Baby: Secret of the Lost Inappropriate Children’s Movie
Posted
November 18, 2008 at
3:00 pm by
Beth
We were walking through a store the other day, Christmas paraphernalia already assaulting us, and I see this standing in the middle of the aisle. Yes, that would be your basic three-foot-tall, music-playing, voice-responding, ride-on dinosaur. Yeah. What is up with that? I mean, really I could write a whole post on how fascinating it is that when most people are trying to figure out how to do the holidays this year on a tighter budget, that we can still find animatronic Triceratopses in the aisles of our stores. Who buys that for their child? Who’s willing to have that in their house? I daresay I don’t actually need to write that post though, because the ridiculousness of the “Kota” speaks for itself.
But this thing reminded me of this childhood memory I have that must have been pocketed in the depths of my brain for years. Does anyone remember the movie Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend? It was that movie with the little robot Brontosaurus. All I can remember about it is this horrific scene where the mommy Brontosaurus is shot down right in front of Baby. From what I’ve read (because you know I went home and looked it up) she doesn’t actually die, although that’s how I remember it. Perhaps she is captured and the rest of the plot is based on Baby’s quest to find her?
I recently was trying to think of suggestions for my mom on a movie to get for my older son. And I never really realized before how difficult it is to avoid themes like that. So many children’s movies deal with separation from parents, and in several the parents actually die, often in front of the children. Think Dumbo, Bambi, An American Tail, The Lion King, Cinderella, The Fox and The Hound, The Jungle Book, Tarzan, The Secret Garden, Finding Nemo . . . I have to actively try to come up with movies for my kids that don’t touch on this concept.
The appropriate comparison from my perspective would be a movie that deals with the death of a child. And I specifically avoid most of these movies because most don’t earn the right, in my mind, to play at my heartstrings that way - I often feel they are just taking advantage of an universal response of all parents. I don’t have to go through a list of potential movies though and say, “Nope: kid dies in that one. Nah-ah: they spend the whole movie separated and searching for each other. No way: in that one the child is killed right in front of the mom’s freaking face.” When I do find a movie where something like this will happen, it will most likely be rated ‘R’ and will be recognized as a very dramatic and upsetting film (and possibly an Oscar winner). Mystic River? Hated it. Anyway.
Why is that? Why is one of the biggest fears a child could possibly have so pervasive in movies directed at them? I know it’s a fear to which they can relate and understand and most likely have anyway, but why is it ok to subject them to that with so little consideration? Or is it the other way around and this is being done purposefully to take advantage of that universal fear they have of being separated from their parents? Like I said, movie makers know that parents will always relate to the possible death of a child in a movie, but that doesn’t mean that adult moviegoers are taken advantage of in this way, at least not that often.
Is this not a little scarring for our children? I mean, I guess I saw these films growing up - I remember Baby’s mom being shot with darts and of course I know Bambi’s mom goes up in flames - but now I wonder how much sleep I lost over what I saw. How did it affect my psyche? If seeing a weird toy in a toy store brings it all back, and vividly, what does that mean?
I think I might be doomed to watch Cars every day for the rest of my son’s young life.
Tags: baby, Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, Bambi, childrens-movies, dinosaur toys, inappropriate children's movies, Kota, Kota Toy, movies where parents die, ride-on dinosaur toys |
11 Responses to “Baby: Secret of the Lost Inappropriate Children’s Movie”
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1. Prescott
November 18, 2008 @ 4:17 pm
I had a misfire in my brain when I read the title of this post and I was thinking it was going to be about “Pretty Baby”. Now that’s *really* inappropriate for children!
2. Nicole
November 18, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
I have always thought that Disney had some major absentee parent issues. Really what is that all about?
3. Hillary
November 18, 2008 @ 8:32 pm
What is it with Disney that many of their films have a parent who dies, gets shot, murdered, etc.? Did Walt come from a dysfunctional family?
4. Maureen
November 18, 2008 @ 9:53 pm
I’m pretty sure I read that Walt Disney’s mom died in some tragic accident that devastated him. Apparently, he chose to magnify his pain exponentially and torment the rest of us. For all eternity. Thanks Walt!
5. PearlWisdom
November 18, 2008 @ 11:52 pm
How about The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland… two awesome children’s movies with the theme of separation from parents AND the bizarre twist of some sort of hallucinatory dream-like adventure.
6. tracey
November 19, 2008 @ 11:09 am
I remember Justin’s Bambi and Dumbo phases… I used to try and fast forward through them, or distract him. But, eventually, he and I had to have the talk. He actually handled it ok. It opened up a whole side of ease when discussing the fact that everyone is mortal. I don’t think he went through the “fear phase” about death that I did, when I first realized that I WOULD die. He seems pretty ok with that fact.
Evan, however? Is way obsessed with it. And, I think, scared.
Other movies to consider:
Veggie Tales movies - no death.
Thomas the Tank Engine movies( only a little death. The Magic Railroad one centers around the death of a grandmother…)
Homeward Bound movies - The first one, the father had died and the mom is getting remarried. But the second one, it’s all about the animals’ adventures.
Monsters Inc. - no death
Charlie Brown specials - no death, but no parents that we can see, either!
7. Mama Zen
November 19, 2008 @ 1:56 pm
I once read that the absence of the parent is what allows the child character to have some great adventure. I suppose . . .
8. Mama D
November 19, 2008 @ 11:27 pm
Hmmm… Miss A loves Charlotte’s Web. (the one with Dakota Fanning)
The pig is separated from his mother though… and his best friend dies at the end…
Maybe not.
The Incredibles?
9. amy
November 21, 2008 @ 11:01 am
I agree, the mom dying/separation seems awful. I protected my daughter from such themes for years, but then, I read the Secret Garden to her and you know what? Parents die first thing. Also, James and the Giant Peach. So, then I decided that the parent dying was a plot device about forcing kids into independence. I was surprised, but I think she likes the drama of the story and the quest to find happiness/the parent.
10. Allison G-MOD
November 21, 2008 @ 11:46 am
I don’t know what it is, but I think James and the Giant Peach was the most depressing movie ever. I know it was a book first, but I never read that in school. When I was a senior, some kids I babysat had me watch the movie. It was such an emotional chore to watch it. Ugh!
Maybe the whole theme of missing/lost kids or parents dying is a tool to get kids to appreciate their own parents. Like playing on their heartstrings will make them realize how much they love/need you? I dunno, just a guess.
Robin Hood was a great Disney movie without the dying/separation theme, right? I love how the whole town of poor folks rises up against “the Man”. Same with Bug’s Life.
Mulan was awesome, too! And there was no cliche romance or marriage at the end. (although I’m a sucker for all that is mushy)
11. cin
November 27, 2008 @ 12:12 am
OH! Lilo & Stitch! (the movie) Parents are dead and to top it off, Lilo is in danger of being separated from her sister! The killer Elvis soundtrack made my kids fall in love with THE KING though. I like that.
Losing a parent definitely gets the kids attention and makes them think outside themselves. Someone else made a great point about parents missing allows for adventure. My kids were taken from their biological mom at ages 3 and 7 so the theme is actually not outside of their comfort zone and has actually always been something really positive for us because the kids in those movies always overcome and grow stronger even in the absence of the parent. A great lesson and inspiration for my kids. 