Movies are so much more than just an entertainment. They can teach us lessons since each story that we watch can offer different moral lessons that we would apply in our lives. Movies are also a great way to present your little one the topic of adoption.
1. Annie
The story about Annie, an orphan from New York who is taken in by rich billionaire Oliver Warbucks, has won the hearts of many. One of the biggest takeaways from this movie is how she maintains her cheerfulness and optimism in spite of the unkindness she experiences.
2. Elf
Little Buddy accidentally left his orphanage when he crawled into a bag that belonged to Santa Claus. Papa Elf never had children of his own, so Santa asked him to raise Buddy. As an adult, Buddy realizes he’s not an Elf and sets off to New York to find his father. Buddy develops a meaningful relationship with his newfound father and his family while still maintaining a wonderful relationship with his adoptive father.
3. Disney’s The Jungle Book
This iconic movie tells the story of Mowgli, a boy who has been raised in the jungle by wolves, a panther, and a bear. Although they want to take him to a human village, they are trying to do what’s best for him and even put themselves into harm to protect their little boy.
4. Lilo and Stitch
An alien mad scientist creates an experimental creature that escapes and arrives on Earth. A young girl named Lilo mistakes him for a dog and adopts him from a shelter. Lilo is raised by her older sister because their parents passed away, so this story has two strong adoption connections. This movie offers a great representation of a non-traditional family and affirms the fact that a family doesn’t need to be perfect to be positive.
5. Despicable Me
Gru is a villain who adopts three little girls to help him with his evil plan to steal the moon. This is a story about a cold and distant man who manages to change when he realizes how much he loves his three little girls.
6. Kung Fu Panda
Po is a panda bear and his father is a goose. In the first sequel, Po’s adoption is addressed directly. Po is full of questions about his background and he’s experiencing some identity issues, so it’s interesting to see how his father talks to him about the adoption.
7. The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Jim and Cindy Green are a couple struggling infertility, and their son Timothy magically grows up overnight from their garden. He’s noticeably different from other children, but they encourage him to keep his differences. After parenting Timothy, the decide to apply for an adoption.
8. Martian Child
This movie about adoption is a wonderful example of single-parent adoption. A widowed science-fiction author named David is connected with a foster child named Dennis. Dennis exhibits some peculiar behavior, and despite some difficult adjustments, David commits to the adoption and the two become a family.
9. Meet the Robinsons
In this magical tale from Disney, a little boy named Lewis lives in an orphanage and eagerly awaits being adopted. With the help of a new friend, he inadvertently travels into the future to meet his what turns out to be his adoptive family. This wonderful movie tells us a story about adoption from a child’s perspective.
10. Approved for Adoption
This is a story about an international adoption. A young boy Jung, joins a Belgian family after beginning his life in Korea. This is a movie about the adoption process, acceptance, and issues of belonging to a family.
