Today, the first of November, launches a host of national-something-months. Did you know that November is Sweet Potato Awareness Month? Neither did I. It’s also called No Shave November (I have no idea if this is a mixed gender thing or not).
Most importantly, it’s also National Adoption Month. With this month in mind, one of our faithful readers, clinical social worker Addison Cooper, compiled a list of films with adoption themes and emailed them to me. (He also has a website that deals with adoption and entertainment.) Of course, we’ve reviewed every single one of these, but it’s always interesting to see films grouped like this thematically. For Addison, one of best aspects of Tinseltown making films with pro-adoption messages is that adoptive families often need to communicate to each other some of their unique struggles and challenges. I thought it’d be worth mentioning some of these films in recognition of National Adoption Month. And, of course, you can check out our reviews to determine if they’re appropriate viewing for your family:
Despicable Me 2: Gru is a single father who has adopted three girls. One of the girls is sad when a school project requires her to talk about her mother, since she feels like she doesn’t have one. This scene can open conversations for kids who miss their birthmother or for kids who are struggling with being in a single-parent family. Also, Gru has improved considerably since the first Despicable Me movie; families could talk about “what makes a good dad,” or point out that even parents need to behave.
Man of Steel: Kal-El’s parents make a difficult decision to send him to a far-away place in order to ensure his safety. There, Kal-El is renamed (Clark Kent), and grapples with questions of identity. People in his new community struggle to accept his differences. Families could talk about why a parent might choose to relinquish their child for adoption, the difficulty fitting in to a new community, and affirming a child’s uniqueness as a positive. Also, Clark eventually chooses to accept his new, human identity. Adoptees often don’t have a choice about which family they belong to, but, like Clark, they eventually do have the choice of whether to accept their family.
The Smurfs 2: Smurfette, who was created by the evil wizard Gargamel but was taken in by Papa Smurf, wonders if she can truly belong to her new family. She fears that her belonging is only superficial. Her adoptive family goes to great lengths to keep her and, in doing so, they convince her that she truly belongs.
Turbo: When Theo and his brother leave their initial community, Theo is taken in by Tito (and becomes Turbo). The way Turbo joined Tito’s family seems very random, and many kids might relate.
Pacific Rim: A commander named Stacker took in an orphaned girl years ago. Now that she is grown, he struggles with her desire for independence because he still wants to protect her. This sci-fi flick might have special meaning for adoptive parents anticipating the impending adulthood of their kids. How do you respond when the need to protect is replaced by a need to let go?
All these movies remind me of a great program we have at Focus on the Family called Wait No More. The program helps raise awareness of the plight of legal orphans in the U.S., pointing out for instance, that 100,000 children are in the U.S. foster care system awaiting adoption and that there are 300,000 churches in the United States. You don’t need to be a math whiz to figure that if one family from each church took in an orphan, there would be no more kids waiting in the foster care system. We all know it doesn’t work that way, but Wait No More has still helped nudge more than 2,600 families so far to initiate adoption from foster care. (Check out this video of one family’s journey to adopt.) If you’ve been thinking about adopting a child in foster care, I’d like you to consider attending a Wait No More conference, or simply click here for information on adoption in your state.
Whether or not you’re considering adoption, I’d like to remind you that all Christians are essentially adopted. At one time, all of us were outside of God’s family. We were not considered His children. But for those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, we have “received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry “Abba, Father.” …Now if we are [His] children, then we are heirs…(Romans 8:15, 17). Paul adds in his letter to the church at Ephesus: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household…” (Eph. 2:19) I like the fact that I’m a member, an adopted member, of God’s household. Yes, adoption is a God thing!
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