Inspired by a true story, CLOUDS focuses on a 17-year-old boy named Zach Sobiech who’s struggling with cancer and has 6 to 10 months to live. Zach is a high school senior with aspirations to live a normal life, go to college, marry his high school sweetheart, and have a family. Although his dreams might not line up with reality, his family and friends support him in this hard season. One day Zach and his best friend record some music videos that goes viral which takes their music and Zach’s story to the next level…
CLOUDS is a well-told, heart wrenching drama with a mixed worldview. There are moral and Christian elements that stress family, friendship and facing difficulties together. There’s a song proclaiming Jesus’s name in a positive light and depictions of crosses and mention of scripture. However, there’s some Romanticism as Zach dreams about his ideal life. There’s almost no foul language except for a few “oh my goshes,” and a teenage couple almost gets too physical, but nothing happens. For these reasons, MOVIEGUIDE® recommends “caution” for discerning audiences.
(BB, CC, RoRo, NA, M):
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:
Mixed worldview. Both moral and Christian elements throughout that stress the value of family, friendship and facing hard times together, a song that states Jesus’s name in a positive light and several depictions of crosses and mention of scripture, family travels to France to maybe experience a miracle, teenage boy says he wants the parable of the talents read at his funeral, but also, there’s some hints of Romanticism as Zach dreams about his ideal life, one quick comment from a singer about a “higher power” with no indication he’s talking about the Christian God.
Foul Language:
Around 10 oh my goshes, and 2 instances of “suck” and one “p*ss off” and some mentions of vomiting and implied vomiting from chemo treatment
Violence:
Teen age boy swerves in a car on the road but doesn’t get hurt
Sex:
Married couple kisses, dating couple kisses and almost has sex, but it doesn’t happen, and that same couple falls asleep in his bed together one night, but it’s not looked upon with favor
Nudity:
Upper male nudity in a few scenes
Alcohol Use:
Joke about beer pong and mention of communion wine
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:
Medication bottles depicted for a cancer patient, and he gets chemo in one scene ,and one joke over text about smoking; and,
Miscellaneous Immorality:
Nothing else objectionable.
Disney+’s CLOUDS begins in the Fall of 2012 in Minnesota. A 17-year-old teenager named Zach Sobiech meets his best friend, Sammy, a teenage girl, backstage at a performance where she’s about to perform. However, Sammy has massive stage fright so Zack, takes her place instead, but not before he flirts with his crush, Amy, who’s just finished a dance number on stage.
Zach is an average teenager with one big glaring exception: he has cancer and is going through his 24th round of chemo. Thankfully, he has a great support system with his two parents, three siblings and Sammy, of course. One day though, Zach stands up Amy on their first date because he has a terrible cough that causes some concern. Once at the hospital, Zach’s family learns that he needs surgery because he has a collapsed lung and after the surgery, the doctors tell Zach and his parents that he has 6 to 10 months left to live.
Zach’s teacher starts assigning college essays to his class, but Zach seems a bit indignant with the idea of writing down his future aspirations, considering his health. His mother though is more optimistic and plans a family vacation to Lourdes, France where apparently there is water with healing powers. The Sobiech family goes into the trip with miracle expectations though, knowing that the “healing” could be a hit or miss. Both Zach and his mother while overseas, get dunked into the cool blue water.
After the trip, Amy and Zach’s relationship is in full swing. Zach has good days and bad days. Zach and Sammy start recording songs on video and post them to YouTube, which gains them so attention from a record label in New York City, which wants to sign them! It’s now the Spring of 2013. Zach’s parents, Sammy and he, travel to the Big Apple to make the deal official, and while on the plane ride home, Zach gets inspired to write down some lyrics for a new song, “Clouds.”
“Clouds” gains international recognition once it releases, but that doesn’t mean Zach feels any better physically. According to the doctors, they’re not sure he’ll make it to prom. But, his loved ones won’t let his last days be filled with hopelessness…
CLOUDS is a well-told heart wrenching drama. The flow of the story is well-executed with the first major plot point right on schedule. By nature of the storyline, the music is lively and inspirational. Additionally, the filmmakers do a superb job at honoring the real-life people whom they portray.
CLOUDS has a mixed worldview. There are both moral and Christian elements throughout that stress the value of family, friendship and facing hard times together. There’s also a song that states Jesus’s name in a positive light and several depictions of crosses and mention of scripture. Even so, there’s some hints of Romanticism as Zach dreams about what his life could be from an idealistic point of view. There’s almost no foul language except for a few “oh my goshes,” and there is one scene where a teenage couple almost gets too physical, but nothing comes to pass. For all of these reasons, MOVIEGUIDE® recommends “caution” for discerning audiences.
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(Video) Clouds l Official Trailer | Disney+
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FAQs
Is Clouds worth watching? ›
Overall, Clouds is a far better film than I was expecting it to be. Quite honestly, upon first viewing of the trailer, I had no prior knowledge of this true story or the music that made him famous in real life. For that reason alone, I think I appreciated the film even more.
Is Clouds appropriate for 11 year olds? ›Clouds is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for brief strong language. Violence: None noted. Sexual Content: A young man sings “I'm sexy and I know it” and gyrates suggestively. A male character is seen shirtless, wrapped in a sheet in a religious ceremony.
Is Clouds based on a true story? ›Clouds is based on the true story of Zach Sobiech. Sobiech grew up in Lakeland, Minnesota, and was diagnosed with osteosarcoma—an aggressive tumor of the bone—when he was 14. He died of complications with cancer a little over a week after his 18th birthday, in 2013.
What age is Clouds movie for? ›Clouds is rated PG-13 for a bit of "strong language" and a little bit of sexuality. It's noted that in the movie, "A young man singes 'I'm sexy and I know it' and gyrates suggestively.
Why is cloud so popular? ›Flexibility and Scalability
With cloud software, the lack of physical hardware means updates, user changes, and installations are all taken care of remotely. With cloud computing, we can also easily customise our software based on usage, storage requirements, or the number of users.
Disney decided to remove Clouds from Disney+ because of its low viewership.
Why do clouds turn GREY for kids? ›Eventually, they get so big and the cloud so tall that not all of the light particles can get through the cloud. This is just like your shadow, where you are stopping some of the light from reaching the ground. That is when the cloud becomes grey.
Why is cloud watching good for kids? ›Cloud watching provides lessons in science and creativity.
Of course, being able to spot and understand the different types of clouds is a fun, accessible way to teach kids valuable science skills—and maybe even how to predict the weather. It fosters observation skills and creativity as well.
Let's Learn About Clouds...
This slideshow would be appropriate for students ranging from 3rd grade all the way up. It covers basic information about clouds including definitions, frequently asked questions regarding clouds, and describes the three main types of clouds: cumulus, cirrus, and stratus.
CLOUDS has a mixed worldview. There are both moral and Christian elements throughout that stress the value of family, friendship and facing hard times together. There's also a song that states Jesus's name in a positive light and several depictions of crosses and mention of scripture.
Is Clouds a Disney movie? ›
Originally scheduled to be theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Walt Disney Studios took over the distribution rights and released the film on their Disney+ streaming service on October 16, 2020. The film was removed from Disney+ on May 26, 2023.
What's the movie Clouds about? › How does clouds end? ›The movie transitions to showing Zach's mother (Neve Campbell) finding his college essay and reading it. She's in the grieving process as it's clear that Zach has died. After the first credits, we see Sammy and Amy taking pictures with friends and they notice a cloud in the shape of a Z behind them--a sign from Zach.
Who is the real kid from clouds? ›The real Zach Sobiech was a teenager and singer/songwriter from Stillwater, Minnesota. “Clouds” is based on the book “Clouds: A Memoir” written by Zach's mom, Laura Sobiech. Laura wrote the book in just 12 weeks, shortly after Zach passed away on May 20, 2013.
Is Cloud 9 kid friendly? ›While we do accept minors, it should be noted that Cloud 9 is a bar, where people drink alcohol and can smoke.