Objectionable items in (and around) Ratatouille **possible spoilers**

[bumbershoot]

Movies made years ago could reference all kinds of situations without being crude - like Cary Grant movies.

Well, I'm fairly sure that, even if that's true (I've always found "classic" films to be quite adult in content, even if they don't use "our" time's naughty words...I wish our laser disc player was hooked up so I could watch my inherited Cary Grant movie collection), it was ONLY because of the heavy heavy censoring that the government imposed on the industry. And I certainly don't want that.


So are there any parent-deaths in this Disney movie? Since most of the classic Disney films are based on fairy tales, which were quite, ha, Grimm, a parent is almost always killed or already out of the picture, which is INCREDIBLY heavy. Right now my least fave Disney flick is Nemo. A kid's movie? I tell ya, each time I watch it I see another part of it I wish I could edit out (mom killed, siblings eaten before even being "born", child being taken away out of karmic punishment for defying a parent, father seeing child apparently dead...omg it goes on and on). Anyway, I'd really like to know if DH and I are going to be OK, so let me know if there are any parent deaths, b/c that really bothers us (DH is only 7 months out from losing his dad, and my mom has been gone 7 years but it's still quite fresh for me) and we need to put "armor" on emotionally.

 

[jjenniboo]

I am probably in the minority here but I really do not overly sensor things from my 4 year old daughter. She has seen movies where people have smoked, drank something, swore, etc but she knows I don't do these things or want her to either. I just try not to make a big deal out of it and then she doesn't either. I think that sometimes things are more appealing to kids when they are made taboo.

 

[i3utterfli82]

We saw the movie tonight, and I saw nothing that was offensive in any way. I think the movie is being over analized by some. There is nothing in this movie that would not make it a G rating. It was cute and my 3 year old loved it.

 

[o2bacelt]

I should have added that I had no issue with my 3 year old watching it, she's more interested in the rats than anything else, but I agree with the above poster who doesn't make a big deal out of things so her child doesn't, that's pretty much what we do.

But, everyone has a different comfort threshold, so to each their own.

 

[angipoo]

Well, I'm fairly sure that, even if that's true (I've always found "classic" films to be quite adult in content, even if they don't use "our" time's naughty words...I wish our laser disc player was hooked up so I could watch my inherited Cary Grant movie collection), it was ONLY because of the heavy heavy censoring that the government imposed on the industry. And I certainly don't want that.


So are there any parent-deaths in this Disney movie? Since most of the classic Disney films are based on fairy tales, which were quite, ha, Grimm, a parent is almost always killed or already out of the picture, which is INCREDIBLY heavy. Right now my least fave Disney flick is Nemo. A kid's movie? I tell ya, each time I watch it I see another part of it I wish I could edit out (mom killed, siblings eaten before even being "born", child being taken away out of karmic punishment for defying a parent, father seeing child apparently dead...omg it goes on and on). Anyway, I'd really like to know if DH and I are going to be OK, so let me know if there are any parent deaths, b/c that really bothers us (DH is only 7 months out from losing his dad, and my mom has been gone 7 years but it's still quite fresh for me) and we need to put "armor" on emotionally.

Yes, in a round about way, there is a death and it is a parent death (not graphic, but definitely mentioned)

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

Thanks, I appreciate the heads up. I actually watched Dumbo for the first time last week - I was shocked when Dumbo got drunk. My 3 & 5 year old kept asking me what Dumbo was drinking and why he was acting funny. I thought I was misinterpreting the movie - a DRUNK baby elephant??? - I had to call my husband at work to ask if Dumbo was really drunk! I let them watch it again - but, I would have liked a little warning the first time so I was prepared for the onslaught of questions!

 

[scrapnmom]

I was uncomfortable with the beginning of Happy Feet- good music but THANK GOD my children didn't know what the music was really about

Sally's tatoo in Cars could have been left out.

Childrens movies need to be childrens movies- I don't want them to entertain me I want them to entertain the children in a clean way. Thats my 2 cents worth....

OK, I've seen the Cars movie a couple of times but I do not remember Sally's tatoo. Can someone please tell me what it was of??

Thanks to the OP for the review.

 

[cruisinluver]

OK, I've seen the Cars movie a couple of times but I do not remember Sally's tatoo. Can someone please tell me what it was of??

It was under her spoiler in the back. The slang for such on a person is called a "tramp stamp". It is usually right over the rear partially or sometimes not hidden by jeans or shorts.

We loved it!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Well, I'm fairly sure that, even if that's true (I've always found "classic" films to be quite adult in content, even if they don't use "our" time's naughty words...I wish our laser disc player was hooked up so I could watch my inherited Cary Grant movie collection), it was ONLY because of the heavy heavy censoring that the government imposed on the industry. And I certainly don't want that.


So are there any parent-deaths in this Disney movie? Since most of the classic Disney films are based on fairy tales, which were quite, ha, Grimm, a parent is almost always killed or already out of the picture, which is INCREDIBLY heavy. Right now my least fave Disney flick is Nemo. A kid's movie? I tell ya, each time I watch it I see another part of it I wish I could edit out (mom killed, siblings eaten before even being "born", child being taken away out of karmic punishment for defying a parent, father seeing child apparently dead...omg it goes on and on). Anyway, I'd really like to know if DH and I are going to be OK, so let me know if there are any parent deaths, b/c that really bothers us (DH is only 7 months out from losing his dad, and my mom has been gone 7 years but it's still quite fresh for me) and we need to put "armor" on emotionally.

This is a pet peeve for my dh. He's always surprised to see a Disney movie that doesn't kill off a parent or show an orphan suffering or neglected/abused/abandoned by new caretakers. Like Bambi, James and the Giant Peach, Lion King (very graphic scene and much more disturbing to me than my kid hearing someone say h***) Nemo, Lilo and Stitch, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rescuers, Peter Pan's lost boys, and probably many more that I can't think of at the moment. Yet, many of these are classics.
I agree with the pp who mentioned cartoons from when we were younger. There was plenty of shooting in Looney Tunes and many war references in the older ones too. Somehow we turned out ok and look back on the "good ol' days" when cartoons were good.

 

[angipoo]

Maybe this will explain why so many times a parent dies in a Disney movie:

copied from biography of Walt Disney on disneydreamer.com:

In 1937, Walt and Roy grew concerned about their parents (Elias and Flora) who had been running a rooming house in Portland. Their health wasn't great, and the boys could afford to buy them a house in California and hire a housekeeper to help take care of it.

The gas heating in the house wasn't properly installed. Flora had complained that the furnace wasn't operating well, and Walt sent studio repairmen to fix it. But they didn't succeed. So, on the morning of November 26, 1938, gas fumes spread through their home. When Elias woke up, he found his wife's body on the bathroom floor. He passed out himself trying to carry her to another room. When their housekeeper began to feel dizzy she rushed to check on them, found them both unconscious, and got a neighbor to help her get them out of the house. It was too late for Flora. Elias survived, but never completely recovered. And though nobody knows precisely how he felt, it would appear that Walt never got over the tragedy either. Years later, he wouldn't even talk to Sharon about it.

 

[Tikicampers]

This is a pet peeve for my dh. He's always surprised to see a Disney movie that doesn't kill off a parent or show an orphan suffering or neglected/abused/abandoned by new caretakers. Like Bambi, James and the Giant Peach, Lion King (very graphic scene and much more disturbing to me than my kid hearing someone say h***) Nemo, Lilo and Stitch, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rescuers, Peter Pan's lost boys, and probably many more that I can't think of at the moment. Yet, many of these are classics.

I was reading something on this a while back, and it mentioned that the phenomenon is not just in Disney movies, but a large portion of children's literature. My two favorite books as a child were The Secret Garden and A Little Princess. In both of these books, the children are orphans. I can think of tons of other examples, but this post would be forever long. The article talked about how losing one or both parents provides the character with a reason to go through some monumental changes. I can understand why it would be difficult to see after the death of a parent.

 

[futreWDI]

So, I don't agree with the OP because I do believe that there has been worse. Cruella DeVille wanted to mass murder puppies, Dumbo drinking, Pleasure Island in Pinnochio (they named an adult's strip after it!), I could go on...

I think that some of the stuff is in the movies to teach kids a lesson. Usually the bad stuff is coming from the bad guy or villain and that is the lesson. If the kid can develop a hatred for the bad guy, then everything the bad guy does is bad. No one wants to be the villain.

I am only 21 but I grew up watching Ren and Stimpy since I was 6 (talk about dirty) so maybe my parents never cared as much, I still turned out okay!!!

How do you explain the commercials for Cialis, etc. to your children? (I think that is mucn worse)

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

How do you explain the commercials for Cialis, etc. to your children? (I think that is mucn worse)

Ummm, I've never seen a Cialis commercial on The Disney Channel or PBS Kids.

 

[futreWDI]

To the above poster, sorry. I understand your point.

I will still stand by the fact that the "villains" are doing the "bad things" and no one wants to be a villain. And even though Disney should not have to add anything "adult", they still need to be true to a story. A movie like Ratatoille would not be possible if they chefs in the kitchen didn't have an attitude. Then all chefs would be complaining that no kitchen smiles the whole time they work. Also, if you do any film that takes place in Paris needs wine of some sort. If they did not do this, there would be no truth in it. The movies that do not stay completely true to reality (to be safe) do get created by Disney all the time but they are played on the Disney channel! HSM is great but that would never happen that way. Could you imagine if the kids acted like they did in real life, your young kids would never be able to watch it. The world is not a Disney move and if they are going to create a movie that is true to the world, then it may have some objectionable things in it because the world does.

 

[Tam1067]

I was reading something on this a while back, and it mentioned that the phenomenon is not just in Disney movies, but a large portion of children's literature. My two favorite books as a child were The Secret Garden and A Little Princess. In both of these books, the children are orphans. I can think of tons of other examples, but this post would be forever long. The article talked about how losing one or both parents provides the character with a reason to go through some monumental changes. I can understand why it would be difficult to see after the death of a parent.

Yes, this is really common. You've got "The Wizard of Oz" as a prime example of this. It's not just the domain of Disney. Many, many stories and books geared to children show parents dead or missing for various reasons. Those fairy tales on which many of the Disney films are based (Cinderella, Snow White, and more) also portray the parents as missing or dead.

 

[autumnbaby9]

To the above poster, sorry. I understand your point.

I will still stand by the fact that the "villains" are doing the "bad things" and no one wants to be a villain. And even though Disney should not have to add anything "adult", they still need to be true to a story. A movie like Ratatoille would not be possible if they chefs in the kitchen didn't have an attitude. Then all chefs would be complaining that no kitchen smiles the whole time they work. Also, if you do any film that takes place in Paris needs wine of some sort. If they did not do this, there would be no truth in it. The movies that do not stay completely true to reality (to be safe) do get created by Disney all the time but they are played on the Disney channel! HSM is great but that would never happen that way. Could you imagine if the kids acted like they did in real life, your young kids would never be able to watch it. The world is not a Disney move and if they are going to create a movie that is true to the world, then it may have some objectionable things in it because the world does.

While I agree a movie about Paris would not be the same without wine and I have no problem with my child seeing the stuff that others have complained about Disney is not IMO a company that tries to make their movies realistic.

They even take liberties with the Disney Classics that you see in the theatre. Pocohontas is a huge example.

IRL Pocohontas was 12 and John became her adopted brother.

 

[FloridaTeacher]

Here's how my husband and I have always handled it - our children are getting a bit older now (17 & 10).

First of all we have always told them that just because you see something on TV or in a movie, it doesn't give you permission or an excuse to behave badly - and they have known since they were toddlers what mommy and daddy would and would not put up with. It just goes back to the old saying that my parents always said - "if your friends jumped off a bridge . . ." Just because a character says/does it, doesn't mean you should.

Second (and maybe this is 'cause I'm an English teacher) we've always emphasized the difference between fact and fiction. Children (even at a very young age) quickly understand the fundamental differences between the two.

We've never had a problem with either of them acting out or repeating inappropriate parts of a show or movie. Why? Maybe cause we are fantastic parents??? Okay, no actually - but we are very assertive about what's right and wrong to us and what we will and will not tolerate.

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

Childrens movies need to be childrens movies- I don't want them to entertain me I want them to entertain the children in a clean way. Thats my 2 cents worth....

Amen! I totally agree with this. OP, thanks for the heads up.

 

[shelly3girls]

I have not seen the movie but just wanted to offer a hint to the OP. Before allowing my children to see any movie I check it out on the FocusOnTheFamily website. You may not care about the religious undertones, etc. but the website gives a very thorough explanation of all areas that concern parents. You will know going into the movie about any questionable words or situations.

 

[Tikicampers]

3. In the movie, there is a scene where Remy is scurrying by an apartment and a woman has a gun pulled on a man and then she shoots it at him (but misses) and then the couple hugs.

I am not usually bothered by things in kids movies, but I have to say that this scene did bother me.