In the wake of her father’s death, Alice Kingsleigh has
sailed the sea on his boat, the Wonder. After more than a year away, she and
her crew return, but Alice’s happy homecoming is quickly turned to sadness as
she learns that she must either lose her father’s boat or her mother’s house.
Before this can be resolved, Alice is whisked away to Underland, where one of
her friends struggles with accepting a profound loss. The Mad Hatter has come
to believe that his family is still alive, in spite of a widely-known tragedy
which marked the last time his family was seen alive. Alice believes that she
must travel through time to prevent his parents’ deaths, but that journey risks
destroying the world. Will she make it in time, or will her task bring about
the end of Time itself?
The Adoption
Connection
There are no adoption themes, but there are themes of
parental loss and family strife. Alice has lost her father; now she struggles
with the thought of losing one of his dear possessions. The Mad Hatter’s whole
family has been taken from him, although he believes they are still alive. Two
sisters suffer from a deep hatred caused by a long-held secret.
Some kids who long for family connections that they have
lost might resonate with the Mad Hatter, who falls into a nearly fatal
depression when no one believes that he can reunite with his family.
A character says “You have a family… very important thing, a
family. You only have one.”
(SPOILERS AHEAD THE REST OF THE WAY)
Strong Points
When a long-held secret is finally disclosed and apologized
for, healing happens.
A character affirms, helpfully, that you “can’t change the
past, but you can learn from it.”
Every hurt heart is healed, and every broken familial relationship
is mended by story’s end.
The film shows how important it can be for someone to be
believed. Being disbelieved sends the Mad Hatter into depression, and the Red
Queen into anger. Being believed brings hope and healing.
Challenges
We see scenes where the Mad Hatter is ignored, belittled,
and shamed by his father. Although his father loves him, the Mad Hatter never
knows it; his father only tells him that he’s proud of his son when his son
manages to save him.
Weak Points
A music box presented to a cruel character features a
decapitation. It’s bloodless, but it could be disturbing for some viewers.
Recommendations
It’s interesting to see the different family-related
struggles that are overcome by various characters. Alice must accept her father’s
death in order to move on with her life – and she has to decide how to combine
keeping his memory with living her life. The Hatter has been separated from his
family, but refuses to accept their ultimate loss, and he is able to reunify
with them. Two sisters have lost many years to a feud that could have been
solved by a simple admission of truth and an apology.
Alice Through the Looking Glass has been roundly panned by critics, and I found it hard to follow, but in reflecting on the film, some of the family dynamics are interesting and worth seeing. The film seems best suited to kids ages 9-12 and their parents.
Questions for Discussion
How did a secret hurt the Red and White Queens?
If you could travel in time, would you? When would you like
to travel to?
Is it true that you can only have one family?
We all have a limited amount of time; what do you hope to do
and be with the time you have this day, this year, and this lifetime?
Has anyone ever thought you weren’t telling the truth when
you were? Has anyone ever believed you when you told the truth but didn’t think
people would believe you?
Is there anyone that you’ve lost contact with that you wish
you could see again?
The Mad Hatter felt like he didn’t deserve his family name;
why do you think he thought that? What would you tell him, if he told you that?
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