Image from Boxtrolls Trailer by Laika
The new release PG-rated cartoon Boxtrolls has a clear message, “Families come in all shapes and sizes.” It is about an orphaned child who is raised by boxtrolls. It is made by the same production company, Laika, which introduced the first openly gay cartoon character in ParaNorman. The trailer for the movie is pretty blunt in its descriptions of families. Stating that some families have two fathers, while some two mothers.
You can watch it here. (I tried to embed it on my site, but could not so you will have to click this link to go and watch.)
The producers included the song “Some Kids” by Loch Lomond as the second song in the credits which has these lyrics, “”Some kids have a mother and a mother/Some kids have a father and a father/Some kids have no one at all/ … We should be glad for the families we have/And reach out to those who are on their own.”
The movie doesn’t openly explore the them of gay parents, but wants it to be understood by children that families come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, that seems to be the idea of “boxtrolls.” Boxtrolls are these out-of-the-mainstream characters that have been marginalized from society. They are encouraged to come out of the box and let their true selves be known. They don’t need to hide behind the box any longer.
The CEO of the company said, “The Boxtrolls are a very loving community that have been marginalized by the lies and distortions of others. It doesn’t take someone who’s got a Ph.D. to recognize that of course there are metaphoric elements to the message in our movie.”¹
While children may not pick up on the homosexual metaphor or the push to accept all types of families, Christian parents should still have a concern. Though the movie may have some entertainment value and be overall just a fun show, we must understand the danger in this agenda. Christians must continue to understand that us and our children are being pushed a secular, worldly agenda that subverts Biblical truth. God wants us to love all people and certainly have concern for orphans and the marginalized of society. But He certainly does not approve of the view that all families are acceptable and equal. God designed the family system based on the committed love of a man and woman bond in holy marriage (see my post on The Christian and Homosexuality).
To learn more about the movie and the homosexual theme and other issues check out the well-written review at Plugged-In.com.
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Quote taken from Plugged-in Review
3 comments
Good to know, Josh. Since we don’t have small children in the home anymore, we’re not always aware of the ways the entertainment industry attempts to target children in defining what is acceptable and best.
Ugh, you call yourself a Christian. Go help fight a worthy and just cause, rather than moaning about several words in the nuanced lyrics of the second song in the closing credits of a semi-popular kids movie.
I just watched the movie with my kids. I did not see anything sexual at all about the movie except perhaps, it could be argued that the villian may be a crossdresser! I am a Christian and a pastor, and as such will bear witness that the Bible tells us that those who truly love us are our family. God even allowed a man to raise his Son, he loved him and became a father to him. That itself says alot. I believe as Christians we are required to speak the truth, yet in love. We do not need to condemn the homosexual community, they have already condemned theirselves…..we need to love them, and in love give them the truth. They will not care how much we know, until they know how much we care.
IHS-CrazyMike