Two quirky movies about big families and discovering a better future.
Meet the Robinsons (2007; Disney+)
An orphan boy approaching his teenage years invents a machine to see the past—until someone from the future whisks him away. This movie is heartwarming, funny, and creative. It combines quality science fiction with quality goofiness and a meaningful theme. Its subtle script repeatedly brings us back to the importance of letting go of the wounds of the past—whether our own failings or the failings of the people who should have been there for us. Fitting for a time-travel story. The genuine take on growing up seeking adoption stems from the life experience of the director himself—who memorably voices the hilarious villain.
I have special memories of this movie. I saw it in 2007 at a dollar theater, a theater where you could see the new movies for $1 after they had had their first run at the more expensive theaters. Two other movies were there that day, too: Enchanted and Shrek the Third. We saw all three—and Meet the Robinsons was my favorite.
For sensitive viewers: A few mild cases of rude humor. A glimpse of a dystopian future with fire and a character implied to be killed offscreen.
You Can’t Take It With You (1938; free on The Roku Channel or YouTube)
When the son (Jimmy Stewart) of a wealthy banker falls for a girl (Jean Arthur) from a very different family, comic mishaps and serious conversations lead to a reevaluation of what’s important in life. I can’t recommend this film enough. Its humor and heart are never out of date. Directed by Frank Capra (later to direct It’s a Wonderful Life) and winner of the 1938 Best Picture Oscar, it combines the joy of an old-fashioned Hollywood romantic comedy with the down-to-earth gravitas of life and death. It speaks volumes to the workaholic in many of us. The actors are a delight—add the always funny Donald Meek, Edward Arnold as the father stuck in business mode, and Lionel Barrymore Jr. not as Henry F. Potter, but as the joyful father who has learned to rely on Him who feeds the birds of the air.
Eight years ago, my college put on a production of the award-winning play this movie adapts. The play takes place entirely in one setting: the house. Capra majestically adds settings and scenes that enrich the play and round it out. Meanwhile, he removes some of the dated humor that I alone seemed to enjoy in the stage play. (The Russian princess ousted by the Revolution boasting about how her father had moved up the aristocracy of department stores and was now working at some fancy store I don’t remember the name of now… I laughed out loud, but Capra must have known none of my 2018 peers would.) Watch the best actors, laugh innocent laughter, and let it speak to your heart about the needs of the poor—and of your own soul.
Coming Soon…
I have planned the next two months of movie blogs. We’ve got some unusual monthly themes on the way, but a great variety of timeless family movies from Disney to Spielberg to classic Hollywood to some newer, hidden gems. Stay tuned!