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The power of love shines in this heartwarming tale of friendship and inspiration between an unlikely duo. Cheryl inadvertently befriends a mourning goose, Honk, while recycling in the local park. As the budding friendship blossoms and Cheryl seeks Honk a new home, he becomes a viral sensation capturing the hearts and minds of millions.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Kyla C. comments, “Honk is a heartwarming tale of a young goose and his journey through an unpredictable and dangerous time. The amazing Cheryl Alison truly brings the film to life, narrating with emotion and editing in news articles and interviews to help tell the story of the beloved Honk.” Eshaan M. adds, “Honk should be required watching for those who feel like they’re losing faith in the goodness of humanity and the beauty of companionship. Beautiful, raw emotion is captured in a mix of videos that were either collected from social media or filmed by the camera team, but beyond the technical bits of the film, the plot is what shines through.” Tiana S. adds, “Stop what you are doing and check out Honk, a powerful, heartwarming story about a loving friendship that developed between an unlikely duo! It’s a story about friendship, understanding and inspiration. Honk will make you see the world around you differently.” See their full reviews below.

Honk By Kyla C, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13

Honk is a heartwarming tale of a young goose and his journey through an unpredictable and dangerous time. The amazing Cheryl Alison truly brings the film to life, narrating with emotion and editing in news articles and interviews to help tell the story of the beloved Honk. This documentary will make everyone’s day and empower people to make the right decisions.

This film tells the story of Cheryl Allison’s caretaking of the young Honk through the COVID-19 pandemic. Cheryl portrays herself as a humble, average person who just needed somewhere to go, to escape quarantine’s limits. Along her journey, she discovers the adorable and energetic “Honk The Goose.” Honk forms an attachment to her, and she feels responsible for his well-being. Cheryl and Honk become internet famous, but face many obstacles throughout their time together.

Honk is one of the highest-quality documentaries I’ve seen. Not only is it entertaining and adorable, but it’s also educational. I’ve learned so much about how important each small decision can be. The balance between entertainment and education is excellent, never boring, and always provides the information necessary to understand the events of the documentary. Interviews with experts, shots of Honk and Cheryl’s friendship, and images of news articles help move Honk along. One of my favorite things about this documentary is how Cheryl is using the proceeds of everything she’s doing to raise awareness of geese like Honk and to support places that are making a difference. Honk and Cheryl’s story was, and still is, an inspiration to many. Honk’s Instagram account has over 77,000 followers. Through social media, and through this film, Cheryl hopes to support ducks, geese and other birds. By viewing Honk, you are supporting the Roger Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which is where Cheryl relocated Honk.

The message of Honk is to realize the consequences of your actions. Leaving a bit of fishing line at a shore, or dropping a plastic bottle, is potentially the difference between life and death for geese, ducks or any other animals. Honk educates people about the difference each person can make in their community and demonstrates the importance of learning about different species and how they live. Friendship and finding ways to bounce back from tough times are displayed throughout the film. This sets a bright mood for the majority of Honk, despite there being some serious and sometimes sad moments. Honk is a perfect family film. In addition, animal lovers, particularly bird lovers, will enjoy this film.

I give Honk 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. You can watch Honk on major streaming platforms and DVD beginning November 15, 2022. Remember, every view counts!

Honk By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

Such a wholesome joy of a film is hard to come by. Honk should be required watching for those who feel like they’re losing faith in the goodness of humanity and the beauty of companionship. Beautiful, raw emotion is captured in a mix of videos that were either collected from social media or filmed by the camera team, but beyond the technical bits of the film, the plot is what shines through. Especially for animal-lovers, this is a great watch.

Honk is a remarkable tale of unlikely companionship. Dallas native Cheryl Allison inadvertently befriends a loud, chatty goose she names Honk; she realizes he is mourning the loss of a loved one and their bond grows deeper. As the friendship blossoms, Cheryl seeks to find Honk a new home and he becomes a viral sensation across nations. The beautiful relationship between the two (not owner and pet but two equal friends) is wonderful to watch.

The direction and editing by Cheryl Allison are beautifully-executed. What’s really nice is that the subject of the documentary is the same person who directs and edits it; this means that she has been able to choose the most moving portions of footage and cut it together. I also love how the choice of music accentuates the mood of the more emotional scenes; the lyrics from the credits — “think about where we have been, the joy we shared with friends who cared, all the things we’ve seen” — were especially touching as they summarized the theme of the film. I like the contrast between the footage taken by the camera team and how formal and traditional it feels compared to the footage taken by Cheryl, which is more fun and informal.

Honk promotes finding those who support you and, in turn, helping others, whether animal or human, in times of difficulty. The compassion exhibited by Cheryl in this film also serves to push the message that we should care for animals, even those we wouldn’t consider domesticated or “pets,” because they too have highs and lows in their lives like we do.

I give Honk 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 7 to 18, plus adults. Honk releases November 15, 2022 on digital and DVD.

Honk By Tiana S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

HONK! HONK! Stop what you are doing and check out Honk, a powerful, heartwarming story about a loving friendship that developed between an unlikely duo! It’s a story about friendship, understanding and inspiration. Honk will make you see the world around you differently.

Honk tells the story of Cheryl Allison, who was cleaning up a park during COVID restrictions in 2020, and encountered a friendly, but lonely goose suffering from a great loss, who started following her around. She realized she couldn’t leave him alone there, so she started visiting daily and eventually they became best friends. The goose loved to make loud noises that sounded like honking, so Cheryl named him “Honk.” Their encounters were so unique and such a breath of fresh air, that Honk became a famous internet sensation once Cheryl posted their videos on social media.

Honk highlights how we should be treating other species in our world today. I enjoyed how this documentary is told through real-life experiences, live streams, Zoom calls and TV broadcasts. It helps give a full picture of Cheryl and Honk’s journey. One unexpected concept in the film is how pollution affects animals and their environments. There is one emotional scene where, after Cheryl finds a fishing line around Honk’s foot, she immediately cleans up the park and Honk’s surroundings to protect him. People don’t consider what happens to litter and how it can affect animals. You will experience different emotions while enjoying this film. It is funny watching Cheryl honking at Honk when she is looking for him. Their bond is so charming that Honk became one of the world’s most famous geese. There should be more “Cheryls” and “Honks” in the world.

Honk starts off being just about the loving bond and companionship between Cheryl and Honk. However, it has so many hidden messages — animal cruelty, pollution, friendship and, of course, kindness. We all have to play a part in taking care of our animals, which includes proper treatment when we can longer take care of them and just taking care of the earth, which then helps protect animals. The film forces you to sit back and think, not just about your day-to-day relationships, but also how you treat the planet.

I Honk 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. You can watch Honk on major streaming and cable platforms, plus DVD, starting November 8, 2022.

Honk By Carlee S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 17

Honk is a heartwarming documentary that follows the friendship between director and editor, Cheryl Allison, and a lovable goose. She successfully shows viewers how her friendship with a goose impacted her life. At a time when everything was uncertain in the world, this goose was the “honk heard ‘round the world.” He was able to reach out, in spite of social distancing constraints, and spread happiness to others.

This documentary is set during the Covid pandemic, when social distancing regulations were in effect. While on a walk Cheryl notices a goose approaching her. She names him Honk and they become instant friends. Cheryl decides to record her time with Honk and her videos and posts with him go viral on social media. She receives word from her friend, Mary Beth Purdy that Honk is a domestic goose and is in danger. Now Cheryl is on a mission to help save her goose friend from a harmful environment, predators and the new risks that social media has brought to him.

This documentary is touching and beautiful. My favorite scene is when Cheryl goes back to the pond the day after she first meets Honk and records herself calling to him. Honk immediately recognizes her voice and swims to her. She talks to him and he responds with his honking sounds. This shows how attached Honk was to her from the start. The film is a mix of interviews, zoom meetings and videos of Cheryl with Honk. The added footage of her initial recordings with Honk are delightfully entertaining. It gives viewers a better understanding of Cheryl and Honk’s friendship and the bond they create with each other as time progresses. The information about animals in the film, by experts Mary Beth Purdy and Kathy Rogers, is insightful and adds depth to the understanding of caring for these types of animals. In addition, the music at the end of the documentary fits well with the theme.

The message of this film is about love and the connections you make with others. Love and a need for companionship is what drove Honk and Cheryl together. It then drove her to protect him. While watching, we also gain a better understanding of what animals need, the importance of protecting animals, and what we can contribute to help keep these animals safe.

I give Honk 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. Honk releases November 15, 2022 on digital platforms and DVD.

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