We Were the Lucky Ones
By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Family's Holocaust drama is violent, filled with hope.
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We Were the Lucky Ones
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What's the Story?
Based on Georgia Hunter's 2017 book of the same name, WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES follows the members of an extended Jewish family as they try to survive World War II and reunite once it's over. Sol (Lior Ashkenazi) and Nechuma Kurc (Robin Weigert) are well-regarded owners of an upscale tailor shop in Radom, Poland. They live comfortably and are often surrounded by their adult children, including their youngest daughter, Halina (Joey King); eldest son Genek (Henry Lloyd Hughes) and his wife Herta (Moran Rosenblatt); Jakob (Amit Rahav) and his girlfriend Bella (Eva Feiler); and Mila (Hadas Yaron) and her husband Selim (Michael Aloni) and new baby. Joining them on holidays is Addy (Logan Lerman), who's making his way as a musician in Paris, and their boarder Adam Eichenwald (Sam Woolf). But as Hitler's antisemitic campaign intensifies, they must each look for ways to hide or escape if they're going to survive. As they apply for visas, escape labor and concentration camps throughout Europe, and in some cases, manage to secure visas to leave the continent, they're determined to find each other again once the war is over.
Is It Any Good?
The series, based on Georgia Hunter's grandfather's life story, is both distressing and inspiring as it tells the harrowing Holocaust survival stories of an extended Polish Jewish family. While focusing on Halina and Addy, We Were the Lucky Ones successfully reveals the systematic marginalization the Kurc family and other Jewish Poles endured during the Holocaust. It depicts having everything taken away, being forced into ghettos, and surviving pogroms perpetuated by Ukrainian nationalists (who scapegoated Jews as a result of Soviet occupation) and the Einsatzgruppen (German death squads). The limited support offered by international governments is also highlighted.
As the horror unfolds, the overall narrative stays focused on the courage of the Kurc siblings, and the commitment they have to their parents and to each other. Like any Holocaust story, We Were the Lucky Ones shows unspeakable evil and painful losses, but the miniseries manages to overshadow this with hope and heart.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the brave things people did during the Holocaust to help their families and others survive. What efforts did some non-Jewish communities make to help Jews during WW II?
We Were the Lucky Ones shows how quickly prejudice against a specific community can grow and spread. How does this happen? How can one stop this from happening?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 28, 2024
- Cast: Joey King , Logan Lerman , Hadas Yaron
- Network: Hulu
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Book Characters , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models , History
- Character Strengths: Communication , Compassion , Courage , Gratitude , Humility , Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: July 13, 2024
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