Slumdog Millionaire

On the afternoon of December 31st, while the boys watched Bedtime Stories with their cousin and grandpa, Lisa and I went to see Slumdog Millionaire (2008,R) (ScreenIt! Review).  From the ScreenIt! Review:

As a young man prepares to answer the last question on India's version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" he must answer allegations of him cheating by proving that his life experiences, including growing up in the slums as an orphan, have provided him with the knowledge necessary to answer the questions.

I watched Born into Brothels last year, so I had a feel for what life is often like for kids in India's slums.  I enjoyed the film.  Several of the plot twists weren't hard to see coming (though Lisa turned out to be wrong about the prediction she made), and the love story was a bit over-wrought.  Despite all the tragedy, it was enjoyable to watch the Indian kids' lives, and I couldn't help thinking about my kids while doing it.  I'm kind of puzzled that it received an R rating...it seemed more like PG-13 to me.

I give it 4 out of 5.