November 10, 2007 9:05 AM
Meet the Robinsons
My Close to Home column from the Loudoun Times-Mirror this week (I publish there the first Wednesday of each month in the Go! section) was about a movie Tripp and I saw in the theater with our kids and loved. Tripp actually had the date it was to come out on DVD marked on his calendar.
Little stories, big lessonsI LOVED Meet the Robinsons!
Though I'm not one easily thrilled by "fluff" and the fast paced cleverness had me wondering early on whether this would just turn out to be like the Alice in Wonderland Teacups at Disneyland – a quick spin that left me a little dizzy but not necessarily wanting to try it again – I eventually found a message so moving that I cried like a baby at the end.
This is a movie about family, which may sound odd since it's really about an orphan. If you’re familiar with the picture book – which is simply a series of random and fanciful events – you’ll be amazed by the rich back-story the writers have created for all the eccentric characters and the substantive theme they’ve drawn: Keep Moving Forward.
This is a movie about a spiritual lesson we’d all do well to learn – and without any hint of religiosity. I don't want to spoil it for you, but the contrast between how Lewis – who was abandoned by his mom as a baby and hasn't been able to find a home of his own – and his orphan roomie Goob deal with disappointment is a powerful message on how responsible each of us is for our own fate.
The older I get, the more I realize that – like Lewis and Goob – each of us has a back-story. Each of us had childhood hurts and disappointments, and while some seem more dramatic than others, all offer us a choice. We can become tough or tender, bitter or better.
So in the end it’s not the magnitude of the trauma that determines who you become. It’s how you respond. While the nurture/nature question is fascinating, as someone who rose above terrible odds myself, I'm pretty heavy on the side of personal responsibility.
The beautiful life that Lewis eventually finds is affirmation that people who let go of bitterness and self-pity can achieve amazing things. I found the theme reminiscent of my favorite Old Testament story – Joseph, who realized that in spite of the rejection and treachery in his early life, God had used every single thing to accomplish something remarkably good. When he had the chance to punish his brothers for hurting him, he forgave them and when they were amazed that he could forgive, he simply said, “You meant it for harm, but God meant it for good.”
That’s a good way to feel about your past. It’s healing and liberating. And when you’ve lived through that kind of transformation and see it happen on a movie screen for someone else, well – gee, what can I say? It just makes you cry at how beautiful life can turn out to be.
Does this all sound very heavy for a G-rated Disney move? It's not.
Like me, you’ll probably be amazed that such a powerful lesson can be taught in a bright and fun vehicle. Since I strongly believe in the power of movies to shape our thinking – and because I think children can absorb important concepts before they are capable of abstract thought through the medium of stories – I can't recommend this movie highly enough.
Watch this one with your kids! Or even without them – it’s that good!
Comments
As the mother of an adopted son I am very critical of adoption movies. Hollywood seems to always miss the mark, making either the birthparents or the adoptive parents as bad. This movie doesn't do that. I took my son to see this movie at the theater not knowing this had adoption as part of the theme. I too loved it, I left the theater in tears. We have watched this many times on DVD since.
Posted by: Kim G | January 28, 2008 7:44 AM
