Moana may be a great movie, but it’s also the latest animated-film to present rebellious children in a positive light. So says a grandfather and columnist at MovieGuide.org.
“Moana is an outstanding animated movie by Disney Animation Studio,” David Outten wrote. “It’s entertaining, emotional, sometimes quite funny, and is brilliantly animated. Unfortunately, it once again features a father who is disobeyed. As is often the case in Disney movies, the father is well-meaning and attempts to protect, but he is in the wrong. He restricts his daughter who then feels compelled to rebel.”
Outten wrote that he spent $80 to take his grandchildren to watch Moana and was disappointed, again, to see the Dad to be in the wrong.
“This plot device was evident in The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Ratatouille and Brave. Outside of Disney, it was also apparent in movies like How To Train Your Dragon. Movies require conflict to keep audiences from napping,” he wrote.
“When a child is the hero, the father-figure is a natural source of conflict. In Moana, the case for rebellion is beautifully constructed. Dear ol’ Dad seeks to keep his daughter safe from the dangers of the open seas, when she is called to the open seas to save her people. The audience is led by-the-nose to root in favor of her rebellion. Without it, the movie would be an overwhelming bore.”
Outten added that he can’t think “of any restriction or advice I gave my children that kept them from pursuing their great calling in life.”
“The problem with presenting rebellion as noble is that there are people presenting evil as noble,” Outten wrote. “There are people who label biblical morality ‘bigotry.’ They encourage children to break from their parents’ values and join in a ‘noble’ sexual revolution. This is not the direct message of Moana, but Moana would resonate with any child who chooses to rebel against a parent’s Christian values.
“Millions of Christian parents (and grandparents) have taken children to see Moana. They need to have a heart-to-heart talk with their children. Moana’s world was threatened by a spreading darkness. So is our world, but the darkness is not the Christian values of the parents, it’s the immoral values pleading for an even greater rebellion.”
Outten’s full column can be read here.
