Onward (2020)

At Oak Grove, we want to train students in biblical discernment in their lives. One of the practical ways we can do that is with media. When it comes to media, many people simply consume, unaware of the sub-messages being communicated, or they may decide to withhold from the “secular” realm altogether. I believe that there is a spectrum between secular and sacred, rather than separate black and white categories, which means that all media speaks to “supernatural” and our collective perspective of the human condition. In a sense, movies could be characterized as America’s storytellers. Not only do Hollywood films reflect certain commonly held attitudes and beliefs about what it means to be American, but they also portray contemporary trends, issues, and events, serving as records of the eras in which they were produced. Do we pay attention to what is communicated in media and the influence that it has on our lives?

We want to create an environment where students will be trained to interact with media constructively and critically. Instead of running away – engaging it, while being careful to filter what needs to be filtered. As a Pastor, I cannot make a list of what is allowed and disallowed for students and have them honor it. As parents, we could make rules, but they may break them without understanding the why behind the rules. Instead, students need to learn how to make those boundaries themselves. If we do not model that for them at church, at home, and at youth group, how are they going to learn it? For this reason, we schedule nights of “film and theology” whereas a group, we will watch a movie, then spend 30 minutes after discussing the sub-messages found within. Conversations about media, consumption, holiness, and Christianity will be a continual thread through Oak Grove Student Ministry. 
Onward (2020) – Here’s What You Need to Know
Set in a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, go on a journey to discover if there is still a little magic left out there in order to spend one last day with their father, who died when they were too young to remember him. Like any good quest, their journey is filled with magic spells, cryptic maps, impossible obstacles and unimaginable discoveries. But when the boys’ fearless mom Laurel realizes her sons are missing, she teams up with the legendary winged-lion-scorpion former warrior — aka The Manticore — and heads off to find them. Perilous curses aside, this one magical day could mean more than any of them ever dreamed.

It’s not just magic that’s hard in Onward. Change is, too—just like it is in our world. And sometimes, that change is only possible with a pretty big push. Ian’s pushed a lot here. And while not all the decisions he makes are great ones, as we’ll see, they do make him a better person—and they help some other characters find the magic hidden within themselves, too. If you take this story a metaphorical step deeper—as I think the tale itself intends us to do—Onward isn’t trying to encourage its viewers to learn how to cast magic spells, but rather dig deeper into themselves and find the real “magic” within them: the courage to do hard-but-worthwhile things; the wisdom to solve problems in creative ways; the love to sacrifice for others. And let’s remember that the whole quest is predicated on one deeply affirming impulse: Ian and Barley want to see their father again. Onward emphasizes how important dads are. But even more so, it stresses how important—and how valuable—families are, even when they can drive you a little crazy. Brothers Ian and Barley don’t have much in common; and Ian’s often exasperated by his loud, magic-addled and oft-in-trouble sibling. But as the quest goes on, Ian comes to appreciate his brother more and more. Meanwhile, their mother dives into her own quest – to save and protect her boys – showcasing not just her love, but her courage and creativity as well.
Rating: PG-13
 
Content Caution (PluggedIn)
Kids – Medium | Teens – Light | Adults – Light

Some families will have concerns about its magical underpinnings. But Pixar’s latest quest travels to some other unexpected places as well. It hints at profanity. It dabbles in a bit of bathroom humor. There’s an easy-to-miss verbal reference to a same-sex relationship (a single line of dialogue that some in the media have focused upon a great deal). And by forcing its hero to make some dangerous and (some might say) irresponsible chances, it could inadvertently encourage young viewers to do the same. It offers some really nice messages, but this isn’t a film that, like Up or Inside Out, is likely to leave you thinking about it for days to come.

Magic is at the center of the movie, but the filmmakers stress that characters should only use magic to help others. The movie also shows that the poor use of magic has bad consequences. To counter these magical themes, Onward has strong moral elements stressing family, reconciliation, sacrifice, and stepping out in faith.

Regardless, Onward is a resonant and sometimes beautiful story about family—the people we love, the people we sometimes lose, the people who help us all grow and, if need be, those who fill in the gaps. It reminds us that love, like the movie’s magic, is hard. Love involves sacrifice. It can force us into places of discomfort. When we lose someone we love, we feel the hole forever, even if the hole grows smaller with time. And sometimes, in our exasperation and angst with our own loved ones, we lose sight of the qualities in them we should treasure.

Sexual Content/Nudity/Themes of Sexuality: A female police officer mentions her “girlfriend.” Laurel and her (ahem) “mane man,” centaur Colt Bronco, kiss and show affection for each other (much to Barley and Ian’s discomfort). We glimpse a bit of Barley’s rear when he kneels down.

Violence/Gore/Scary Content: Onward features plenty of cartoonish, slapstick hijinks: Characters fall down and run into things. But you have some more perilous moments, too. Barley and Ian find themselves in plenty of tense predicaments: They nearly drown in one scene, and they’re attacked by a massive creature in another. After someone knocks over several motorcycles, their owners—ruffian sprites—pursue the brothers (and their half-dad) with ill intent. In one scene, they lasso Ian’s arm with a chain while he’s driving on a busy freeway, with the intent of either pulling him out of the van or causing him to hit another vehicle (neither of which are particularly pretty options). We hear that Ian and Barley’s dad died from a lingering illness, and Barley remembers him being plugged by lots of scary-looking tubes and such. A manticore sticks someone in the neck with her poisonous tail, paralyzing the victim for a time. She also breathes fire, setting parts of a building and a character costume ablaze. (She suffers a scratch on her foot in the process.) People nearly fall from seriously dizzying heights. Magical hearts are pricked and stabbed. Buildings are destroyed. Rocks fall. Skeletons litter a dark passage. We hear (and see) how a gelatinous cube will dissolve anything it comes into contact with.

Language: We don’t hear any explicit profanities, though quite a few lines allude to them. A few exclamations are left dangling, incomplete, for instance. Someone seems to make a nod toward the s-word when he says “Oh, Shantor’s talon!” A couple of characters say “dang.”  

Alcohol/Drug/Smoking Content: The manticore owns a tavern.

Other Negative Elements: The movie’s plot forces Ian and others to make loads of bad decisions you’d not want your own children emulating, including: breaking the law, running from the police, lying to police, misleading parents, driving dangerously on freeways, stealing stuff, destroying school property and crashing cars. We hear at least one bathroom-oriented joke. A troll acts a bit jerkish to Ian in class, sticking his bare (and presumably smelly) feet on Ian’s chair. Biker sprites prove to be quite obnoxious pests … but the movie intends for them to be so.  

Borrowed From: https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/onward-2020/
https://cinemayward.com/review/onward/
https://www1.cbn.com/movies/onward-movie-review  
 
Questions to ask your student after the event: When you find yourself in an unsolvable problem – where do you go to for help? What do you want your relationship with your siblings to look like? What is the good life? What are you pursuing? How far will you go to obtain what you desire most? Which character do you identify most with?
I am super excited about this event. Please pray that God would work through it as a tool in the discipleship of our students. If you have concerns or questions, please feel free to reach out to me via email or my cell.