Tracy Morgan: Staying Alive – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Tracy Morgan: Staying Alive

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2017

32%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Tracy Morgan turns his near-death experience into comedy gold—but this is strictly adults-only material wrapped in an inspirational comeback story.

83%

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Tracy Morgan: Staying Alive

movie

NR, 2017

32%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Tracy Morgan turns his near-death experience into comedy gold—but this is strictly adults-only material wrapped in an inspirational comeback story.

83%

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83%

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, Tracy Morgan surviving that horrific 2014 car accident and getting back on stage is legitimately inspiring. The man was in a coma, had a traumatic brain injury, and clawed his way back to doing stand-up. That's remarkable.

But this special is 100% adult content. If you're on Screenwise looking for something for your kids, keep scrolling. This is for grown-ups who appreciate Morgan's particular brand of raw, explicit comedy and want to see how he processed his near-death experience through humor.

The critical reception is decent (83% from critics), but audience scores are more mixed (73%, 6.3/10 on IMDb), suggesting it's good but not great. If you're a Morgan fan or interested in comeback stories told through comedy, it's worth your time. If you're looking for family viewing or something the teens can watch, absolutely not.

Age Fit

This is strictly for adults (18+). While the comeback story is inspiring, the delivery is pure R-rated stand-up comedy with all the profanity, sexual references, and crude humor that entails. Not remotely appropriate for teens despite the 15+ CSM rating—that's the absolute floor, not a recommendation.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Stand-up comedy special with adult humor about comas, marriage, and family dysfunction. While Morgan's resilience post-accident is admirable, the content includes crude jokes, profanity, and mature themes that don't model prosocial behavior. Not designed for family viewing.

Imaginative

Morgan takes a genuinely traumatic near-death experience and transforms it into comedy, which shows creative resilience. His storytelling about being in a coma is original and unexpected. However, as a stand-up special, it's passive entertainment with no interactive or creative elements for viewers.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates this 15+, indicating mature content. Stand-up specials in this vein typically include profanity, sexual references, and adult themes. Given Morgan's comedic style and the subject matter (coma, marriage, 'family's dark side'), expect explicit language and inappropriate content for younger viewers. No content warnings available in the data, but the nature of adult stand-up makes this predictably unsafe for children.

Enriching

There's genuine inspirational value in Morgan's comeback story after his 2014 near-fatal accident—his resilience and ability to find humor in trauma could resonate with adults. The special offers perspective on recovery and perseverance. However, it's purely entertainment without educational content or skill-building. Moderate critical reception (83% RT critics, 73% audience, 6.3 IMDb) suggests decent but not exceptional quality.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Morgan's resilience after a devastating 2014 car accident is genuinely inspiring—he nearly died and came back to do what he loves
Strong critical reception (83% on Rotten Tomatoes) suggests solid comedic execution
Offers an adult perspective on recovery, mortality, and finding humor in dark places
His willingness to joke about trauma could spark conversations about coping mechanisms and resilience

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What to Watch For

This is rated 15+ for good reason—expect profanity, sexual content, and mature themes throughout
Morgan's comedic style is raw and explicit, not the sanitized stuff you'd see on network TV
Subject matter includes comas, marriage issues, and 'family's dark side'—not light viewing
If you're looking for family-friendly inspiration, this ain't it

Conversation Starters

"How do you think humor helps people deal with really difficult experiences?"
"Morgan almost died in that accident—what does it say about him that he came back to perform?"
"Do you think there's a difference between laughing at trauma and laughing through trauma?"

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