Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Sing Adoption Movie Review
Buster Moon fell in love with the theater as a young koala
boy. His father worked for years at a car wash so that Buster could one day buy
the town’s theater. Buster has operated the theater for years, but it is
failing and in danger of repossession. In a desperate attempt to revive the
theater, Buster launches a city-wide singing competition. When a typo makes the
grand prize much larger than he intended, and much larger than he can afford,
hundreds turn out to audition. What will happen when everyone realizes that
Buster doesn’t have the money?
** SPOILERS AHEAD THE REST OF THE WAY **
The Adoption
Connection
No characters are adopted. Buster is in danger of losing his
home, which was provided for him by his dad, who has since passed away. When he
does lose his home and theater, he follows in his father’s footsteps by
resuming his father’s car-washing business. Another character has a difficult relationship
with his dad; his dad is a criminal and is initially ashamed of his son’s
artistic endeavors, telling him “you are nothing like me. Never have been,
never will be.”
Strong Points
The contestants in the singing competition show true care
for each other and for Buster. An
estranged father comes back to his son.
Characters show perseverance and courage.
Challenges
One character’s dad says some hurtful things to him. Later,
the character visits his dad in jail. A character briefly laments, “I’ve lost
any chance of talking to my dad again.”
A gang of bears threatens the life of a cocky mouse.
Recommendations
SING is mostly a
positive, upbeat film for young audiences with a solid soundtrack. There are
some opportunities for parents to point out characters’ forgiveness, courage,
and perseverance. Kids whose parents have been incarcerated or criminally
involved might struggle with a scene where a teenager fails to help in a
getaway plan and later visits his surly dad in jail, and kids who have been
emotionally shunned by a father figure might find some scenes difficult. Outside of these issues, the film should work
well for kids ages 7-12 or so.
Questions for
Discussion
What role does music play in your life? What are your
favorite songs? What songs have been important to you?
When have you kept trying, even though you wanted to give
up? How did it go?
What is your dream job? What other jobs might you want to do
before your dream job?
Why didn’t Buster give up? What friends can you count on?
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What were the foxes spelling during thier audition?
ReplyDeleteHi Smkjimes - it was "Luck" - but I had the same question you had :)
DeleteJust saw it with my kids. There are a couple of scenes that poke fun at Chinese speaking characters. Bothered me enough to talk to my kids about it during the movie. I imagine this would also be problematic for Chinese adoptees as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Christine - I think I know the scenes you're talking about, and I'm glad you were sensitive enough to talk to your kids about it. How was it for them?
DeleteOur daughter had a pretty deep gut response to the flood destroying the theatre. As another challenging area.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense that a scene like that could be very hard for some kids who've experienced instability of housing, or other traumatic experiences and changes. Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Delete