DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS?
The city mice find laughter, forgiveness, and love in the country.
Should You Watch It?
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? is a warm romantic comedy about a broken marriage that may still be worth saving. Its humor comes from the clash between an apparently liberal New York couple and the more conservative people of rural Wyoming, while its heart is found in forgiveness, reconciliation, family, and adoption.
The movie is predictable, but its dialogue and acting keep it lively. The story also addresses the consequences of drinking too much and infidelity, though in a light manner. The main focus remains positive enough to rise above the objectionable material.
If you are choosing for older teenagers or adults, this is a worthwhile, gentle choice with some content to discuss. For younger children, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESPaul and Meryl Morgan are an estranged married couple in New York trying to decide whether their marriage can be repaired. After witnessing a contract killer murder one of Meryl’s clients, they enter a temporary witness-protection program.
The FBI sends them to a very small Wyoming town, where an older U.S. marshal and his wife care for them while a more permanent arrangement is found. Away from their familiar city life, Paul and Meryl must face their bickering, their broken trust, and the possibility of getting back together.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is an enjoyable, solid comedy rather than an exceptional one. The movie is breezy, funny, and heartfelt, with dialogue and acting that enliven a somewhat predictable story.
Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker do a great job as Paul and Meryl. Sam Elliott and Mary Steenburgen provide fine support as the marshal and his wife, while Wilford Brimley brings charm as the curmudgeonly owner of the town’s only restaurant. The comedy works best when the couple struggles with rural Wyoming and their own bickering ways.
The Worldview
The movie has a strong moral worldview centered on family, marriage, adoption, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It presents the healing of a broken marriage as worth pursuing, especially after one spouse has sinned against the other. Infidelity is rebuked, and the negative consequences of drinking too much are addressed.
The film also acknowledges cultural and political differences between the apparently liberal couple and the more conservative, Republican people of rural Wyoming. It treats those differences comically, showing both sides moving beyond them to pursue common goals of goodness. The more conservative people ultimately help the couple in significant ways, while the movie presents the FBI and law enforcement generally positively.
The story’s central longing is for forgiveness and restored relationship. Scripture calls believers to this same posture: “forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong moral, pro-children, pro-adoption worldview about healing a broken marriage, in a comical setting, with some issues stressing the Christian, redemptive, biblical values of forgiveness and reconciliation after having sinned against someone, plus some implied patriotic, pro-American values of transcending cultural and political differences (at least for a while) in order to meet common positive goals of goodness, including a generally positive view of the FBI and law enforcement; nine mostly light obscenities (two “s” words), no strong profanities, 21 light exclamatory profanities (a few somewhat borderline), and three or so appeals to God; brief violence includes man with knife in back falls from balcony, killer shoots agent wearing bullet proof vest in chest and knocks him down, man hit in head with a thrown object, killer and potential victim trade gunshots, and people hold guns on killer; very light sexual content and references include no depicted sex but implied married sex when husband shuts bedroom door of place where he and estranged wife are staying, verbal references to an instance of adultery in the past, and brief verbal references to sleeping with another person; no nudity; implied alcohol use and mention of getting drunk leading to an immoral act, but no drunkenness depicted; and, cheating rebuked, bingo playing in one scene, and estranged married couple bickers and argues but reconciles, plus some jokes about Democrats and Republicans in “Red State” and “Blue State” areas, with a light joke about Sarah Palin and guns, but not meant in a mean politically correct, offensive way (the urban liberals are actually helped by the more conservative “Red State” people).
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Paul wants forgiveness after damaging his marriage. What does genuine repentance require beyond saying “I’m sorry”?
2 Corinthians 7:10 · Luke 19:8The Morgans must decide whether trust can be rebuilt. What helps restore trust after someone has been hurt?
Ephesians 4:25 · Colossians 3:13The film brings people with different political and cultural views together. How can Christians pursue shared goodness without pretending differences do not exist?
Romans 12:18 · Philippians 2:3–4The story values marriage, family, and adoption. How does Scripture describe God’s care for families and the vulnerable?
Psalm 68:5–6 · James 1:27The Final Word
This breezy comedy offers laughter with a positive moral center. Its light profanity and infidelity subplot call for parental discernment, but older teens and adults can find genuine warmth in its vision of forgiveness and reconciliation. WORTH THE TRIP — AGES 13 AND UP.
