(Note: usually I don’t like to use the term “Children’s Movies” because the term has certain negative connotations. So instead, I usually use the term “Family Movies” or something of the like, because it better describes the purpose of the movie: something the whole family enjoys.)
It is no secret that film is an agenda driven place. A place that reflects – and tries to affect – the culture around us (for better or for worse). Just take a look at the movies being produced today, then look at the culture around us. I sure can find a lot of correlation.
But, over the last few years what has really taken off is agendas in children’s movies. For a while children’s movies were generally clean. Of course, there were still a few strange aspects here and there, but for the most part it was fun, clean entertainment. That has changed. Now, children’s movies have become more about pushing “progressive” agenda’s into children’s faces.
This irks me. Children are trying to figure out the world and what they believe. Entertainment studios know this, which is why they are pushing their agendas. It’s an attack on children. And it isn’t right.
So, what do we do about it? How do we promote good discussion so that children aren’t being molded into the form the culture wants?
Step one is to become aware.
Once you begin to see the agendas being pushed, it becomes easier to notice them.
So let’s unpack one of these agendas.
(Disclaimer: This is something I am passionate about, so be prepared)
Agenda 1: The father figure (or lack thereof)
In this day and age, there has been an attack on fathers (and men in general). Over the past few years Disney and other entertainment studios have adopted this agenda into their movies. This agenda is one of the most annoying ones in my opinion. I really hate it because I have a wonderful father who is kind, understanding, thoughtful, and is one of those people who gets me. I could honestly go on and on about how awesome he is.
Yet, when I look at the stories being told today, I find that most of them (books included) are lacking honorable father figures, or a father figure at all.
I made the below acronym to illustrate my point.
Father Figures in Stories Today are Either
D : dim/dumb
A : antagonistic
D : dead/distant
Dim or Dumb
Now, stories have lacked father figures in the past, but in the older stories (Oliver Twist, etc.) the father has most likely been killed off for some sort of purpose. (side note: this has led to the Orphan Cliche)
The difference today is that father figures are being shown as dumb, and are turned into the “comic relief” per say.
Take Encanto for example. The father figure in that movie is so stupid that I have found myself wondering why on earth Mirabel’s mother married the man. Sure, my father is funny and has a good sense of humor, but this is too much. This is humor at the expense of the character.
Another example is in Inside Out. I really love this movie and recommend you watch it! But, the screenwriters/directors decided to make the father quite dumb. They could have done a lot with him (made him caring, understanding, and present) but instead they made him over obsessed with hockey and too dim to understand that he blew up the situation. I know my own dad would have acted completely differently if he had been in the same situation.
Antagonistic
Moving on to the A in the DAD acronym: antagonistic. This one doesn’t bother me as long as there is a redemptive character arc for the father figure.
An example of an antagonistic father is Stoick in How to Train Your Dragon (the first movie). This movie is one of my favorite animated movies (the other two in the trilogy are fantastic as well).
I’m not going to give a clip example for this one because I don’t want to give too much away, but basically throughout the entire first movie Stoick is the antagonist/the villain. He is working against Hiccup the MC (main character). But, he has a redemptive character arc and by the end of the film he has changed and begins to see his son through new eyes. There are two reasons why I like the father and son relationship in this movie. The first reason is because the conflict is made the center of the film. The purpose of the film is to show this conflict and to resolve it. Thus, the conflict makes the story all the better. The second reason is because the animators (and others) sprinkled moments throughout the film that show that Stoick does love and care about his son, even if he doesn’t agree with him.
Another antagonistic father is Tui from Moana. I also really love this movie. That being said, I don’t like the father-daughter relationship as much as the father-son relationship in How to Train Your Dragon. The reason for this is because the tension between Tui and Moana is placed on the back-burner. The tension is more of a side thought and is used to further Moana’s resolve to go her own way and in the end prove that she is right.
The problem with antagonistic fathers is that if done incorrectly the story can disrespect fathers. This is done by preaching a message of “the younger generation is right and the older generation must realize that and listen to the younger generation.” And, “the older generation isn’t progressive enough” Though I hate to admit it, I see this message in Moana. (It is also slightly there in the first installment of How to Train Your Dragon, but by the second and third films the opposite is shown. Instead of Hiccup teaching his father, Stoick teaches the boy how to be a good leader.)
Dead or Distant
Now, moving on to the final D in DAD: dead or distant.
As I said before, this is a common cliche. I think the reason for this is simple. If the father were there, he would most likely prevent the MC/child from getting into the predicament that sends them on their adventure and thus change the entire story. Killing off the father also gives the MC something to struggle with. (I actually killed off the father in a book I’m writing because I wanted the MC to struggle with the grief of losing someone close to her.) So, when I watch a movie where the father is deceased, I am not annoyed… as long as they make the missing father a part of the conflict in the story. The problem (for me) is when the father is just gone and it is never explained why he isn’t there, or where he went. One movie that shows this (and I’m sure there are more, but I can’t think of others at the moment) is Home. In this movie the father is never mentioned and I can’t help but wonder what happened to him.
In contrast, in Up Russell struggles with having a distant father and the movie focuses on the impact of that. Onward, Abominable, and Akeelah and the Bee all focus on the impact of losing your father and the grief that follows.
Of course, there are many more examples for each category, but I thought I’d just give a small list and let you find the rest yourselves. 😉
The FATHER Acronym
After I came up with the DAD acronym, my siblings and I decided that we needed a acronym to describe how fathers in movies should be so I came up with this:
F : faithful
A : adventurous
T : teacher
H : honorable
E : encouraging
R : respected
Movies and Books with Honorable Father Figures
Here are some movies and books that have wonderful father figures.
Into the Spiderverse
I LOVE this movie and I also love the father-son relationship in this movie. In the movie we see that Miles’ father is trying to be honorable and even though he messes up (like anyone and everyone does) he apologies, and keeps striving to connect with his son. He is the reason Miles keeps on fighting and doesn’t give up.
The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty
This book is one of my favorite books because I love the father so much. He is the perfect mix of fun and caring. Also, the MC trusts him and is willing to share her troubles with him, and he doesn’t make fun of her, (unlike most middle grade fantasy novels). All in all, I highly recommend this book!
Wonder (the book and the movie)
It is very unlikely that a movie will be better than a book. Wonder is an exception. (maybe because the author helped with the movie) This movie is phenomenal. I love the cinematic choices and the character choices… all of it really. 😁 I also like Auggie’s dad. Even though in the movie he is meant to be comic relief, it’s not at his own expense. Instead, his humor adds to the story and he becomes a fun dad. Don’t take him as just being the shallow fun dad though, he also has his serious moments where he encourages his son and speaks life into him.
These are just a few examples that show not all stories are being taken over by agendas. Honorable fathers can still be found in books and film today. And, (though it’s still rare) it brings me hope.
And that’s the end of part one! I will (hopefully) be posting a part two soon.
Are there any books or movies you can think of that have great father figures? Please type them in the comment section below! I would love to hear your thoughts!
Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Great insights – and personal reflections/connections as well.
Great post! I have found truth in all that you have said, absolutely love all the movies and i do love The stolen prince of cloudburst! love your insight and knowledge!