"Bolt"
No spoilers: I'm not a dog person, I'm not even a pet person. I don't have kids, I don't generally like kids' movies, or Disney movies. I'm not a fan of John Travolta or Miley Cyrus. And yet I thought that "Bolt" was a very good movie for all the reasons that make movies good. The story was strong, the characters were compelling, it was visually impressive, and Rhino the hamster totally steals the show. Whether or not you have kids or like dogs or enjoy animated movies I think you should check it out.
Spoilers: On my drive to work the morning after seeing it, I realized that "Bolt" is a fable about scientific skepticism. The main character is a dog who thinks that he has super powers. He believes this because everyone always told him that he had superpowers. Some people said this because they loved him and wanted him to feel strong and proud, others led him to believe this because they wanted to take advantage of him. He believes "with every fiber of his being - every fiber". Not just that - his entire self-worth and identity are drawn directly from his super-powers. In the beginning, Bolt is an absolutely committed true believer in every sense of the word.
The classic hero's journey is to discover greatness, learn and master newfound powers, and return home in triumph. And bolt follows that plot arc backward. He doesn't develop new super-abilities, he learns to give them up. He replaces his self-delusion by developing a sense of grounded, rational skepticism. He learns the difference between fantasy and reality, between what he wishes were true and what is true. He learns to challenge his beliefs with tests to see if they are true, and he learns to accept what the evidence from those tests shows him. He does not gain limitless power, he learns the limits of his power, and he learns how to accomplish his goals and find success and happiness within those limits.
Bolt learns that what he is is good enough. He learns that life as an ordinary dog is no less rewarding than life as a superdog. He learns that his ordinary skills are no less vital and useful - more useful, if anything - since they are real abilities with real benefits. He learns that his life of simple reality is better than a life of deceptive, gaudy fantasy. He learns to be content with who he is and what he is. I'm pretty sure that the Disney writers didn't intend for this movie to end up being a morality play preaching scientific objectivism, but if that's the kind of lesson you'd like to teach your kids this might be a good way to bring it to them.
Spoilers: On my drive to work the morning after seeing it, I realized that "Bolt" is a fable about scientific skepticism. The main character is a dog who thinks that he has super powers. He believes this because everyone always told him that he had superpowers. Some people said this because they loved him and wanted him to feel strong and proud, others led him to believe this because they wanted to take advantage of him. He believes "with every fiber of his being - every fiber". Not just that - his entire self-worth and identity are drawn directly from his super-powers. In the beginning, Bolt is an absolutely committed true believer in every sense of the word.
The classic hero's journey is to discover greatness, learn and master newfound powers, and return home in triumph. And bolt follows that plot arc backward. He doesn't develop new super-abilities, he learns to give them up. He replaces his self-delusion by developing a sense of grounded, rational skepticism. He learns the difference between fantasy and reality, between what he wishes were true and what is true. He learns to challenge his beliefs with tests to see if they are true, and he learns to accept what the evidence from those tests shows him. He does not gain limitless power, he learns the limits of his power, and he learns how to accomplish his goals and find success and happiness within those limits.
Bolt learns that what he is is good enough. He learns that life as an ordinary dog is no less rewarding than life as a superdog. He learns that his ordinary skills are no less vital and useful - more useful, if anything - since they are real abilities with real benefits. He learns that his life of simple reality is better than a life of deceptive, gaudy fantasy. He learns to be content with who he is and what he is. I'm pretty sure that the Disney writers didn't intend for this movie to end up being a morality play preaching scientific objectivism, but if that's the kind of lesson you'd like to teach your kids this might be a good way to bring it to them.