Family Movie Night
Hope, Wonder, & Purpose BY BONNIE L. HARRIS Flora saves a special squirrel.
D
ISNEY DOES IT AGAIN with a super cute, super quirky, super-duper action caper starring a squirrel named Ulysses and a perky ten-year-old named Flora, who’s caught between her love of super heroes and her despair over her parent’s separation. Flora and Ulysses blends impressive FLORA AND ULYSSES Walt Disney Pictures Rated: PG Streaming on Disney Plus
CGI animals with live-action characters into a family friendly tale that references everything from Star Wars & comic books to robo-tech & social media. Although it’s a film with zany humor and piercing wit, there are truly sincere moments between surprisingly nuanced characters that show how empathetic and smart kids can be. And Flora, our pint-sized heroine, is smart enough to recognize that the squirrel she saved from a crazy technovacuum has been transformed into a furry, poetry-writing
crusader. She hides Ulysses in her treehouse, but his huge appetite for Cheetos and Pop-Tarts, not to mention donuts, gets Ulysses into a world of trouble. Flora’s parents, both writers, try to derail her faith in Ulysses while her new neighbor, William, becomes her trusted ally. But like all super heroes, Ulysses has an evil nemesis in Officer Miller, who wants to exterminate anything with four feet and fur. It’s a mad cap chase to save Ulysses that ends at Animal Control Headquarters where Flora’s parents finally realize
that Ulysses has the super power to bring the family together. Although Ulysses is fuzzy and adorable, there’s a psycho CGI cat who terrorizes several characters and could really frighten younger viewers. I love cats, but this frenzied little beast made me cringe! The pure Disney ending wraps up with an eco-minded final scene where Flora makes the right choice and sets Ulysses free. But I sense a fun-filled sequel when Ulysses, from his new forest home, gazes upon Metropolis and gives us a big wink. ✦
FOR the PARENTS
Faith in Family
MINARI A24 Films, Rated: PG-13 In theatres & streaming on Amazon
R
ARELY DOES A subtitled film like the indie feature, Minari, capture Hollywood’s attention, but this poignant drama about a Korean family’s search for the American dream deserves the acclaim. It’s a thought-provoking story set in Arkansas in the 1980’s that’s not only raw and powerful, but also humorous, unusual, and completely genuine. The first few minutes reveal the family’s struggle with English as they arrive in the unfamiliar rural community and the subtitles become a window into Korean culture. Jacob, the father, dreams of growing Korean vegetables on his own land while his wife, Monica, remains unsatisfied with this strange, isolated existence. Their young children, Anne and David, bridge the divide between Korean and American pop culture, but their parents’ financial troubles overshadow everyday life. When Monica’s mother, Soon-ja, joins the family in their dilapidated mobile home, the culture clash
28
A father teaches his son.
increases. Jacob works tirelessly, but a lack of water, finicky buyers, and an unstable farm hand threaten to overwhelm him while David struggles to get along with his odd grandmother. In a moment of doubt, Jacob and Monica almost separate, but a near tragedy forces them to reassess their priorities. In the end, the family survives on faith and the will to succeed.
O R E G O N F A M I LY . C O M
APRIL 2021
