Racetime parents guide

Racetime Parent Guide

A sweet little children's movie about friendship, loyalty, and conflict resolution.

Overall A-

After Franky and Sophie lose a rigged sled race against Zac and Charlie, the teams agree on a rematch. Franky and his friends build a spectacular new toboggan run and the stage is set for a big race and an even bigger surprise.

Release date January 25, 2019

Violence A-
Sexual Content A
Profanity A-
Substance Use A

Why is Racetime rated ? The MPAA rated Racetime

Run Time: 89 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Frankie (voiced by Lucinda Davis) takes sledding seriously. Every year, the kids in his village compete in an epic toboggan race, careening down a snowy racetrack on homemade sleds. The track—which would look right at home in a video game—includes hairpin turns, tunnels and other obstacles, and the kid’s antics not only defy the laws of physics, but also lead to some crazy wipeouts. Fortunately, in this animated film, everyone bounces back unharmed and ready for more fun. And while they can get pretty competitive—especially Frankie, whose brilliantly engineered sled always wins—this odd assortment of boys and girls value their friendship above all. They put up with Frankie’s eccentricities, they look out for the younger members of the group, and they even chuckle good-naturedly at one of the kid’s noisy flatulence.

But as this tight knit group enjoys an innocent co-ed sleepover at their clubhouse (an abandoned barn that’s been lovingly refurbished) there’s trouble afoot. Zac (voiced by Noel Fisher) is the new kid in town. Like Frankie, he has a flair for sled design. And he’s eager to prove his skill at any cost, even if it means sabotaging the competition. When the big race ends with Frankie’s sled in pieces, Frankie and his friends cry foul and demand a rematch. Zac agrees—but it’s soon obvious that he hasn’t changed his ways.

With the help of his cousin Charlie (voiced by Dawn Ford), Zac keeps an eye on the other kid’s progress and searches for weaknesses to exploit. Frankie, with an ego at least as big as Zac’s, quickly throws his own principles to the wind and uses spy equipment to eavesdrop on his rival’s conversations. He even breaks into his bedroom. Pretty soon, it’s hard for Frankie’s friends to tell who the real cheater is. Fortunately, the kids in this town aren’t willing to sacrifice their close relationships in the name of a toboggan race, and their efforts to settle the conflict are genuinely heartwarming.

The script includes a bit of potty humor - like a puppy who sometimes sniffs human backsides, and, of course, one character who gets a bit gassy. There’s also name calling, slapstick situations, and some mild peril as a result of diabolical scheming on the racetrack. But overall, it’s a cute little production that’s perfectly appropriate for small children and provides an ending as sweet as hot chocolate on a snow day.

Directed by Benoît Godbout, François Brisson (Co-director), and Jean-François Pouliot (consulting director). Starring Sonja Ball, Lucinda Davis, and Tod Fennell. Running time: 89 minutes. Theatrical release January 25, 2019. Updated

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Racetime
Rating & Content Info

Violence: Kids careen down a racetrack on homemade sleds that break apart, go out of control, slide into trees and piles of haystacks, and run into each other. No one is hurt. A character sneaks into a house through a bedroom window, falls from a second story, and slips on snow and ice. A character gets a magnet stuck to braces on her teeth, and falls over while her friends pull it off. Characters sabotage each other’s sleds, leading to crashes and peril for the sled drivers. On the race track, characters attempt to crash their rivals’ sleds by dropping obstacles on the course, cutting off sled runners with knives, and slamming into each other.
Sexual Content: A character is smitten when he sees a pretty girl and acts silly when he speaks to her.
Profanity: Name calling includes labels like four-eyes and dummy. Characters joke about a rival “pooping his pants,” laugh at a character’s flatulence, and joke about a dog’s habit of sniffing backsides.
Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.

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Racetime Parents' Guide

Initially, Frankie is upset that Zac cheated in the race and wants to teach him a lesson. What are appropriate ways to handle the situation when someone cheats in a competition? At what point do Frankie's actions become inappropriate?

The movie Racetime was made in Quebec, Canada. In Quebec, celebrating winter weather is an annual tradition-- you can learn more about one of the largest winter carnivals in the world here. Does your community have similar celebrations?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is the award winning picture book about one boy’s magical winter day. Another award winner focusing on the beauty of winter is Jane Yolen’s Owl Moon.

An out of control snow ride is recouned in Suzan Reid’s The Wild Toboggan Ride.

Young readers will get a kick out of A Hat for Minerva Louise as the winsome titular chicken navigates a snowy barnyard landscape.

Early readers will love the rhythms of Snow by P D Eastman and Roy McKie.

Lois Ehlert’s Snowballs is a fun picture book for kids who enjoy playing detective and exploring the collage artwork.

The almost wordless Red Sled by Lita Judge will draw pre-readers and young readers into the story.

News About "Racetime"

Produced in Canada, Racetime opened in limited release on 7 December 2018 before going into wide release on 25 January 2019. The film is currently in limited release in parts of Europe. No release date is yet available for the USA. It is possible it will be released in the US under the name Snowtime!2

Home Video

Related home video titles:

A Miami dentist ends up racing a team of sled dogs in Snow Dogs.

Frozen is a snowy animated adventure which features some fast-driving sleigh scenes.

Another adventure set in the winter is Blizzard, a Christmas story involving flying reindeer and lasting friendship.

Cool Runnings tells the comedic tale of the Jamaican bobsled team’s participation in the 1988 Calgary Olympics.

Disney Pixar’s Cars is the beginning of an animated franchise about talking, racing vehicles.