Production Company: Walt Disney Pictures

Director: Steve Anderson

Cast: Angela Bassett, Tom Selleck, Harland Williams, Adam West, Tom Kenny, Ethan Sandler

Rating: Rated G and is suitable for all audiences

By Gregg Tubbs

(UMC.org)—"Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and trying new things…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." This quote from Walt Disney himself appears in the closing credits of his studio’s latest animated effort, Meet the Robinsons. The belief that something wonderful is waiting right around the corner makes this tale of an orphan’s search for his own bright future something very rare—a "feel good" movie that actually makes you feel good! And if you are fortunate enough to see it in 3-D, you might be tempted to leave the funny glasses on just to see if some of the movie’s magic will spill out into the real world.

Meet the Robinsons tells the story of Lewis, a 13-year-old orphan who fears his chances of being adopted are running out. A bright and curious boy, Lewis has an uncanny talent for invention and is convinced that his latest contraption, the Memory Scanner, will help him recover his earliest memories and find his real mother. However, at a science fair demonstration of his new device, events take an unbelievable twist and Lewis is sent rocketing into the future—his future—with Wilbur Robinson, a boy about his same age who comes to rescue him from the nefarious (and bumbling) "Bowler Hat Man."

A bright and curious boy, Lewis has an uncanny talent for invention and is convinced that his latest contraption, the Memory Scanner, will help him recover his earliest memories and find his real mother. Copyright © 2007 Walt Disney Pictures.

The world of the future is a shining, joyful, place where both nature and man seem to flourish. This future world seems to be constructed from Lewis’ own inventive imagination, and is filled with robots, flying cars, time machines and other amazing inventions. Best of all are Wilbur’s family—a jolly, eccentric multigenerational bunch. They’re all a little off-kilter, but the Robinson home is filled with love, acceptance and mutual support—everything Lewis dreams of. But for this dream and this future to become a reality, he must first repair a damaged time machine and return to his own time and complete his memory scanner.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why I enjoyed Meet the Robinsons so much. It’s not Disney’s funniest film, although it has laughs aplenty—particularly from the dim-witted Bowler Hat Man. Neither is it their most touching film, although Lewis’ yearning to know he’s loved and wanted touches something elemental in all of us. Nor was it the presence of 3-D effects, although I must admit, 3-D has never seemed less forced. The depth effects enhance rather than distract from the story. Perhaps the story is the key. The folks at Disney have picked a winning story, and everything else takes a back seat to telling a whopping good tale, with bits of pathos, generous humor, lots of imagination, and a plain old-fashioned happy ending—the kind that should feel corny, but somehow doesn’t.

Wilbur’s family—a jolly, eccentric multigenerational bunch—are all a little off-kilter, but the Robinson home is filled with love, acceptance and mutual support—everything Lewis dreams of. Copyright © 2007 Walt Disney Pictures.

The thing that stuck me was the film’s irrepressible sense of optimism—a sense of hope for the future—a drive not just to see what’s over the horizon, but a gleeful excitement for what awaits. There’s also the sense that we can—each one of us—affect the future, for good or ill. Lewis, an orphan with no family and none of the advantages of money or position, finds that his life makes a great difference in the future. We also see that families don’t fit a cookie-cutter pattern, but come in all shapes and sizes. The family that awaits Lewis is filled with the most important ingredient—love!

The film also shows that both our attitude and decisions help determine how our own future develops. Lewis remains positive, always convinced that his dreams can come true, and he makes the conscious decision to keep trying, when others might give up. Though driven, Lewis never tries to succeed at the expense of others, and his path is generally one of kindness. We also learn that the Bowler Hat Man came from similar circumstances as Lewis, but his own bleak view of the future became a self-fulfilling prophesy. He chooses the path of revenge on all those he mistakenly sees as having wronged him and his future reflects that grim vision.

But in a true feel-good movie like Meet the Robinsons, even the villain gets a second chance. We discover that Lewis, the wacky Robinsons and the Bowler Hat Man are all connected in a delightful and inspiring way. The film seems to affirm that though God's ways are often mysterious, it is a certainty that God is at work in the world, redeeming and restoring it. Perhaps Meet the Robinsons is a little sappy, but an uplifting movie about a brighter future may be just what we need in these troubled times.

Study Questions:

• The movie is based on a short story by William Joyce called "A Day With Wilbur Robinson." If you have read this story, how did the movie compare? Was the message intact?
• Lewis and Goob were both orphans, but very different. How would you describe their differences? How did their attitudes affect their futures? Which one are you most like and why?
• Have you ever felt like Lewis, that no one wanted you? Do you think that’s ever true? Discuss how God views and values each person. How does the knowledge and confidence that we are beloved children of God enable us to reflect that same love toward other persons? What things prevent us from reflecting God's love and treating others as valued and loved?
• How would you describe the Robinsons? What characteristics make them a family?
• How are faith and hope are connected? What guidance does the Bible give us (for example, Heb. 11:1)?
• How can a positive attitude lead to positive results in life?
• How do you envision the future? What inventions would you like to see? What changes in society would you like to see?
• Does your faith inform your views of the future? In what way(s)?
• How you see God working around you? Do you believe God has a hand in your future? How do you have a hand in shaping the future?
• The Bowler Hat Man is redeemed in the end. How did that make you feel? Do you believe we all have a chance at salvation? (See Luke 23:32-43.)

Related Links

Official Meet the Robinsons site

Theatrical Trailer

QuickTime