Sunny Pawar and Deepti Naval star in a scene from the movie "Lion." The Catholic News Service classification is A-III -- adults. (CNS/The Weinstein Company)

By Catholic News Service

The incredible true story of Saroo Brierley (Dev Patel) and his 20-year odyssey to locate his birth mother (Priyanka Bose) in India, is retold in this uplifting and emotional film, directed by Garth Davis.

As a 5-year-old boy, Saroo (Sunny Pawar) falls asleep in a boxcar and is transported 1,500 kilometers from home. Unable to remember his family name and home village, he is put up for adoption, and winds up in Australia in the care of a loving couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). Yet, as he grows into manhood with a promising career and a girlfriend (Rooney Mara), he is haunted by his lost childhood, and sets out on an epic quest to retrace his long-ago train journey and locate his relatives. A celebration of family, the movie also sends a strong pro-life message by underscoring the joys and merits of adoption, and showing that a child can be loved and shared equally by two sets of parents.

Unfortunately, the elements listed here preclude endorsement for younger viewers who might otherwise have profited from this touching narrative. Mature themes and two brief nongraphic nonmarital sex scenes. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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