I’m in a foul mood form watching this movie.
I had promised the kids I would take them to see this movie over the Easter break. Today was the last day…and so we went. Yeah, I had heard the warnings. I knew that adoption played a part in it..a huge plot line of the movie. And I knew I had to do it anyway. And it pretty much sucked.
Adoption Triggers Abound in Meet the Robinsons
As a mother of adoption loss, the very first scene of the movie was terribly triggering and almost moved me to tears. If I had not known what to expect, I would have lost it right then and there. Being a person who had to hold her child one last time and then turn away, I certainly cannot thank Disney for being that all back up to the surface. Granted the dark rainy night effects did transpire what ones heart feels as it breaks into a million pieces.
Now it was real swell to be sitting with my youngest two parented children and watch them get spoon feed about how Louis’s mom “Maybe didn’t have a choice and maybe did want Louis”..
Amazing how that little bit of information didn’t get given to Louis before he was 12. Nice to let the kid go though life thinking he was abandoned Oh but right, he really was…do you think that was commentary on Safe Haven laws??? Right, so the kids get to think that moms just dump kids off at orphanages and they don’t really want them..maybe? But going to find them is a VERY BAD IDEA. I mean right? No one wanted to help Louis do THAT!!
Now granted, Scarlett in her infinite wisdom did say in the van on the ride home, “but Mommy, maybe his mom didn’t have the money to keep him?”
And of course, I replied, ” Yes, honey..it usually is about money. Most mommas do think that they do not have enough to care for their babies and poverty is a leading cause of family separation”
Yeah, I DO say this stuff to my 6 year old. Of course, I did have to point out that it is very unusual for a white baby to stay in an orphanage. Lord knows, a baby Louis would have been scooped up right quick!
Disney Pushing Bad Adoptee Sterotypes
Yeah, I know there are many adoptees who are perfectly content with their lives and would not have gone back and changed things, BUT I also know that there are plenty of adoptees who WOULD. And Disney, with a sweep of their magic pixie dust of animation, just made EVERYONE of those past and future adoptees, WRONG for having those very NORMAL needs and feelings! They are now the BAD kids…like Goober…who stay in the past..not winners…who look to the future.
Apparently, I am not the only one who has an issue with this movie. Though granted I had to carefully just defend my annoyance to Rye who said “But it’s just a movie?”
Yeah, it’s a movie FILLED with stereotypes about adoption..and since that is what I work against every day…I think this movie SUCKED.
It just filed, yet another generation, with adoption propaganda. Only the good get adopted. You do get “choosen”..if you are good. Don’t look back…where you came from doesn’t matter..it’s where you are going..and ONLY with ADOPTION is your future bright and good. Don’t need those dark creeping in the night bad abandoning mommas….they didn’t want you anyways.
As I said, I am not the only one:
I Wonder if Disney Cares??
MEDIA ADVISORY: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CALLING MOVIE `INSENSITIVE, ‘ INSTITUTE ASKS DISNEY TO DISCUSS ADOPTION
NEW YORK, April 9, 2004 – The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute today called for an urgent meeting with Walt Disney Pictures to discuss the potentially negative impact on children and families of its new movie, “Meet the Robinsons,” which is generating strong criticism in the adoption community because of its insensitive portrayal of adoption and, in particular, of an orphaned child.
“I’m sure the filmmakers were well-intentioned, but their apparent lack of understanding about the realities of orphanage life (and of the effects of rejection on children) led to a storyline that is upsetting many adopted boys and girls, particularly ones who spent time in orphanages themselves,” said Adam Pertman, Executive Director of the Adoption Institute. “Many parents, practitioners and mental-health professionals also are worried about the impact the movie could have on children who still need loving, permanent homes and on the public’s general perceptions of adoption.”
Adding that “it’s hard to achieve good outcomes with insufficient knowledge,” Pertman asked for a meeting with Disney executives to explain the movie’s problems, discuss what can be done to mitigate them and, most important, to provide information intended to improve future films involving issues relating to orphans, adoption and foster care. Experts in the field, as well as representatives of affected families, will be invited to the meeting, which Pertman deemed “very important … because this is by no means the only movie, or the only studio, that has generated this kind of controversy and concern.”
The Adoption Institute has received numerous complaints about “Meet the Robinsons” since it opened, including from practitioners (some of whom have sent warnings to parents not to take their children to the movie); from adoptive parents (many of whom have reported their children became distressed, especially because the central character was rejected by more than 100 potential adoptive parents), and from birth families (particularly because the child ultimately chooses to reject his birth mother).
“I’m sure lots of people will defend this movie as simply entertaining and point out that it has a happy ending,” Pertman added. “But when anything is this disconcerting for so many kids and parents – whether the reason is its treatment of race, gender, religion, adoption or any other aspect of identity – then we need to stop and think about whether there’s a harmful downside, even if it’s inadvertent.”
The Adoption Institute is the pre-eminent research, policy and education organization in its field; it is nonprofit, nonpartisan and independent of any interest group. Its unique projects and programs include the only Media Education Initiative of its kind, designed to improve the understanding and treatment of adoption and foster care by professionals in the news and entertainment industries.
To learn more about the controversy over “Meet the Robinsons” and the Institute’s work – or to arrange an interview – please contact Pertman at 617-332-8944 (office), 617-763-0134 (cell) or apertman@adoptionin stitute.org. The Institute’s award-winning website is www.adoptioninstitu te.org.
Thanks for this post.I had no idea this movie was even out. my daughter and I will make sure we avoid it. we’ve been punched by the open adoption train and dont need any reminders.
The word is definitely spreading, Claud, my email is full of alerts and warnings from people. This movie is one to miss, definitely. And I’m glad to see EBD jumping on Disney – they have just enough clout that they might at least get their attention.
It sucked, that opening scene threw me, I had no idea what the movie was aout when we went and saw it. I was so pissed when he reached out to his mom and then turned away, sigh…..it was so full of the usuall crap.
MSP
I just ended up over here and thought I’d comment. I”m parenting a child we adopted from foster care and we have a partial open adoption that gets more and more open as time goes on. We need to go slow but she is in contact through phone, emails, letters with all of her birth family – and we even tracked down her birth dad and opened up communication there.
We liked the movie OUTSIDE of the adoption issues but that really did color the overall feeling of it.
When we got to the car after the movie, I asked my daughter (who is adopted) if she liked it, etc. She really loved it and I told her that I enjoyed it too except the parts about adoption because they weren’t done well.
I always tell her that she can love her birth family and her adoptive family. Just like a mom who loves her two children, she can love two moms. Parents don’t split their love with children so kids don’t have to as well.
So I told her that I thought the boy should have gotten a chance to meet his first mom. That finding a new family he was happy with doesn’t mean he can’t have her in his life too. And we went over how orphanages like that aren’t around anymore. So we talked about how he could have talked to her instead of turning away and how it would have been a better movie with that ending.
Lately she hasn’t wanted to see anything on adoption and I wonder if it is because of bad portrayals like this movie.
I had heard negative things about the movie but your review is the most comprehensive that I’ve read about it — I haven’t read any real reviews about it. I’m glad we haven’t seen it. My son was in an orphanage in Vietnam the first 4 months of his life, he knows that he was in an orphanage, and I don’t want him to see that image of himself or orphanages.
Good for Pertman and the Donaldson Institute for taking Disney to task over this!
So Disney had a warning 3 years ago and still went ahead with it? Wow, that just adds to my belief that Disney is a foci of evil in the modern world.
http://forums.adoption.com/china-adoption/292822-meet-robinsons-negative-adoption-message.html
Claud, I dont know if you still post at a.com but you should check this thread out. Essentially a bunch of aparents rahrahing the adoption aspects of the movie. “Move On, Move Forward, Be Happy” being the dominant theme. Seriously, I dont have the stomach to say anything, but maybe you should.
Jensboys
I wonder who is bonking a baby broker at Disney? Yes, we are so happy and forever grateful to be adopted, with no need to ever search for our actual parents.
Disney appears to be in the fairyland farce that adoption is actually about children? And if it depicts children being rejected by potential adopters (PAPS) then it is actually accurate. Adopters have return policies here if that little child is not to their liking.
I also know an adopted adult who was returned to the Toronto CAS, her little face was not rosy enough for them!
I won’t see this movie, but if it depicts children being wheeled through a treadmill of potential adopters it is the truth.
And casting mothers as the child abandoning whore like villians is all part of the great adoption machine. Blood is bad, strangers are safer, and better aren’t they now?
Well the stranger was not safer or better for Masha Allen the little girl who was adopted by a vile pedophile, in a case where police departments had to track her down from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to the United States. And a case where the child porn images of this childs torture are said to be on the Internet still. I hope that the police catch every sick nutjob viewing these images, and that all those who are profiting off this child’s torture are jailed for life, or even better hung.
Incidentally she was also tortured by the pedophile who adopted her at a Disney resort.
Guess Disney forgot about Masha Allen.
Anne Patterson
Adam Pertman and the operatives at the Evan B. Donaldson Institute do not want the media to report stories where children are raped, beaten or worse murdered by their adopters! It paints a bad light on adoption to them.
This group does not speak for me in any way, shape or form as an adopted adult, an activist, searcher, writer etc..
Encouraging the media to keep horror stories such as the case of Masha Allen totally off the radar is nothing more then manipulative, untrue and totally callous.
I’m glad that the media reported an “adoptive father” buying a child to molest. Perhaps it can raise awareness that adoption is not “forever safe”.
Anne Patterson
And Disney would do well to give Masha Allen a token of help after she was adopted by a pedophile and tortured at their resort. With their boat loads of money, they would do well to help Masha Allen -maybe set up a trust fund, help her to go to university in the future or something.
Disney should include a disclaimer for this movie.
I say Koo-koo-ka-choo adoption industry!
Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, adoption is not forever safe, and children do not always live in forever families. Sometimes children are killed in forever families, sometimes they are beaten, sometimes they are raped. Child abuse has no borders, don’t be blind be aware.
Anne Patterson
I’m sorry I have to say this – it’s a movie / give Disney a break. If I (or anyone else) listed all the movies that offended us or offered a ‘candy coated’ view of life ~ we would be here forever. For instance, I’m not religious and I could be claim to be ‘annoyed by most movies out there. I have read your blog before, and greatly respect your point of view – but come one we have to pick our battles and I don’t believe this is one.
I saw the making of this movies, so glad I didnt go and see it…surprise surprise the producer was a ‘happy adoptee’.
Gabby
Anne is right about Masha Allen. Not only doesn’t anyone care, but her second adoption, which was faciliated by Judge Cheryl Allen, leaves many unanswered questions.
Read this story then ask yourself the following questions:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04135/316220.stm
Why was Judge Allen sitting in the Criminal Division – this was an adoption?
Why was Judge Allen presiding over an adoption for her former roommate – isn’t this a conflict of interest?
The Peniel Center is a drug and alcohol rehab – not an anorexia program.
Why and how did Faith Allen change her name to match Judge Allen’s?
Given her troubled past was Faith an appropriate parent for this abused and neglected child? Is this the best Allegheny County could come up with for Masha?
Disney would be a welcome oasis for this child who is living an Alice in Wonderland existence.