Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Adoption Movie Guide
Ten years ago, a virus nearly wiped out the human population
of Earth. Apes survived, and developed their own civilization with signed and
spoken language. The foundational beliefs of the ape society are that apes are
family, and that apes do not kill other apes. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is
the sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which is itself a reboot of the
original Planet of the Apes series. In this film, Caesar leads a community of
apes who come into contact with the human survivors who are trying to rebuild
their society. Many of the apes distrust humans because of the abuse
perpetrated upon the apes by human scientists in years past – some of the apes
have scars from the experiments to which they were subjected. Many of the
humans distrust or devalue the apes, focusing instead on their own need for
survival and referring to the apes as “animals.” Yet Caesar is conflicted – he
has seen the violence humans have done, but has also been raised by kind
humans. Some humans- chief among them an architect named Malcolm - also value
and respect Caesar. Will Caesar and Malcolm be able to overcome the conflicted
past relations between human and ape, or will growing tension on both sides
lead to war?
How does This Connect
to Adoption?
Caesar was raised by humans, and is now in a prominent
position in the community of apes. Similar themes of cross-cultural families
interacting with the conflict between their shared cultures appear in films
like The Jungle Book and, more recently, Belle. Adoptees may relate to the
feelings of having divided or confused loyalties, and to the feelings of
pressure to choose one culture over the other, rather than being allowed to
embrace both cultures (see Superman: The Movie and Man of Steel). In Dawn of the Planet of
the Apes, Caesar’s cross-cultural experience is a strength which allows him to
serve as a bridge between two cultures.
Strengths
The film seems to caution against acting violently on our
fears. This reminds me of the conflict between mutants and non-mutants in the
X-Men series. Caesar tells one ape, “if we go to war, we could lose home,
family, and future.”
Challenges
There are some scenes that could surprise and be difficult
for some viewers.
Caesar’s wife gives birth, but her health is threatened. She
ultimately survives, but some viewers might find it difficult to see a mother’s
heath in peril.
One ape is shot during a tender family moment. One ape
unexpectedly kills a young ape for disobedience. Children and teens who have
experienced domestic violence might find these scenes particularly disturbing
and surprising.
Recommendations
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a visually striking and
heavily plotted film. It kept me interested. There is a considerable amount of
gunplay and violence in the film, but it is not gruesome or graphic. Young
children might find the film frightening, but it should be entertaining for tweens
and teens, so long as the two scenes of unexpected violence are not problematic
for them.
Questions for
Discussion
One character says, “Scars make you strong.” What do you
think? How can the pain we’ve experienced become a strength in our life? (For more on this theme, see X-3: The Last Stand).
How do you decide who to trust?
Do you identify with more than one culture? Do you see them
as being blended or as being in conflict?
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