Adoption at the Movies : The 2018 Adoption at the Movies Awards

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

The 2018 Adoption at the Movies Awards

Welcome to our fifth annual Adoption at the Movies Awards! Each year, readers of Adoption at the Movies nominate and vote for the films that they’ve appreciated the most over the last twelve months. This year, readers voted for nominees in four categories: Best Foster or Adoptive Family, Best Adoptive Parent, Best Animated Feature, and Film of the Year.

In the category of Best Foster or Adoptive Family, the nominees are:

Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith and Agnes (Despicable Me 3). After adopting three girls in the first Despicable Me movie, former supervillain Gru married Lucy in the second movie. By the third movie, the family has settled into a normal life – well… as normal a life as crime-fighting parents can provide.

The Browns (Paddington 2). After taking in Paddington in the first film, the Browns demonstrate their love and commitment for Paddington in this sequel. Even though at times Paddington feels he has reason to doubt their commitment, their love is steadfast.

The Stevens Family (The Storyteller). The Stevens family – Maggie and her husband adopted their daughter Jen. Maggie’s husband has died, and she now struggles to build a relationship with her teenager. Maggie’s grandmother Rosemary is visited in her nursing home by Abby, a young girl who offers no information about her whereabouts. At the request of Rosemary and social services, Maggie agrees to take Abby home for a night. Over time, Jen and Abby become sisters while Maggie and Jen explore and heal from the wounds of their past.

And the winners are….

Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes (Despicable Me 3)

In the category of Best Foster or Adoptive Parent, the nominees are:

Gru and Lucy (Despicable Me 3). Although Gru initially pursued his adoption for selfish means, he has come to love his daughters, and has shown himself to be a nurturing and caring parent. Gru’s youngest daughter wished for a mother – and in time, Lucy and Gru fell in love. Now, Edith, Margo and Agnes have loving, fun, caring, and dorkily-cool people as parents.

Frank Adler (Gifted). Seven-year-old prodigy Mary has lived with her uncle Frank as long as she can remember. Frank stands up against family pressure to ensure that Mary’s brilliance isn’t exploited. He encourages her to have a normal childhood, in the face of family pressure to squeeze every ounce of productivity out of her.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown (Paddington 2). The Brown family has come to love Paddington as one of their own, and they go to great lengths to bring him back into their home when he is taken away. They also understand and respect his desire to share some of his life with his aunt. The Browns make this a priority, and fly Paddington’s aunt a great distance in order to see her nephew.

Maggie Stevens (The Storyteller). Maggie shows an admirable willingness to provide a home to a child in need. Over time, the child truly becomes part of her family.

And the winners are…… Gru and Lucy (Despicable Me 3)

In the category of Best Animated Feature, the nominees are:

Coco, directed by Lee Unkrich. Miguel loves music, but his family forbids it. Four generations ago, Miguel’s great-great-grandfather left, when Miguel’s great-grandmother Coco was only a small child. He left intending to play his music for the world, but never returned. His wife, Miguel’s great-great-grandmother learned how to make shoes, and in the generations since, her family has become famous and successful as shoemakers. Music has been forbidden from the family because of the pain caused when Miguel’s great-great-grandfather left. Miguel secretly loves music and wants to be a musician. His family will not the speak the name of his great-great-grandfather; they try to forget him. As a result, Miguel does not know who his ancestor is, although he believes it is Ernesto de la Cruz, who during his life had been the most famous singer in the land. On Dia de los Muertos, Miguel, frustrated by his family’s lack of support for his love of music, claims that he no longer wants to be part of his family. He is transported into the land of the dead, where he attempts to find Ernesto de la Cruz, but instead finds out some surprising truths about his family history.

Despicable Me 3, directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda. Former supervillain Gru and his former enemy, Lucy, have settled into life as the married, adoptive parents of Margo, Edith and Agnes, and as members of the Anti-Villain League. When he fails to capture child star-turned-villain Balthazar Bratt, Gru is fired from the League. Gru’s family is supportive – his youngest, Agnes, even sells some of her toys to try to raise money to replace his salary – but his Minions desert him. An unexpected visitor summons Gru to meet with his long-lost twin brother, Dru. Dru admires Gru’s legendary works as a supervillain, and hopes to learn the family trade from Gru; Gru has given up on villainy, but thinks he can team up with Dru to defeat Balthazar Bratt and regain the favor of the Anti-Villain League.

And the winner is…… Coco, directed by Lee Unkrich

In the category of Adoption at the Movies Film of the Year, the nominees are:

Beauty and the Beast, directed by Bill Condon. Belle and her father live in a simple, French provincial town. While the town lives its normal, everyday life, Belle and her father Maurice are noted for their peculiarity. Belle always has her nose stuck in a book, and most of the townspeople seem to think she’s strange. Belle is also particularly beautiful, and has attracted the unwanted attention of Gaston, a boorish and narcissistic military Captain who has the admiration of many of the local ladies. Gaston swears that he will marry Belle. She’s not interested, and so he will try to find a way to make the marriage happen. Meanwhile, Maurice is captured by the Beast, a prince who has been cursed to take a horrific form on account of his unkindness; the curse will only be broken if the prince can learn to love, and earn love in return, and his time is running out. The Beast agrees to free Maurice if Belle stays with him, and Belle chooses to make that sacrifice. As Belle and the Best start to develop feelings for each other, Gaston decides that his next course of action is to storm the castle and kill the Beast.

Coco, directed by Lee Unkrich. Young Miguel explores his family history in a very unique way.

Despicable Me 3, directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda. Supervillain-turned-agent Gru and his new wife, Lucy, try to bring down a former child star who has turned evil.

Gifted, directed by Marc Webb. Mary is a seven-year-old prodigy. She’s lived with her uncle Frank since as long as she can remember; her mother left her with Frank shortly before committing suicide, and she’s never known her father. Mary’s mother was also a prodigy; pushed by her mother, she devoted her life to mathematics, but committed suicide rather than publishing her most significant findings. Now, Frank’s estranged mother, Mary’s grandmother, learns of Mary’s brilliance and tries to take Mary from Frank. She files a lawsuit, and now Mary’s future will be decided by the judicial system.

Mully, directed by Scott Haze. Charles Mulli was born into poverty in Kenya. After being abandoned by his family, he survived by begging and stealing. In a period of despair, Mulli accepted an invitation to church. There, he was inspired by a preacher’s message that anything is possible with enough hard work. Through hard work, perseverance and inspiration, Charles became a leading businessman in Kenya. He married and had a large family. And then he realized the extent of the needs of the children in his country, and he grasped his responsibility as a prosperous person to do something about it.

Paddington 2, directed by Paul King. Paddington has become comfortable living with the Brown family, and he still thinks fondly of his Aunt Lucy, who sent him to London from Peru. He hopes to get a special present for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday. He tries to save up money to buy the expensive gift, but it is stolen from the store. Paddington is seen at the scene of the crime, and is wrongfully believed to be the thief. He is imprisoned, and the Browns must work to clear his name, while he must maintain his hope that they won’t forget him.

Wonder, directed by Stephen Chbosky. August “Auggie” Pullman has been home schooled all his life, but he surprises his parents by saying that he is ready to go to a charter middle school. Auggie has Treacher Collins Syndrome; it has taken many surgeries to help him breathe and hear, but some facial abnormalities suggest the medical difficulties he has had in his life. His parents and his sister are worried; will the kids at school see past his physical appearance and embrace him? One fellow student, Jack Will, becomes a friend to Auggie, but when Auggie overhears Jack speaking very unkindly, their relationship seems threatened. Auggie’s older sister, Via, has not resented the fact that her parents’ lives have revolved around her younger brother; she has joined them in their care of him, and she loves him deeply, but as a high school student, she feels neglected by them, and the effect of their relative inattention to her is amplified when her longtime best friend Miranda stops returning her calls. Wonder takes turns following Auggie, Jack, Via and Miranda as it explores the social and emotional experience of life for each of these young people, who each struggle in their own way. It’s a compassionate and heartwarming film which captures the kindness and cruelty of kids and adults.

And the winner is….. Wonder, directed by Stephen Chbosky