Friday, October 26, 2012
Adoption Movie Review: Tarzan 2
You might have missed it. Tarzan 2 was a 2005 direct-to-video Disney movie. It's not actually a sequel to Tarzan; it's more of a in-the-middle-of-the-first-movie-quel. The whole story takes place during one of the first film's songs. Don't be scared away by the direct-to-video tag, though; this movie is an interesting portrayal of Tarzan's journey towards identity formation, which is an important issue in any adoption. Tarzan 2 isn't a perfect movie as far as adoption issues go, but overall, it's worth a read and a watch.
My adoption review of the first Disney Tarzan movie would be a helpful read before going on to the sequel.
Tarzan 2
The Plot (spoilers
ahead)
Tarzan is a young human boy living with a family of
gorillas. Although he is accepted by other children in the family and deeply
loved by his mother Kala, some of the other adults in the family do not feel he
fits in. He can’t keep up with the others, and the group has to wait for him
when racing towards shelter from a storm. Tarzan confides to his mother that he
feels he is “not a good ape,” and that he believes “everyone would be better
off if I just wasn’t around.” Tarzan’s mother tells him that he and the family
need each other, and that she particularly needs him. However, an accident
occurs where Tarzan is presumed dead. He overhears various family members
expressing their belief that Kala (and the rest of the family) will be better
off without him. Tarzan decides to run away, even though running away might
expose him to a fearful monster named Zugor.
While on the run, Tarzan encounters a family of displaced
gorillas and an old ape (who turns out to be Zugor). Tarzan learns that Zugor
pursued a life of solitude after being rejected by his peers for not being able
to keep up. Tarzan asks Zugor to help him be a “good ape.” Zugor figures out
that Tarzan is not an ape, so he and Tarzan set off to figure out what Tarzan
is. Tarzan is shown trying a quick succession of possible identities: giraffe,
warthog, vulture, fish, elephant, frog, and others. A song playing in the
background asks, “Who am I? Tell me, where do I come from?” Eventually,
Zugor
determines that Tarzan is uniquely himself; that he is “a Tarzan.”
Meanwhile, Tarzan’s friends and mother have discovered that
he is still alive, and set out to find him.
They find themselves in danger, but Tarzan, inspired by knowing that he is
uniquely himself, is able to rescue them. As the film ends, Tarzan is happily
reunited with his gorilla family and is able to fit in – not as another gorilla, but as a Tarzan.
The Adoption
Connection
Tarzan is a human who is being raised by gorillas. The movie shows him struggling to be “a good ape,”
and eventually working to discover his own identity. He withdraws for a time
during a difficult period of this work.
He finally realizes that he is both “a Tarzan” and a member of his
gorilla family.
Adoptees who are adopted cross-culturally likely have a
similar quest: to synthesize their multiple identities. Their quest can be impacted by others. The
impact can be positive, like when Tarzan’s
mother tells him that she needs him and that he needs the family; and
when Zugor tells Tarzan that Tarzan is uniquely himself. The impact can also be
negative, like when the displaced apes laugh and tell Tarzan that he obviously
isn’t one of them; and when some of the gorillas in Tarzan’s family express
their belief that the family is better off without him. It
is ultimately the adoptee’s job to determine his or her unique identity, but
the role of the adopting family (and the birth family) should be to show
unconditional love for the adoptee and to allow the adoptee freedom to
do this work of identity development, rather than making the adoptee feel guilty for having an
identity with multiple sources.
Strong Points
Tarzan’s
mother affirms her love for Tarzan to him and to others. She affirms to him
that he needs the family and that the family needs him. At the very end of the
movie, Tarzan realizes that part of his identity is being part of his family. Tarzan
left because he felt everyone would be better off without him; however, in his
absence we see that he is very much missed by his friends and his mother.
Weak Points
Tarzan
ran away, in part, because some adults in his family expressed that the family
would be better off without him. This was largely due to Tarzan being less
physically capable than the rest of the family. When Tarzan returns, his newly found
confidence
has seemingly increased his physical capabilities ,
but the adults never recant their statement that the family would be better off
without Tarzan. This is challenging for two reasons.
First ,
many children who are adopted have experienced abuse or neglect,
which
sometimes results in physical, mental, emotional, educational, or developmental
delays.
Children who already feel sensitive about their delays may resonate painfully strongly with
Tarzan’s inability to keep up with his peers.
These children might also take an unintended lesson from this movie: they’ll
fit in once they function as well as everyone else. Parents should use
discretion in determining whether this is an appropriate movie for their
children. Parents may want to watch it before showing it to their children.
A
second concern is that, while Tarzan accepts the family as his own, we never
learn whether the whole family accepts Tarzan. This may mirror the situation in
some families; it’s possible that some extended family members of some families
don’t fully accept an adoptee as part of the family. If this happens, the best
course of action for a parent may be to continually affirm the adoptee’s worth
and place in the family – both to the adoptee and to the unaccepting family
member. If the family member persists in their lack of acceptance, contact
should probably be limited. Tarzan’s family appears to be very closely-knit,
and so Kala would likely have to confront her other family members about what
they say about Tarzan. We never see those conversations in this movie.
Some Recommendations
As
a musical, animated Disney movie, this film will probably appeal most to
children up to about ten years of age. Identity formation is a relevant topic
of discussion for kids towards the later end of this age group. The movie’s
main message is supportive of a person’s individuality and their inclusion in a
family; this is good for adoptees, and particularly cross-cultural adoptees. There are some concerns with some members
of Tarzan’s family never expressing their acceptance of him , but this movie could still be helpful as
a starting point for some discussion in support of adoptees being comfortable
with the identity that they inherit from their birth family, the identity that
they receive from their adoptive family, and the identity that they create for
themselves.
Questions for Discussion After the Movie
è
For Kids:
o
Tarzan wondered who he is. Who do you think
Tarzan is?
o
What makes you, you?
o
Some adults said mean things that hurt Tarzan’s
feelings. The things they said were not true, but they still hurt. Has anyone said something that hurt your
feelings?
o
Some people really loved Tarzan and were his
friends, and missed him when he was gone. Who are the people who you know
really care about you? [note: don’t lead with this question. Don’t be offended
if they name (or don’t name) certain people. Let this just be a time for the
kid to talk, and for you to get insight.]
è
For Parents:
o
Are there members of your family or friends who
are not (or will not be) supportive of your adoptee? Who are they, how do they
express their lack of support, and how can you respond to them?
o
If Kala learned that Tarzan overheard the other
gorillas saying they’d be better off without him, how should Kala respond to
those gorillas, and what should she say to Tarzan
o
If you have adopted cross-culturally (or are
considering doing so), are you comfortable with your adoptee forming an
identity separate from your own? How will you help in this?
o
What can you do to create a “new” family culture
that incorporates elements of everyone’s culture?
o
What are your expectations and what are your
hopes about how your adoptee will choose to identify in the future?
o How will you help your child develop as an individual?
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