Copyright DreamWorks Animation
The animated film “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” has been our grandchild Natalie’s–she’s turning three this June–MRM (most requested movie) three weeks and counting.
We’ve watched it often enough that we find ourselves going ahead of the characters in reciting their lines.
It’s a most endearing tale of an accomplished Nobel prize-winning dog (Mr. Peabody) whom no human wanted because he was quite different. While other dogs chased sticks or toys, Peabody sat on a corner to read Plato.
Even with his achievements (graduated vale-dog-torian, some inventions, and achieving much for world peace), Mr. Peabody felt compelled to adopt a boy. He found the baby Sherman in a box one day and asked the court for custody.
“No boy should be without a home,” he said.
It’s a LOL (laugh out loud) movie all the way; but it’s theme of unconditional love is fairly evident as parent and child learn from each other while they cris-cross time zones, meeting historical and mythical characters along the way through Mr. Peabody’s invention—a time machine.
The scenes with Da Vinci (“I make-a machines! I paint-a! I don’t-a make-a people laugh-a!” he admonishes pouty and stubborn Mona Lisa), Agamemnon, King Tut and the French revolution (liberte, egalite, fraternite) characters were rib-ticklers.
Towards the end, Sherman–who was being taken away from Mr. Peabody by child care services because a dog could not be a qualified parent–claimed:
“Then I’m a dog too! If it means never giving up on someone even if he messes.”
The movie’s punchlines and one-liners should delight any advertising copywriter who dreams of producing a rip-roaring all-the-way-through-laugh-in movie. (I envisioned myself doing one a long time ago, yeah.)
Go grab a soda and and download the movie (legally, of course) if you haven’t seen it yet. (We watched it on Netflix.)
It’s a pretty neat vehicle to teach children about a father’s persistent love. But it should also open kids’ eyes to the fact that their parents are far from perfect, and in spite of their effort to give them (kids) the best (or when they try to discipline them), parents may still be clueless about many things.
So love–both ways–must abound.
Deutoronomy 6:6-9, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Or watch a movie with them. And while you’re at it, enjoy, laugh and snuggle.
