SYNOPSIS:

GENRES: Action/Adventure and Science Fiction/Fantasy

TIME: 2 hr. 40 minutes

RATED: PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking.

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OUR THOUGHTS ON THIS MOVIE

(Recommended Age Group: 13+ years)

Obviously Avatar is not a movie for kids. However, if you have teens and you’re not offended by seeing movies made by non-Christians with a non-Christian worldview—which describes almost every movie that comes out of Hollywood—then you’ve probably already seen it.

We’ve spent quite a bit of time in preparation for writing this article, reading reviews and comments from viewers about this movie all over the web. Frankly, the thing we came away amazed about is how so many Christians seem to be offended with Avatar’s non-Christian content.

In the comments we read, it has been criticized for being anti-God, anti-America, politically biased and supportive of non Christian religions. The question we were left asking is, “You paid money to see a movie made by non Christians in Hollywood. Why were you expecting the movie to reflect a Christian worldview?”

We live in a fallen world, but we’re citizens of God’s Kingdom. We’re called to grow in our Faith and to help bring others into the Kingdom so they can do the same. We are not citizens of this world whose task is to make everyone else—non-Christians—behave themselves so that we can have a nice place to bring up our children. Yes, we should care what goes on around us, however, it’s our focus or emphasis that we’re talking about. We can’t make others behave differently than they believe they should, just so they don’t upset us or contradict our worldview.

There’s really only two honest ways for Christian parents to deal with Hollywood’s movies. Either do your homework and only go see movies that are made by Christians and have a Christian worldview. Or go see some reasonable and rating-appropriate movies fully expecting typical Hollywood content—because that’s what you are going to get—and then discuss the movies with your kids.

We at ChristianParentingDaily believe that movies can provide an awesome opportunity to talk with our kids about the difference between the way the world sees things and what the Bible teaches. We of course don’t believe that Christian parents should intentionally serve up a plate full of rotting food just so that they can have a discussion with their kids about how awful it made them feel. Watching ‘R’ rated movies and/or movies that you know contain a load of garbage, and fooling yourself that you’re seeing it so you can talk about it as a family is hypercritical.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

However, watching reasonable movies and using them to help your kids learn to chew on the meat—or fat—of the entertainment and spit out the bones of misconception, is a reasonable response to our culture.

Our purpose here isn’t to review the movie—most of you have seen it and have read the reviews—but to provide some talking points that you can use to generate conversation with your teenagers who have seen it. Print this out and drop it on the dinner table at meal time and let the discussion fly.

Lewd Language

The movie contains a fair amount of off-color language and a few occasions where God’s and Jesus’ names are used in swearing. This kind of language is rife in our culture and it would be difficult to imagine how we could prevent ourselves or our kids from hearing it at all. Fortunately, hearing offensive language isn’t forbidden in the Bible; it’s using it that we’re told not to do.

You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. (Exodus 20:7)

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:4)

Unfortunately, unless we’re careful about our constant exposure to, and our attitudes towards swearing, we can find ourselves slipping into the habit of using language that’s unacceptable for Christians to use. Discuss with your kids why swearing is inappropriate for Christians—because “we’re not supposed to” only goes so far. Here are some questions to get the conversation started:

• Would you like your friends and family to use your name as a swear word and have your name—and person—become synonymous with frustration, stupidity and bad things happening? How do you think the Lord feels when we use his name merely as a throw away expression (OMG) or a swear word?
• Can we use God’s name carelessly in front of non-Christians and then expect them to believe us when we tell them about how good he is and how much he loves us? Do we diss the people we respect, or is that inconsistent?
• Read Ephesians 4:29 above: We are called to love others. When we swear at someone or about something they did, are we demonstrating that love? Love is patient, love is kind…
• Read Ephesians 5:4 above: The Bible says that we are to count it all joy when stuff goes wrong (James 1:2) because we know that God will work things out for us and that we’ll get stronger trusting him through it. When we swear when something bad happens, are we demonstrating our joy and our trust? Shouldn’t our immediate response show our thankfulness to God who’s willing to help us through trouble?
• God has called us to be holy; are we demonstrating our desire to be holy when we use language that’s crude and represents or depicts sinful acts?
• It’s not the words themselves that are wrong, it’s what they say about our attitudes, our Faith and our purity. If that’s true, is using substitute words (darn, frig, flipping, ship, omg etc.) any different?

Military Bashing

We read many viewer comments complaining that the movie had an anti-military message. The viewers taking the other side are quick to point out that the movie specifically states that the soldiers are EX marines who are now working for the corporation that is funding this expedition. The original group fires back that the uniforms, symbols and language all seem to identify these men as US soldiers, not mercenaries.

The Bible says that God is the one who set up the system of governments and the authorities to keep the peace and punish those who do wrong. (Read Romans 13:1 – 5) After reading this portion of scripture, start the conversation with these questions:

• Just as police help keep law and order within a country for a government, their army protects them from threats outside their borders. So don’t these verses show us that God uses armies as well as the police to keep those who do wrong in check?
• Even though God has ordained governments and their police departments and armies, isn’t it possible for politicians, police officers, judges and soldiers to also do wrong? Isn’t that why we have government authorities that check on government authorities? Also, in a democracy, aren’t the citizens similarly empowered to speak their mind or use their vote when they believe the government is abusing their power?
• Do you think this movie is anti-military or anti the misuse of military? Anti-American or anti-greed?

Racial Wranglings

Some have called the movie racist. The Bible is clear that we are to treat every human being, regardless of race, sex, status, financial position, etc. as equal and with respect whether they are believers or not.

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. (James 2:1)

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

So we know what we believe, here are some questions about the movie:

• Do you think the movie’s message is racist or anti racist?
• Do you think the movie’s depiction of the Na’vi people is somehow a racist and negative depiction of Native Americans, African Americans or any other people group? Or do you think the movie is merely saying that, “Just because people are different from you, doesn’t mean they have less rights and just because you have more power than they do, that doesn’t mean you can take advantage of them”?

Religious Misconceptions

Many have complained about the worship and religion of the Na’vi, complaining that the movie is promoting earth worship or New Age Spiritualism. There are even scenes of worship rituals for, and prayer to, Na’vi’s unseen female deity.

In fantasy fiction, other worlds inhabited by otherworldly creatures with different customs, powers, and beliefs are created. Lord of The Rings, Narnia and even simple stories like Jack and The Beanstalk are fantasy fiction. The Lord of The Rings and the Narnia books were written by Christians, but we read very little in these books about prayer and Faith in God as the Bible presents it. There are even things done by the good people of these books that Christians should not do. Why?

It would be very awkward to impose Biblical accuracy on an imaginary world that God did not create as well as on imaginary people that he did not send his Son Jesus to die for.

The purpose for fantasy fiction is for entertainment and also—when it’s written with a message—to take us to another place that will help us reflect and observe something that may be good and/or wrong in ourselves. The message in The Lord of The Rings has to do with standing up for more than only your rights. It’s about courage in the face of adversity, friendship, acceptance of others despite their differences, servant leadership, and the true responsibility of, and not misuse of, power. All of these messages are Biblical, yet the Bible is not once mentioned in the story.

Here are some discussion starters:

• Do you feel that Avatar is merely a regular fantasy fiction—beliefs and all—trying to make a point, or do you believe its makers actually have a religious agenda that they are pushing?
• Do you think that the similarities that exist when you compare the Na’vi’s religion to some of the naturalistic and/or spiritualistic religions that are around today, were meant to promote those religions?
• Do you think that the creators of the movie created this religion for religious purposes or as a message on the environment or neither?
• Do you think the Na’vi religion will cause any of the movie’s viewers to be more open to naturalistic and spiritualistic religions?
• Not much is said about the Faith—or lack thereof—of the humans who have travelled to Pandora from Earth. What could be said about that part of the movie?

Political Maneuvering

Many have pointed to certain lines in the movie that seem to reveal a political agenda; “preemptive strikes,” “shock and awe” and fighting “terror with terror.”

A few simple questions:

• Do you see the movie as having a political agenda or as one speaking out against injustice, greed and the misuse of power, or both?
• Do you think it unfortunate that the writers added this language?
• Have you seen movies from Hollywood with political agendas? Do you expect it, or does it bother you and why?
• If a movie is supportive of a certain political view, does that make it anti-Christian?

Blue Modesty & Marriage

Some have complained about the fact that the Na’vi wear only a  lion cloth and very well placed bead and feather necklaces. There’s also one scene where two of the Na’vi ‘mate for life’.

Here’s a couple of discussion starters:

• Do you think that partial nudity is being promoted in the movie or that its creators wanted to properly reflect the way these people were most likely to dress? Or do you think they had another agenda, such as ticket sales?
• There are cultures in our world where partial nudity is acceptable and common-place. Do you believe there is a difference between depicting cultural partial nudity as a way of life and the sensual depiction of it?
• Jesus told us that looking on a member of the opposite sex with lust in your heart is the same as committing adultery (Matthew 5:28). How do you think that applies to this movie?
• The Bible book of Genesis tells the story of Isaac and Rebekah. Abraham’s servant was sent to get a wife for Isaac. With the Lord’s help he found a woman who agreed to go with him and to marry Isaac. When Isaac and Rebekah first met they went into a tent and became husband and wife forever (Genesis 24). The story seems to show that back then, agreeing to be husband and wife and then making love made you married for life. Different cultures have different marriage ceremonies. Did you find the Na’vi ‘wedding’ ceremony offensive? Or did you find it refreshing because the movie creators showed that sex is for marriage and marriage is forever? How is this different from the modern day—and unbiblical—concepts of casual sex, dating sex, and living together to see if it’s going to work?

The Road to Zion

The Bible teaches that God has written eternity on our hearts.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

…since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts… (Romans 2:15a)

You’ve heard it said that before we come to Jesus, we all have a God shaped hole in our hearts. The fact is God created us in such a way that His truth and the salvation story somehow ring true when we hear them—and if we’re open to hear the ringing. What I find fascinating is that writers who apparently don’t even understand God’s redemptive plan, will let the message that was written inside them by the hand of God, flow out of their hearts into their pens, creating uncanny parallels that end up finding a resonating ring in the hearts and minds of their audience.

Here are a few possible parallels to discuss;

• Fantasy Fiction usually takes place in a fantastic world and contains amazing creatures and/or beings with wonderful powers. Could it be that one of the reasons we all love this kind of movie is that it resonates with our interest in Heaven; an awesome place beyond imagining, with wonderful beings such as angels, cherubim and seraphim and amazing power and promise?
• Jesus always was and is part of the trinity. He became a human for the sake of our salvation. He died to help us, and then rose from the dead with a human body that he’ll have forever. Do you see a rough parallel in Avatar’s story?

If you’ve thought of other great discussion points or you’d like to share some great conversations that you had with your teens about this movie, feel free to add your comments.

GENRES: Kids/Family and Animation

TIME: 1 hr. 37 minutes

RATED: G

OUR THOUGHTS ON THIS MOVIE

(Recommended Age Group: all ages)

We really enjoyed this movie, however after seeing the obese humans on their hover couches, a few of us were thinking that perhaps a little exercise would do us some good. Although you can glean that message from the movie, (too much couch potatoing and computer chair potatoing can lead to obesity), that’s not the message of the movie.

The movie contrasts the love relationship between two hard working robots with the humans of the future who have become so linked into entertainment, social media and gaming that they’ve all but forgotten what it’s like to have face to face interpersonal relationships. Wall-E causes a woman’s holographic computer screen to disengage and she seems to see the world around her for the first time. The same happens with a guy named John and when the two of them meet and accidentally hold hands (something the screen writers use as a wonderful symbol of personal interaction and relationship), they look like they’re discovering something foreign but wonderful.

There are some great talking point opportunities in this movie. Here are a few:

Discuss how the movie is not saying that TV, gaming and the internet are bad, it’s saying that interpersonal relationships are better. Discuss why they’re better and what kind of balance we should look for.

Wall-E, after being alone for hundreds of years, recognizes the value of another person’s company, attention and love and he’s willing to put in the effort and work it takes to get it. Discuss how valuable the relationships in our lives can be and how we need to put time, love and effort in if we really want them to be rewarding.

Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love others. Discuss how since God is love and therefore completely unselfish, what he tells us is always for our own good not his. Therefore, the two things that he says are most important, must hold the two greatest blessings as well. Loving growing relationships with God and others (interpersonal relationships) are truly the greatest gifts and rewards this life has to offer.

The movie is a good reminder to us parents as well. Limiting and or nagging our kids about time in front of objects with screens is perhaps not as effectual as teaching them about the wonders of relationships and encouraging them to spend more face-to-face time. If your older kids tell you that they’re doing that through the internet, let them know that that’s great, but not the same. Like Wall-E showed us, if you can’t hold the other person’s hand (connect with them person to person) it’s just not the same level of relationship.

If your kids are very young and they don’t like being moved out from in front of their screened instruments, try drawing them away with some planned relational time with you. Young children learn the value of interpersonal relationships by experiencing the joy of hanging out with their parents and receiving their attention.

This movie is a keeper and would make a great Christmas present.

The soundtrack is also amazing and a recommended purchase for great family music. Here’s what Wikipedia says about the soundtrack.

“WALL-E is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, mainly composed by Thomas Newman and released on June 24, 2008. Orchestration is credited to Carl Johnson, JAC Redford, Thomas Pasatieri, and Gary K. Thomas. Newman previously scored Finding Nemo; almost all other Pixar films have been scored by Newman’s cousin Randy. The soundtrack features excerpts from “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” and “It Only Takes a Moment” (both sung by Michael Crawford) from the Hello, Dolly! soundtrack, and “La Vie en Rose” by Louis Armstrong, as well as an original composition, “Down to Earth” by Peter Gabriel. Also featured are the classical pieces “Also Sprach Zarathustra” and “The Blue Danube”, famous by their appearance on the soundtrack of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Neither Etta James’s cover of the song, At Last, nor Aquarela do Brasil which were used in the theatrical trailers appeared on the final cut of the film or the soundtrack.”

SYNOPSIS: When threatened by a evil Master Kung Fu snow leopard, the jungle animals call upon an inept panda to become their Dragon Warrior and save the Valley of Peace.

GENRES: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Kids/Family and Animation

TIME: 1 hr. 35 minutes

RATED: PG for sequences of martial arts action

OUR THOUGHTS ON THIS MOVIE

(Recommended Age Group: 4+ years)

Okay, we got sucked in by the Kung Fu vortex. This movie is a lot of fun. We don’t recommend it for very small children (3 and under) because of all of the fighting. The fight scenes are a nice combination of serious fighting and cartoon fighting where no one seems to actually get hurt, however they are still quite intense.

One of the Tweeples on our Twitter feed said that he thought that the movie was Star Wars (the force) meets the Matrix, meets cartoon animals. Which brings up a great discussion topic for your family.

The core of this movie’s message is as follows:

• Everyone has a destiny or purpose
• Don’t try and be someone else, or follow someone else’s idea about your purpose
• Your purpose can be discovered through your dreams and desires
• You have what you need to realize your purpose
• You must believe all of this and believe in yourself
• You should apply yourself to the training and/or education that will prepare you
• You should listen to people who want to help you and ignore those who try and demean or discourage you
• You should always remember that character is more important than achievement

Sounds good! However, in typical Hollywood fashion, the person of God and the idea of his involvement in our creation, purpose and lives is completely missing. Without the concept of a personal, loving and involved God, most of these lessons don’t even make sense. How can each person in the world have a special destiny that reveals itself in their hearts and in their circumstances unless God is orchestrating all of that? This is a good discussion question for your older kids. Ask the question and get them thinking.

Here’s the same list anchored in what the Bible teaches:

• God has given everyone a destiny and purpose for life, for God’s Kingdom and for eternity
• Don’t try and be someone else, or follow someone else’s idea about your purpose. Talk to God daily about his purpose for you and follow him. There’s no need to envy because God didn’t make anyone better than anyone else just different.
• Your purpose can be discovered through your dreams and desires because God gifted you and equipped you for what he destined you to be. (In other words if God intended for you to be a musician, then when he made you he would have given you the appropriate gifts, personality type, desires etc to match.)
• God gave you what you need to realize your purpose and as you submit to him and follow him daily he will guide you there step by step.
• You must believe all of this and believe that God made you well, loves you and will guide you
• You should apply yourself to the training and/or education that will prepare you. Education and training are God’s ideas and he wants us to diligently apply ourselves to furthering the raw talents he’s given us trusting him to help us learn and grow
• You should listen to godly people who want to help you and ignore those who try and demean or discourage you
• You should always remember that godly character and knowing and following Christ is more important than achievement and things

Grab anyone of or several of these ideas (depending on your children’s age and attention span and start talking. Discussions or devotions of this type can be much more effective when you have something like a movie to bounce your discussion off of.

Here are a couple verses to help your family discussion on these topics:

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. (Psalm 139:13 – 18)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5 – 8)

Enjoy your Movie Devotions!

SYNOPSIS: Story of Speed Racer, who’s Mach 5 vehicle can jump, go under water and clear trees. When he’s not racing, he’s battling villians with his girlfriend Trixie, kid brother Spritle and pet monkey Chim-Chim.

GENRES: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation

TIME: 2 hr. 15 minutes

RATED: PG for sequences of action, some violence, language and brief smoking.

OUR THOUGHTS ON THIS MOVIE

(Recommended Age Group: 10+ years)

We watched the movie ‘Speed Racer’ thinking it was a kids movie. We are very glad to announce that there were no young children present when this movie was reviewed. It is NOT a movie for kids under 10 years of age. If you watch it with your tweens, we suggest that you make mental notes as you watch and talk with them about it afterwards.

We don’t recommend this movie for children for many little things. Remember, we as Christian parents need to look beyond the surface method of using amounts of violence, nudity, scary stuff and swearing to measure its suitability. Speed Racer contains many little scenes and comments that promote non Biblical ideals and taken together they add up to trouble. For example the youngest boy in the movie is constantly doing what he wants to do without regard to what he’s told. The writer’s portrait this behavior as normal and cute and make the dad look bad for expecting him to actually obey.

We’d normally go further and provide you with ‘What The Bible Says About That’ discussion topics for you to use with your children but since we’re recommending you pass on this one for the kids we’re going to take this another direction.

We actually will recommend this movie to you, parents and young people who will one day become parents. Why? Well first of all, for those of us who are old enough to enjoy a movie while ignoring Hollywood’s lack of Biblical morality and Christian world view, it contains a parenting lesson that we’d like to push a little further.

In the movie the dad, played by John Goodman, has three sons all born about eight years apart. When his oldest son is basically an adult, he makes a decision about his life that dad really opposes. When dad realizes that he is no longer in control and that the son is set on this particular course, dad makes a classic mistake in a last ditch effort to turn things around. He basically says, “If you walk out that door, don’t ever come back.” Ouch!

We won’t tell you what happens (no spoilers here) but the results of dad’s ultimatum are disastrous and he does learn his lesson (in a well scripted way) before the end of the movie.

When our children are young they need discipline, direction, training and consistent boundaries that are all (for the sake of our children) loving but authoritative. When our children become teenagers, our role as parents must change. We need to gradually stop being authoritative and progressively (as they prove responsible) hand our children the control of their own lives. If we do it right, by the time they are ready to leave home, we should be in a supportive and advisory role only.

We may claim that we would never give our child such an ultimatum, but if we seek to control them as oppose to guide them, when they get to an age where they need us to help them make their own decisions, the result is the same. We will push them away from us.

The Bible teaches that children must “leave their parents” and become responsible adults in their own right. We must let go. The best way to accomplish this is to do it very gradually helping our children to mature and take over small bits of responsibility at a time. The process should start when they’re tweens and hopefully be complete before they leave home.

Continuing to use an authoritative parenting method on teenagers will always result in head butting and possibly, in the end, a parting of ways.

Jesus said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Once we are God’s children, our Heavenly Father commits to walk with us and help us grow up no matter what. God will never give us an ultimatum that makes us reject him. Love never gives up on someone. So even if we find ourselves at odds with or even extremely against something our older teens or young adults are choosing, shutting them out and attempting to use our affections as a method of controlling them will not work and is not right.

We need to follow God’s loving example and never withhold our love and support. We may need to gently make it clear that we don’t agree and explain why but then move on to let them know that we love them and will always be there for them no matter what.

Enjoy the movie and watch what happens to dear old dad in the end. If you’ve seen the movie then post a comment, if not come back and do it after you’ve seen it.

If you watch this with your tweens and teens spend some time talking about the above parenting lesson. It may be a great opportunity for both you and them to talk about the gradual shift of responsibility and authority. Your kids will always feel like they don’t have enough autonomy. Help them understand that no one gets more authority and freedom just because they want it but because they show themselves mature and responsible enough to handle it.

The idea, of course, is to help parents judge if the movie is suitable or not. Although I appreciate having this information, it is not all I need to make a decision. As Christians, we need a few more categories like ‘The Moral of The Story’, ‘World View’ and/or perhaps ‘Worldly/Non Christian Ideas and Behavior Supported as Right and Normal.’

Take as an example the hit family flick that started Disney’s animated movie comeback, ‘The Little Mermaid’. Most parents of very young children scan the rating (also based on the above mentioned categories) and plug it in thinking that their job is done. There’s no swearing, nudity or drugs but wait, what is the movie teaching with its storyline and character development? In the original book version the Little Mermaid dies in the end and although that’s a bit of a downer, the moral of the story is abundantly clear.

In the movie version, Ariel disobeys her Father and does things she knows that she shouldn’t in order to get what she wants. Yet in the end she gets her ‘happily ever after’ and her Dad is the one who is painted with the brush of wrong doing.

Now I’m not saying don’t let your kids watch the movie but I am saying that we as Christian parents need to watch what our children are watching and talk with them about things that contradict and undermine what the Bible teaches.

So the purpose of ‘Movie Night Ideas’ on this website is to equip you with the tools and ideas you need to engage your children in meaningful conversation about the movies you watch. Sometimes we’ll take on new movies and sometimes we’ll talk about old favorites. Either way, we’ll try and be the Christian extension to the ‘Parent’s Guide’ on the back of each DVD box.

Please click on a below movie to read Christian Parenting Daily’s “Parents Movie Guide”.

Nim’s Island

SYNOPSIS: Based on the popular children’s novel of the same name by Wendy Orr, NIM’S ISLAND follows the adventures of Nim Rusoe, a spirited young girl who lives on a remote island with her scientist dad, Jack, and a host of animal companions, including an iguana, a sea lion, and a sea turtle. Nim’s idyllic life gets shaken up, however, when her father goes missing while on an ocean outing.

GENRES: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

TIME: 1 hr 36 mins

RATED: PG for mild adventure action and brief language

OUR THOUGHTS ON THIS MOVIE

(Recommended Age Group: all ages)

Nim’s Island is a very pleasant story that the whole family can enjoy together.

Although there’s nothing all that objectionable in the movie it’s perhaps what’s not in the movie that’s more important. Let me explain. This is a story where against all odds, amazing events collide and everything works out perfectly. Now we all know it’s just a movie so we can all agree to suspend reality a bit, right? Right, but the fairytale like storyline provides a wonderful opportunity to talk about what’s missing and that’s prayer.

Talk with your kids about the total absence of prayer in this movie. Point out that in real life things just don’t all magically work together for a happy ending . Life events, left to themselves tend to be very random and uncoordinated. However in Romans 8:28 the Apostle Paul tells us that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Even though this movie does not contain prayer, it illustrates the kind of things that can take place when we love, obey and trust God. Movies like this kind of infer that something like fate is lending a hand because this girl needs or deserves it. In truth, there is no impersonal power called fate that lends a hand to those who need it. However our very personal and loving Heavenly Father has promised to help us through rough times and work everything out as we love and follow him. And since he knows everything, is everywhere and can do anything, he truly is qualified and able to make every little detail of any real life story work out wonderfully.

When discussing this with your family, you might want to tell them about a time or two where you prayed and saw God work out the details.

As a bonus discussion, the movie has a Jonah like plot device that involves a blue whale swallowing someone. You could use the opportunity to talk about Jonah. Nim’s Island tells the story like it’s a children’s tale and obviously not meant to be factual. However the story of Jonah is actual history, it really happened. It is impossible for a blue whale to swallow something that large but the Bible doesn’t say that it was specifically a whale, it says great fish. There are a couple of sea creatures that God could have used. For information to fuel a great discussion with your kids check out these links.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v17/i2/jonah.asp

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t004.html