[GCS]

Anyone else take their kids to this movie? Its about a 12 year old boy abandoned to an orphanage at birth who after many failed adoption interviews decides to build a machine to remember his first mother so he can find her.

He ends up in the future and there are many twists along the way. I am curious to see how others felt about this. I took my 5.6 year old this weekend. He loved it. But we talk about being adopted and finding your family so often I'm beginning to believe he thinks everyone is adopted. He may have very different feelings about this in a few years.

Although I really like the ultimate message of the movie - Keep Moving Forward - I think this would be a tough movie for an older child who spent more time in the orphanage. Especially as there is a child who was left behind there and grows up to be the "bad guy".

In the end this is not a movie I will be puchasing for him to watch again. I think at a 2nd viewing it would bring up some issues for him.

Your thoughts?

[justmp]

I was interested to read your feedback. I read elsewhere of a woman saying that she took her 6 year old internationally adopted son to the movie and that it was very upsetting to him. I don't think we'll be watching this one.

[Babydollkc]

I also don't think I will be taking my son. He is 5 and I just don't think it would be a "positive" for him.

Any other reviews I would love to hear.

[proudmommyof 2]

Wow. Thanks for the heads up. I think this will be one movie we skip...

[Pinkie]

Will not be taking Antonina. I'd rather see the movie before I make any kind of judgement but as Antonina was adopted at an older age my gut just tells me that I'd rather give it a miss! LOL truth is, I'd probably be more upset than her!!

[Sally26]

Thanks for the heads up! I had no idea what it was about and was going to take Emily, but think I will give that more thought.

[SingleMama2B]

Hi Christina... this has been a big topic (threads) all over the IA boards this past week! At first, I was very concerned, especially since she it invited to my Goddaughter's 8th MOVIE Birthday Party this Saturday... and yep... it's "Meet the Robinson's"!!! After reading more and more, and actually going to Disney's web site for the movie, I will let her go. She is now 10, and home 2 years. I will be talking to her starting tomorrow in prep for it. She is very happy that I found her in Russia, and says, how she hopes that other children get found too!

I will definetly post after we go tot he party, and how she reacts and any possible comments or questions that she may have.

[leeinmemphis]

Well I'll start by saying that we are not at all "adoption sensitive" meaning that we arent always looking for issues or worrying about things excessively so I just wanted that caveat out there before I gave my response....

I took Will and Tim last weekend. They are 6.5 and 7.25 years old and home almost three years. We talk very openly about how they didnt grow in mama's belly but they were in my heart (which led to a funny question a few weeks ago about when I went to the hospital to get them out of my heart and "borned" as they say!) They remember a lot about the orphanage they lived in and tell us many things about their little lives before they came home to us. They really had no questions or comments or bad feelings about the movie. They took it for what it was I guess... a simple story that was cartooned up for kids enjoyment. There was one reference that the little boy had been to 112 interviews and no one had chosen him that broke my heart but lets face it, our kids whether they were 12 years old or 6 months old also went thru parental meetings or interviews to see if they felt like part of our family. So, in some ways its reality.

We enjoyed the movie and if the boys have questions then we'll address them and comfort them as best we can. I wouldnt not go just because its "adoption related'. Just my two cents...

alli

[SingleMama2B]

Hi "LeeInMephis".... I agree, but all of our kids have/had different issues along the way.... I know that my sister will not be taking my niece. PTSD with alittle rage, as she remembers tooooo much of her past (older chid adoption). My DD, she is too older and home 2+ years. She does not have PTSD or rage, but is sensitive to alot things regarding her stay in the orphanage (5 1/2 years!). I am sure she was passed over more then once in the 5 1/2 years! She is/has continuing to adjust very well, and we will be seeing (as mentioned above) it because of the Birthday Party. I think all that post has sucha range of children ages, degrees of adjustment, not to mention their pasts.

This is something for All parents to consider prior to taking their kid(s) from the community of Adoption.

[boatsun]

When I read this thread last night, I wondered how Disney could be so insensitive and how I would protect John from such negative stereotypes.

Then I started thinking. Most lead characters in children's fiction are orphans. Bambi was an orphan so was Cinderella, Batman, Superman, Spiderman and Harry Potter. There is Little Orphan Annie in the mix as well.

It is a plot devise, if parents were around the lead characters would never be allowed to do the things that they do. It is also an archtype of the everyman that most stories strive for. The hero of the story has to find himself and who he truely is. It goes all the way back to at least Odepus, but usually with better results.

[kimber413]

SPOILERS HERE: We took our DD to see it last weekend, and I didn't have a problem with it at all. Neither did she. She's 4.5. I can see where an older child that has adoption issues might not be overly thrilled with it, but ultimately the little boy decided he didn't need to look for his "real" mother, because he found the parents that were meant to be his. They were sensitivie about how the bio mom may not have been able to take care of him, and that's why she gave him up. It was a little sad in spots, and might require some explanation for an older adoptee, but overall I didn't think it was a horrible message. The bad guy went back in time and found his forever family and turned out to be a good guy...

[DoreenG]

Guess I'm in the minority.

Got out on Saturday to see it, and thought it was a true trimuph story. The young non-adopted-yet boy saw how wonderful his family became...and that being older didn't mean he wouldn't be loved when his parents finally found him.

I think you could walk away with joy or with pain...would depend on your outlook/frame of mind when you see it.

When James has more English, I will sit & watch this with him. It will be a great conversation starter, that's for sure. Not to mention, James' hair sticks straight up just like Louis'.

[GCS]

DS thinks that all the cool guys are adopted (Spiderman and Superman were and who could be cooler than them?)
He really didn't have any issues with the movie and didn't talk to me afterwards as if it brought up any problems for him.
I think it might be harder for a child who was older when adopted.
I really liked the keep moving foward theme and I loved that he created his dream family for himself when he was older.

[adoptrussiablogger]

My kids said they enjoyed the movie and want to see it again in 3-D. I was horrified at the way adoption was portrayed and won't take them again. I wrote about the experience on the Russian Adoption blog here: Russia Adoption Blog - Russian Adoptees "Meet The Robinsons"

[momm2be]

I took DD, she enjoyed it. She has in the past had issues after other movies -- but none so here.

She actually got the meaning of Keep moving forward. She liked the choices the boy made.

I though it was much more positive movie than most of the other reviews.