We went to see The Tale of Despereaux last night. There were lots of things I really liked about it. The art direction is inspiring. There were so many elements in the setting that I really loved: needles, thread, illuminated manuscripts, rich tapestries, books, tiny houses, keys, buttons and other small inspiring objects. Plus, soup and cheese play important parts in the story. I love both soup and cheese. So all of that was wonderful, but...
Wow. There were some very heavy themes in the movie. Revenge. Grief. Loss. Torture. Public Sacrifice. Fear. Banishment. I suppose it's all wrapped in a fairy tale package, but it felt so dark to me. I certainly don't intend to shelter my children from reality, but I do seek to present such serious subjects in an appropriate manner and at an appropriate time. I'm not saying that the movie was inappropriate. It just made me squirm a bit. In the end, it has a wonderful message about courage, bravery and overcoming grief. But, I'm not sure it was worth all it took to get there.
Aside from all that, the princess in the movie looks just like
I had the delight of finally meeting Susan when I was in Maine in September.
Here we are at the Bowdoinham Library where my friend Kate is the librarian. It was story hour and Kate was leading a craft with a bunch of local kids including Susan's kids. The large blue and purple painting above us is Susan's work. What a fun connection.
1 comment:
Never feel guilty about wanting to shelter your kids. I find that whatever the age the movies are marketed towards, I think they are appropriate for kids about 5 years older. My kids are still watching mostly G rated movies and very few at that. There will be a time when darker themes are appropriate, but it doesn't have to be when marketers say it is.
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