Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Information on our May Family Movie
from Plugged in Online
The Tale of Despereaux
In the Kingdom of Dor, soup is amazing. Even a whiff of royal chef Andre's scrumptious potage is almost like having a meal. So to celebrate this culinary sensation, everyone gathers at an "event bigger than Christmas" where Andre dishes up his yearly specialty.
And everyone includes a rat named Roscuro.
Little does anyone know, this well-meaning pest will turn Dor upside down. When he accidentally plunges into the queen's soup, he scares her, quite literally, to death. She falls face first into the bowl and never wakes up.
Dor's grief-stricken king hastily bans soup—and pronounces all rats illegal, relegating them to dark and sinister Ratworld. Then something strange happens: The sun disappears from Dor. Clouds cover the land, but the rain refuses to fall. Gloom descends. By way of explanation, the narrator states that the rats' presence was a very natural thing, and that when something as unnatural as their banishment occurs, everyone hurts.
Life seems so dreary that the king's daughter, Princess Pea, wonders if there's even a little bit of light anywhere in the world. And times are so dark ... that they cry out for a hero! A tiny mouse named Despereaux Tilling is that hero. And it doesn't matter a bit that his shape and size don't make him look like one.
Below the castle in Mouseworld, The Tale of Despereaux begins with fear. But Despereaux doesn't have the ability to feel it. Unlike his peers, he's born with his eyes wide open. He doesn't scurry or cower at pictures of carving knives as his classmates do. He even has the audacity to draw cats (gasp!) on his notebook. Obviously, his heartbroken parents are concerned by these "unmeek behaviors" and learning impediments. After all, every mouse worth his cheese knows the very essence of being a mouse is to be afraid.
Despereaux doesn't care. His courage, honor, chivalry and thirst for adventure lead him beyond Mouseworld's confining expectations. He defies the status quo to speak to Princess Pea and address her heart's longing. He dares to befriend Roscuro. And he has the gumption required to pursue justice and defend the weak.
Positive Elements
Initially embittered by a rejection he gets from the princess, Roscuro eventually chooses to forgive and apologize. Rather than condemn the rat's sometimes malevolent actions, Pea returns the apology. It turns out that grief really isn't the strongest thing someone can feel. Forgiveness is. And Roscuro's single act of forgiveness turns life around for the princess and for Dor.
Another of Despereaux's gems is its underlying belief that no one need be limited by physical appearance. Despereaux, for example, is smaller than other mice, but he is mightier in spirit and more capable than all of them. And though he is taunted for his appearance, his unusually large eyes and ears enable him to see and hear more than anyone else in Mouseworld.
Echoing this theme is plain and homely Mig, who longs to be a beautiful princess. Though she is a peasant girl whose lot in life is to slop pigs and be sold as a servant, she pines for another identity. She finally finds solace and beauty when she discovers she truly is a princess in someone's eyes. Her story also illuminates the need for every little girl to have a daddy to make her feel special.
Despereaux learns to read and appreciate books rather than eat them like his fellow mice do. Through his newfound love of reading, he embraces life and chases after courage, graciousness and nobility. He also learns more about overcoming difficulties through the princess and her story—she is not a true prisoner because she still possesses hope.
Perhaps above all, Despereaux illustrates the importance of extending grace in the face of misunderstanding. It's really all a series of knee-jerk responses to pain that throws Dor into gloom in the first place. The king hurts Roscuro. The rat hurts the princess after she hurts him. The princess hurts Mig by inadvertently belittling her. And Mig hurts the princess in retaliation. But a sincere apology sets each quarrel right.
Only then does the sun shine in Dor again.
Spiritual Content
Little if anything in The Tale of Despereaux is overtly spiritual. But in a possible nod toward magic, Chef Andre's recipes somewhat resemble a potion book, and he puts together soup with the help of a creature named Baldo, who is made up of various floating vegetables. Several mice believe Despereaux is a ghost when he returns to Mouseworld, because he's covered in white dust. The narrator mentions characters meeting their destiny.
Sexual Content
None.
Violent Content
Because this tale is set in a medieval castle, it's no surprise that much of the violent content centers on knights and sword fights. For example, knights chase after Roscuro, swinging maces and battleaxes at him. An ax hits the back of a knight's helmet, barely missing Roscuro, and a metal ball does eventually hit the rat in the head, knocking him out. Despereaux wields a needle "sword" with which he fights various opponents, once plunging it into Andre's foot.
A dragon blows fire at a knight who swings at him with a sword.
Roscuro and Despereaux get thrown across rooms and fall from great heights. Both punch and kick rats in their attempts to break free from Ratworld. Despereaux falls on his head after tumbling down stairs and running through 17 snapping mousetraps.
In tense scenes that may worry younger children, Despereaux (who is in the wrong place at the wrong time) and Pea (who has been kidnapped) end up in Ratworld's Colosseum-like arena. In this stadium, a snarling cat chases Despereaux, swiping at him with open claws, growling and knocking him against a wall. The rat king later holds Despereaux over the sharp-toothed cat as bait. Later, in the same arena, the princess is tied down by ropes and taken to the floor where she is supposed to be the rats' dinner. Crowds of rats chant "Eat! Eat!" as they cheer the "games" on. Roscuro throws a villainous rat into the hungry cat's cage, a messy death implied.
Andre and Baldo throw vegetables and bottles, and they punch each other. In cahoots with Roscuro, Mig carries a cleaver and some rope, both intended to help them overthrow Princess Pea.
Crude or Profane Language
A surprised mouse blurts "oh my gosh!" Under her breath, Mig exclaims God's name, and she complains about a "damp, dank place" with an accent that led some in the theater to hear it as "d--n, dank ..." Name-calling includes "crazy" and "weird."
Drug and Alcohol Content
None.
Other Negative Elements
Ratworld is dark and sinister, with bridges and buildings built from ribs and other bones. When entering this gruesome place, Despereaux encounters an old skull that is later used as a carriage.
Despereaux might be brave, but sometimes his courage propels him to defy Mouseworld's laws—which the Mouse Council says are there to protect them and their way of life. The little hero doesn't maliciously or self-seekingly break rules, but he nonetheless oversteps his boundaries.
(Everything works out fine for Despereaux, of course, but parents might want to try to flip that result on its head and use the mouse's flaw as an opportunity to discuss respect with their children—especially when the rules kids face don't seem to make sense to them.)
Though his motive for saving the mouse is honorable, Roscuro lies to the rat king, saying he wants to take Despereaux from the arena in order to eat him himself.
Conclusion
Over the centuries, fairy tales have been used to teach real-life lessons in more enduring ways than realistic fare often can. In The Tale of Despereaux, perhaps it's the wonder of talking animals coupled with classical nobility, courage and hope that makes facing serious subjects such as longing, forgiveness, fear and bravery less daunting for young audiences.And indeed, children are likely to be as significantly influenced by the movie as they are by the Newbery Award-winning book of the same title. Author Kate DiCamillo says of Despereaux's encouraging plot, "We're always underestimating children, but those major themes of how to be brave, how to be courageous, how to love, how to forgive, those things are constant themes in their lives, too."
They usually come with a bit of darkness designed to drive home their points (here, sword-swinging knights, a fire-breathing dragon, a kidnapping and life-threatening Colosseum-style clashes fill that role), but fairy tales can still provide a refreshing perspective on life's heavier moments—even for adults. Yes, we adults all feel small sometimes, too. We all feel some tasks at hand are insurmountable. And honest and simple stories such as Despereaux's can encourage both child and parent in fantastical yet important ways
(Ideas adapted from Kidology.org website)
Teachable Themes
- Fear has to be Learned.
- Forgiveness
- What You Look Like Does Not Equal What You Are.
- We Make the Choice in How We Respond to the Things that Happen in Our Lives.
Despereaux has no fear. Those in the mice community are very concerned with this. He is even paired up with his brother to learn how to fear, but fear does not come natural to Despereaux.
Even though it was an accident, Roscuro understands that he must ask for forgiveness.
Through the experiences of Despereaux, who is too small and has big ears, and Mig, who longs to be a princess, we learn that looks really don’t matter...it is what is in your heart.
In this movie we are told that, “The same thing that makes one person angry, can turn another person to grief.”
- Forgiveness
- Outward Appearances Don’t Really Matter
- God Will Give Us Courage to be a Hero in This World Deuteronomy 31:6
Colossians 3:13
“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (NLT)
1 Samuel 16:7
“But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (NLT)
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (NLT)
Discussion Questions
- What happens if you make something illegal that is a normal part of this world?
- What are the characteristics of a hero? Are you willing to be a hero for God?
- What would you do if your own name was a bad word?
- In this movie we are told that, “when you heart breaks it grows back crooked.” What can straighten out a crooked heart?
- What are your afraid of? How can you get rid of fear?
- How would you feel if someone told you, “You look ridiculous?” What did Mig learn from her experience.
- Roscuro needed to ask for forgiveness. Did he give up? Why?
- How we react to things is a choice. In this movie we are told that, “the same thing that makes one person angry can turn another person to grief.” Why do you think this is so?
- In fairy tales, like this movie, everything works out in the end. Is this what it is like in real life? Why?
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Friday, April 01, 2011
A To-Don’t List
Chances are you have a TO DO list that is longer than today…maybe even this week or this month. The pressure that can put on you is huge.
Parenting only makes it more complicated. Every parent wants their child to succeed and do well in life, and it seems the opportunities for them to gain an edge come earlier and earlier in life. From swimming lessons to flash cards, from T-ball to football and dance to music lessons, families have an array of options in front of them that stretch calendars, bank accounts and physical limits. The pace of our lives is exhausting.
So here’s an idea for all of us who feel overwhelmed. Sit down today and start creating a list of things you are going to stop doing and things you simply decide you won’t do. Call it a ‘To-Don’t’ list.
Here are some ways to begin:
Cut an activity your child is currently engaged in. You can decide to do this however you want, but we decided that our kids would do music and one sport at a time. And that was about all they did. Even with just two kids, that’s a lot of activity.
Cut something from your personal calendar. It’s not just what your kids are up to, it’s what you’re juggling as well. The more complicated your life is, the more complicated your family life is.
Decide ahead of time what you won’t do.This will take some thought and reflection, but a lot of times we agree to something because it came up in the moment and we were caught off guard.
Think about it. Requests come in almost every day. More and more, my wife and I ask for time to think about something and talk it through before saying ‘yes.’
Creating a ‘To-Don’t’ list will help:
Give more meaning to what you do.
Give you more energy for what you do.
Give you more joy in what you do.
Give more focus to what you do.
Finally, it will help create margin to enjoy some of the great moments that come from simply being together.
What’s your experience with this? Do you have a ‘To-Don’t’ list? What might happen if you created one?