was different and sad because he did not have friends. His mother told him that we are all different, and he is different, and that is okay. He just needed to let his light shine.

Children who are different need to hear that they are not defective. They do not need to hide the light God placed in them. But they also need people who will love them for who they are, not only for what they can do.

Michael also said that other kids just stared at him and were not really being friends to him. That scene showed the loneliness that can come with being different, famous, or unusually gifted at a young age. We need to help our children develop their gifts, but also healthy friendships and safe relationships.

Processing the Movie with Our Children

After watching the movie, I felt the need to process it with my children.

I wanted them to appreciate Michael’s talent and discipline, but I also wanted them to understand that what happened to him as a child was not something to imitate or romanticize. His greatness as an artist was undeniable, but the pain he experienced as a child was also real.

On the way home, I told them that what Michael’s father did was not right. It was not right to keep pushing his children to practice when they were tired, use them to earn money, or make achievement more important than their health, childhood, and well-being.

I reminded our children how blessed they are that their needs are provided for. Their dad works hard to provide for our family and give us a good life. They are asked to sleep early not because we want to deprive them of fun, but because we want them to be healthy and strong.

We reminded them that their health is more important than achievements. They are encouraged to develop their gifts, but not at the expense of their bodies, minds, and souls. Rest is part of stewardship.

At the same time, the movie reminded us that talent needs discipline. Michael Jackson became a great performer not only because he was gifted, but because he spent countless hours honing his talent. He practiced. He trained. He worked hard. He pursued excellence.

My husband reminded our eldest son, who has perfect pitch and is musically gifted, that he also needs to keep practicing and training if he wants to actualize his full potential. Gifts from God need to be developed. They need to be nurtured with discipline, humility, and perseverance.

Our eldest son has already composed some songs, but he still needs to polish them more and follow through on the vocal exercises and practices that his voice teachers have taught him. He cannot rely on talent alone.

This is one of the balanced lessons I want my children to learn. We should not exploit our children’s gifts, but we should also not allow them to waste their gifts. We should not pressure them for fame or money, but we should teach them discipline, excellence, and responsibility.

Music, Service, and the Right Kind of Spotlight

Another part of the movie that I appreciated was seeing Michael trying to make music, compose songs, and execute the ideas in his mind.

As a mom of a young musician, I found that inspiring. I hope it encouraged our eldest son to continue pursuing his passion for making music. Artists do not simply wait for inspiration. They work, experiment, refine, and keep improving their craft.

Another thing my husband pointed out to our children after watching the movie was how Michael used his gift and platform to help others, especially the sick. This was something our youngest also noticed when he said that his favorite part was when Michael visited the sick in the hospital. I was glad that this scene made an impression on him because it showed that talent and fame can be used not only for personal success, but also for compassion and service.

Michael also composed beautiful songs that were relevant to the times and could inspire people to be good and do good. They were not just songs people could dance to. They were songs that made people think, feel, care, and sometimes even act.

This was something our eldest son needed to see and hear as an upcoming composer and songwriter. Music is powerful. It can entertain, but it can also inspire, express truth, stir compassion, give hope, and encourage people to become better.

That is why we reminded him that if God gives a person a gift, that gift should not be used only for self-expression, fame, or applause. It can also bless others and give glory to God.

That night, before my husband and I slept, I shared with him another realization that came to me after watching the movie. I told him that I felt grateful that our eldest son did not become part of the music industry or show business at a young age.

There were a few times when we tried to let him join some shows on TV, as suggested by my mom, to give him exposure. But those opportunities did not materialize. Looking back now, I realize that God’s “no” was His mercy and protection.

Instead, our eldest son flourished and grew using his extraordinary gift in music in the service of God through the Church. He has served as a church pianist for at least a decade—11 out of his 17 years! Most of his life has been spent using his musical gift not mainly for applause, fame, or personal achievement, but for worship and service.

My husband and I realized that the music industry and show business have a very different culture from what we want our son to be formed in. As my husband pointed out, it often puts the spotlight on the self.

But in the Church, the spotlight is on God.

In Church service, our son is not the star. He is an instrument. He is one of God’s instruments to help His light shine. He plays not to draw attention to himself, but to help lift hearts to God.

I am grateful that our children grew up using their musical talents as part of a church choir. They learned that music can be prayer, service, and a way to bring people closer to God. Their gifts are meant to be offered back to the Giver.

Fame, Money, and Family Conversations

One scene that made me angry was when Michael had been rushed to the hospital after serious burns, and his father was still thinking about deals, performing, and tours.

His son almost died. Even the doctor in the movie was surprised and disappointed that the father was speaking that way. That scene was painful to watch because it showed how fame and money can blind people to what truly matters.

A child’s life should matter more than a contract. A child’s health should matter more than a concert. A child’s well-being should matter more than success. No achievement is worth sacrificing the dignity, safety, or health of our children.

One of the things we like doing after watching a movie as a family is asking each other about our favorite parts. Our eldest son liked it when Michael finally learned to say no to his father because Michael became brave already. Our second son liked it when Michael ordered a chimp as a pet, and it was delivered. Our youngest liked when Michael visited the sick in the hospital. My favorite parts were Michael’s bonding moments with his mother.

My husband’s favorite part was when Michael asserted that his music video should also be shown on MTV. That moment helped break a barrier for Black artists in the music industry. He pointed out that Michael revolutionized the music industry with that move and helped pave the way for better opportunities for other artists. I liked that the boss of his record label stood by him. That scene reminded me that sometimes, people in positions of influence need to use their power to open doors for others.

Parenting Lessons

Watching Michael as a family capped our happy and memorable long weekend of family bonding. I am most thankful to God for this!

Michael is not just a movie about a famous singer. For me, it is also a movie that can help parents reflect on how we raise our children, especially children with artistic gifts.

Gifted children are still children.

They need love more than pressure. They need protection more than publicity. They need guidance more than control. They need rest as much as training. They need parents who will value their souls more than their success.

If God has given our children talents, we are called to help nurture those talents. We need to teach them discipline, perseverance, humility, and excellence. But we must also remember that our children are not projects, trophies, investments, or extensions of our unfulfilled dreams. They are persons entrusted to us by God.

Their gifts are not meant to feed our pride. Their success should not become our idol. Their childhood should not be sacrificed for our ambitions. Their health, character, faith, and joy should matter more than applause, awards, fame, or money.

May we, as parents, have the courage to protect our children, the wisdom to recognize their gifts, the patience to let them grow, and the humility to remember that they belong first to God. And when their gifts begin to shine, may we teach them where to point the light—not toward themselves, not toward us, but toward God, the Source of every beautiful gift.