Thursday, April 12, 2007

Meet the Robinsons


Just wondering if anyone has seen this movie and I'm curious what you thought of it?

We got an email from someone through our agency warning us about the content of this movie. Here's what was said about the movie in this particular email:

We feel that it is important to warn you about a Disney movie called "Meet the Robinsons" that is now playing at many local cinemas. The advertising for this animated feature makes it sound like a great movie for any young child. Fortunately, one of our adoptive parents alerted us about the negative adoption messages in the story and the very unhappy experience she had with both of her children who were very greatly disturbed by the messages conveyed in this film. As a result, I went to see the film to decide if it warrented putting out an alert to our adoptive parent community. Indeed, I thought that the concerns raised were completely valid.

The movie is filled with extraordinarily inappropriate messages about adoption. The basic story is about an adorable baby whose birth mother leaves him on the doorstep of an orphanage. Portrayed as loving, sweet, extremely smart and overly appealing, he spends the next 12 years of his life wanting a family and being turned down by one family after another - in all, 114 couples refuse to adopt him. One scene shows a prospective dad losing interest in adoption because this very smart little boy is more interested in science than sports. The prospective parents leave the disappointed child in a huff when he accidently splatters them with some liquid from his science project. This is supposed to be funny.

Since no one else wants him, the child invents a time machine inorder to go back in time to find his birth mother. The "bad guy" in his time travel journey turns out to be his best buddy from childhood, once his orphanage roommate. Now an emotional wreck resulting from being left behind when the orphanage was closed and shut down, the once-cute orphan is now mean and devious. Another chuckle. Various monsters attack the child as he continues his birthmother search. You get the picture! I found "Meet the Robinsons" to be both tasteless and totally insensitive regarding adoption issues. Please think very carefully before taking your child to see it, whether adopted or not. I will write the Disney Corporation to let them know about my concerns about their flippent way of dealing with issues that are extremely important and not funny for millions of adoptees and their families in this country and around the world.

Our kids are too young to sit through a full length movie like this in a theatre anyway, so I don't plan to go see it but I would love to hear from you. Have you seen it? What did you think?

5 comments:

Catherine said...

I haven't seen it yet but am hoping to take my 8yo niece to see it. I've heard it might be better suited for 8 and up.

If I go, I'll let you know what I think.

Jill and Jaap said...

I have not seen it either. They are giving it lots of reviews over on the Canadians Yahoo site.

t~ said...

I have not seen the movie, but did get a warning from our agency. We never go to the movies but thanks for your thoughts on it.

The luckiest mommy in the world said...

Haven't seen it Karen but thanks for the warning. We have 4 nieces who watch lots of movies. I would hate for them to get the wrong idea about adoption.

Deb

Kennedy and Jaida's mom said...

I haven't seen it either but from that description, it sounds like Disney took a wrong turn somewhere. Sounds like they chose a very sensitive topic to make a "funny" movie.