Sight Parent Guide

Blinded when her stepmother poured sulfuric acid into her eyes, Kajal’s (Mia SwamiNathan) destiny is to become a beggar on the streets of Calcutta. In an act of compassion, local nuns take Kajal to Nashville in the hopes that Dr. Ming Wang (Terry Chen), an ophthalmologist with a reputation for performing miracles, will be able to restore the young girl’s sight.

Dr. Wang faces more than just technical challenges in caring for his young patient. The brilliant eye surgeon is haunted by his past. Growing up during China’s Cultural Revolution, young Ming witnessed horrifying acts of violence and is still scarred by the loss of his dearest friend, Lili (Sara Ye). He hopes that by restoring Kajal’s sight, he will be able to save his long-lost friend from whatever darkness claimed her so many years ago.

Sight is more than it appears to be from its trailer. Yes, it’s a biopic about an exceptional man, but it’s really a meditation on what “sight” means. Is it the physical act of seeing with our eyes? Or is it discerning reality clearly; seeing with the mind instead of the eye? Throughout the film, Dr. Wang’s successes, struggles, and failures teach him – and us - what it means to see things as they are and as they can be.

With its powerful messages of perseverance, unremitting hard work, self-respect, and family unity, this is an excellent choice for family viewing. Ming’s commitment to his education in the face of terrible opposition and his earnest desire to help others is exactly the kind of example we want our teens to see. In a media universe where heroes wear capes and have superpowers, it’s a refreshing change to see a hero whose greatest strengths are tenacity, selflessness, and resilience.

Sight is rated PG-13, but I think it’s suitable for middle-schoolers. Negative content consists of a few scenes of alcohol consumption and some violence related to China’s Cultural Revolution. People are beaten, abducted, and killed, but the violence is carefully sanitized and is never gratuitous or glorified. The Cultural Revolution was a convulsive national trauma and making it less violent would be a distortion of history. I will point out that the script never refers to the Cultural Revolution, describing it instead as an “uprising”. I’m not sure why the screenwriters deleted historical detail: decontextualizing the violence makes it feel random instead of being part of a national trauma.

If you’re looking for an uplifting story that just might inspire teens to study harder or focus on meaningful goals, Sight might be the movie for you. The movie’s message is meaningful, the cast convincing, and the lessons worth learning. When it comes to films, this one has 20/20 vision.