Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Adoption Movie Review
Thomas and his fellow young heroes have escaped from a
controlled environment and are now in the care of Mr. Janson, who assures them
that in a short while, he will bring them to their new home. When the teens
start to think Mr. Janson might be hiding malicious intentions, they run away
in search of safety while Janson and his forces set off in pursuit.
*SPOILERS AHEAD THE REST OF THE WAY*
The Adoption
Connection
There are lots of scenes that might remind some viewers of
aspects of foster care. There are spoilers
ahead in this section.
As the film begins, we see an event that Thomas is
remembering from his childhood. As a toddler, he is being taken away from his
mother by a uniformed soldier. He cries and reaches out to her, but the solider
takes him away. This might be a jarring trigger for kids who have been
separated from their parents. Later, another character remembers when their
brother was taken away.
Thomas and his companions have escaped from an abusive environment
that has left many of their peers dead. They find themselves in the care of Mr.
Jansen who describes his base as “a sanctuary, a way station, a home between homes”
and himself as “the reason you’re all still alive.” He promises them, “We have a place for you, a
refuge outside the scorch.” When he turns out to be untrustworthy,

The teens learn that there are others who have been in
abusive environments similar to the one they’ve been in, and some new
relationships are forged.
Thomas has a close relationship with Teresa, but finds that
they are separated from each other while in Mr. Jansen’s care. This reminded me
of how some sibling sets are separated in foster care.
When asked whether the man who cares for her is her father,
one teen says, “Close enough. I don’t know what he is, he’s just always been
there and I’ve always done whatever he’s asked me to do, no matter how stupid.”
Strong Points
Thomas does show great loyalty to his friends.
Challenges
There are lots of “jump-inducing” scream scenes that could
be hard for sensitive viewers.
Weak Points

One teen commits suicide, and it is portrayed as somewhat
heroic. We hear the gunshot off-screen. Teens don’t need a “heroic” suicide by
a teenager who calmly chooses suicide because life is bad.
As we look towards the future, one of the heroes is
motivated by the thought of gaining revenge by killing someone who has wronged
them.
Recommendations
For many teenage viewers, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
will be a fun action/sci-fi movie with some zombie-ish scenes. But for some
viewers who have been through foster care, there are some uncomfortable themes
of being saved from abusive situations by untrustworthy adults who intend to
profit from the harm of the teens they’re supposed to be caring for. This one
might be best for teens ages 14 and up, and parents might want to screen it
first.
Questions for
Discussion
How can you tell when someone is trustworthy?
What makes someone trustworthy?
What adults in your life have been untrustworthy even though
they shouldn’t have been?
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