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Episode 253: An Interview With Wild Robot Director Chris Sanders. Plus, Navigating Sad (but Good) Movies

LISTEN TO THE PLUGGED IN SHOW, EPISODE 253

Why are great kids’ movies so sad?

That’s not a hard-and-fast rule. I don’t remember shedding a tear while watching, say, The Emperor’s New Groove. But often, the kids’ movies we see—especially if they’re animated—can bring us to sniffles. The mom dies (Bambi). The dad dies (The Lion King). Or the themes are just so poignant and powerful that we can’t help but squeeze back a tear or two (practically any movie by Pixar made before 2015).

The Wild Robot may well join those echelons of poignant animated movies—movies that, often, are made as much for the parents in the theater as they are for the kids.

We had a chance to talk to that film’s director, Chris Sanders (who also helmed How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods and Lilo & Stitch), about those very elements that form the heart of his latest film. And we invite you to listen in.

And then Bob Hoose, Bret Eckelberry and I dive into our main topic: those oh-so-sad movies. Why they make them. Why we love them. And what they even might help to teach us.

Do you have a favorite sad movie? Do you have a movie that isn’t supposed to be sad, but makes you all weepy anyway? Let us know! We’d love to hear all about it. Talk to us over Facebook or Instagram. Write us an email ([email protected]). Leave us a voicemail on The Plugged In Show homepage. Or, hey, just leave us a comment below.

And be sure to check in with us next week on The Plugged In Show.

paul-asay
Paul Asay

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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