These hit movies all have powerful messages that teach children how to make good choices, how to find their moral compass, and how to do and be the very best they can. It’s nice to know that companies like Disney and Pixar are sending the same messages we want our children to hear. And we all know that kids hear it better when it doesn’t come from mom or from dad. Enjoy watching these movies together.
Mulan: Never give up.
Mulan is a young maiden who learns that her father is to be called up into the army. Knowing that he would never survive the rigors of war in his state, she decides to disguise herself and join in his place.
“The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.”
The Lion King: Learn from your mistakes.
A young heir to the throne learns to balance responsibility with fun through the trial and error and makes some wonderful friends along the way.
“Oh yes, the past can hurt. But from the way I see it, you can either run from it, or… learn from it.”
Cinderella: Patience is a virtue
After her father unexpectedly dies, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother Despite her circumstances, she refuses to despair. An invitation to a palace ball gives Ella hope that she might reunite with the dashing stranger she met in the woods, but her stepmother prevents her from going. Help arrives in the form of a kindly beggar woman who has a magic touch for ordinary things.
“Even miracles take a little time.”
Aladdin: Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Aladdin is a street-urchin who lives in a large and busy town long ago with his faithful monkey friend Abu. When Princess Jasmine gets tired of being forced to remain in the palace, she sneaks out and accidentally meets Aladdin. Aladdin is thrown in jail and becomes caught up in Jafar’s plot to rule the land with the aid of a mysterious lamp. Legend has it that only a person who is a “diamond in the rough” can retrieve the lamp from the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin might fit that description.
“Do not be fooled by its commonplace appearance. Like so many things, it is not what outside, but what is inside that counts.”
Lilo and Stitch: We take care of one another.
Experiment 626 is banned from his own planet and accidentally ends up on earth where he is adopted by 2 sisters who have lost their parents. Learning that family is in your heart not your genes is only part of this touching but humorous film.
“Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind.”
Finding Nemo: Don’t get stuck in the past- keep moving forward.
A single Dad clown fish loses his son, Nemo when he ventures into the open sea. Nemo is caught by a diver and sent to a dentist’s office in Sydney. While Nemo’s father ventures off to try to retrieve his son hen meets a fish named Dory, suffering from short-term memory loss. The companions travel a great distance, encountering various dangerous sea creatures in order to rescue Nemo from the dentist’s office,
“When life gets you down do you wanna know what you’ve gotta do? Just keep swimming!”
Ratatouille: It’s not where you came from that matters, it’s where you are going.
A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family’s wishes. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unlikely – and certainly unwanted – visitor in the kitchen of a fine French restaurant, Remy’s passion for cooking soon sets into motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down.
“You must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul.”
Pinocchio: Trust your own judgement.
Gepetto creates a wooden marionette called Pinocchio. A fairy grants his wish for Pinocchio to be a real boy. The fairy assigns Jiminy Cricket to act as Pinocchio’s “conscience” and keep him out of trouble. Jiminy is not too successful in this.
“Always let your conscience be your guide.”
The Incredibles: Be present.
Mr. Incredible and his wife were the world’s greatest crime-fighting superheroes fifteen years ago. Today they have been forced to adopt civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs where live a “normal life” with their three children Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack (who were secretly born with superpowers). Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top secret assignment.
“I never look back darling, it distracts from the now.”
Wreck-It-Ralph: Love yourself
Wreck-It Ralph longs to be as beloved as his game’s perfect Good Guy, Fix-It Felix. Problem is, nobody loves a Bad Guy.Ralph sees a chance to be a hero. He sneaks into a game with a simple plan — win a medal — but soon wrecks everything, and accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens every game in the arcade.But will he realize he is good enough to become a hero before it’s “Game Over” for the entire arcade?
“There’s no one I’d rather be than me.”
Phineas & Ferb– The only limits are the limits of your imagination
Perry’s dual life as a secret agent is discovered but when the brother’s and their friends team up to help Perry, no problem is too big to solve.
“The only thing that is impossible is impossibility.”
Kung Fu Panda– Stress and fear make tasks more difficult to accomplish
LA lazy panda, named Po, who is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around is unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols. Po puts his heart – and his girth – into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.
“Anything is possible when you have inner peace.”
Turbo– If you believe it, you can achieve it.
Turbo is a snail who dares to dream big – and fast. An accident infuses him with the power of super-speed, Turbo kicks things up a gear and heads on an extraordinary journey. With the help of his streetwise snail crew, this ultimate underdog puts his heart and shell on the line to prove that no dream is too big, and no dreamer too small.
“No dream is too big and no dreamer is too small.”
The Land Before Time– Take time each day to listen to your inner voice.
When Littlefoot is separated from his mother during an earthshake he finds four unlikely friends who overcome many obstacles together to find his grandparents and the green valley.
“Let your heart guide you. It whispers so listen closely.”
Wall-E– Do what you need to to feel truly happy.
“I don’t want to survive, I want to live.”
Shrek– There’s more to a person than what you see on the surface.
When a green ogre named Shrek discovers his swamp has been taken over by fairytale creatures of the scheming Lord Farquaad, Shrek sets out, with an unlikely friend, Donkey, to convince Farquaad to give his swamp back. Farquaad sends Shrek to rescue Princess Fiona, who is waiting for her one true love. Fiona is keeping something secret and maybe the Prince and the ogre have good and bad all confused.
“Ogres are like onions. Onions have layers.”
If you have other powerful messages and quotes, from your favorite inspiring movies, I’d love to hear them. Please share and add your personal suggestions.
Featured photo credit: Aneta Pawlik via unsplash.com
