Episode 10: First Impressions: The Wild Robot

10/06/24 • 18 min

2 Listeners

The latest episode of Toon My Heart: First Impressions is a family affair, with not just host Tracy and daughter Darcy weighing in, as usual, but also a very special guest-- their husband and father, respectively, Dave! Listen to find out what all three of us thought of the latest animated film from Dreamworks, The Wild Robot, how we felt about the changes made from the original book by Peter Brown, whether we cried or managed to hold it together, what Bible verses it reminded us of, and why we wholeheartedly recommend this movie not just for kids, but for filmgoers of every age and stage of life.
Mentioned in this episode:

"'The Wild Robot' Director Says Film's Painted Style Offers an 'Emotional and Immersive' Experience" by Peter DeBruge, Variety
"'The Wild Robot' Turned Its Animators Into Painters" by Bill Desowitz, IndieWire

Music from Pixabay, by REDProductions

"'The Wild Robot' Director Says Film's Painted Style Offers an 'Emotional and Immersive' Experience" by Peter DeBruge, Variety
"'The Wild Robot' Turned Its Animators Into Painters" by Bill Desowitz, IndieWire

Music from Pixabay, by REDProductions

Previous Episode

Episode 9: Showtune My Heart: "God Help the Outcasts" with iCritic

2 Recommendations

Welcome to the first episode of a new ongoing bonus series called "Showtune My Heart," in which Toon My Heart host Tracy Herold and a guest will discuss a song from an animated film from a Christian faith perspective. In this episode, Tracy is joined by Kevin T. Rodriguez, also known as iCritic, to discuss the song "God Help the Outcasts," written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. We talk about the story behind the song and how it almost didn't end up in the film, admire the accompanying animation, discover Bible passages that the lyrics reminds us of, discuss how Esmeralda's feelings and character are revealed in the course of the song, contrast it with the other "prayer" song from the movie (the villain Frollo's "Hellfire",) ponder whether it's true that "we all [are] the children of God," and more!
Mentioned in this episode:

https://www.icritic.net
https://www.youtube.com/@KevinTRod
Heidi Mollenhauer's IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0597012/
Romani Rants: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney) critiques and concerns: https://www.tumblr.com/romani-in-art/121214077396/romani-rants-the-hunchback-of-notre-dame-disney
"Is everyone a child of God?" from Bible.org: https://bible.org/question/everyone-child-god

Music by REDproductions, sourced from Pixabay.com
If you have an idea for a song you'd like to discuss in a "Showtune My Heart" episode, please email [email protected]

Next Episode

Episode 11: Shorts: The Legend of Johnny Appleseed

"Small but mighty" is the theme of the day as Toon My Heart takes a break from feature-length films to examine the Disney short film "The Legend of Johnny Appleseed," part of 1948's Melody Time. Featuring the song "The Lord is Good to Me" sung by Dennis Day (who also narrates and does all of the character voices), and a character who carries a Bible, interacts with his guardian angel, and goes to Heaven, this short is one of the most open and positive portrayals of Christianity you'll find in any Disney film. But that doesn't mean that Christians should watch it uncritically. Host Tracy Herold discusses the responsibility we have when watching media depicting actual historical figures, such as John Chapman (also known as Johnny Appleseed), before launching into the lessons we can learn from this fictional Disney-fied version of Johnny Appleseed-- lessons about faith, determination, kindness, and how God delights in using the weak and foolish things of the world to do His work. Also featured in this episode is an interview with special guest Alison Bond of Kindness Through Letters Mission Project.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kindness Through Letters Mission Project (KTLM Project) on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kindnessthroughletters?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Allison Bond's Paypal to donate to KTLM: https://www.paypal.me/alliebmusic23
KTLM Project Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/29PHSLW7U958Z?ref_=wl_share
Heaven by Randy Alcorn: https://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Randy-Alcorn/dp/0842379428
Music by REDproductions, sourced from Pixabay.com
Questions, comments, or suggestions? Email [email protected]
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