One
of the benefits of thinking about community all day long is
that it opens us up to seeing community all around us.
Quite often one of us will
come into the office all fired up about a movie we've seen
that reflected some great community principles. (Mark Cabaj has been
on a mission to make us all watch the Milagro
Beanfield War for years!)
We can often be cynical
about popular culture and blame movies, T.V., and music for
many of the ills that permeate our communities. But at Tamarack
we think these media have immense potential to share positive
messages and prompt us to think about the communities we want
to live in.
On this page we profile
movies that we think have a powerful community message. We
hope to bring you some of the interesting portrayals of community
that inspire us.
On this page you'll find:
Toy Story 3 takes us back to the magical world of living toys whose joy and purpose is to be loved and played with by their owners. But times change and children grow up. And now Woody, Buzz and their fellow toys come face-to-face with this reality.
As the movie opens, Andy is heading to college, and the toys that were once his beloved playthings sadly prepare to be relegated to his dusty attic. Things don’t go as planned and soon the toys find themselves in a strange new world after they are donated to Sunnyside Daycare.
 What initially seems as a dream come true for Andy’s toys quickly becomes a nightmare. Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear the “leader” of the daycare toys seems eager to welcome Woody and the gang, but, in reality, he is a strict prison warden, forcing toys new to the center to do time in a room filled with savage toddlers that aren't "age appropriate."
Like children often do, Pixar uses the toys to tell a broader story. And in Toy Story 3, watching the toys struggle to accept change and confront hardship makes them seem all too human. The movie is also a beautiful reminder that friends and community make hard times easier to bear; difficult situations are solved by working together; and, combining our unique gifts makes impossible plans become possible.
Related Links:
[By: Sylvia Cheuy]
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We need your help! Have you
seen a great movie that inspired you to be more active in
engaging with your community? Let us know!
E-mail us here.
Parent
Previews provides reviews
and helps parents discuss media with their kids.
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