I was inspired to write this post today after seeing how much my family truly enjoyed watching Big Hero 6 as a group just a few hours ago as part of our Spring Break bonding time. I'm usually the sappy sort and I am a big kid at heart, so it came as no surprise to me that I enjoyed the movie for my sake, and this was also not my first time seeing the movie. For my boyfriend and his younger brother, this was the first time they had ever seen the movie. We have a large family that's always active so getting out to the movies all together sometimes doesn't happen, but we were all very excited to see it. As the movie played not a word was spoken and you could sense the emotion in the air. Both boys loved it, and everyone agreed that they got choked up at the end of the movie. More than that, everyone had a hero that they could relate to and put themselves in the shoes of that character. Aside from the emotional quality of the film, I see so much worth in the story in the form of educational benefit. These little sponges (children) that sit down to watch the movie are informing themselves on several topics related to science and personal relations. So I have decided to list 6 reasons that I would love to see Big Hero 6 shown in classrooms and at the very least inside the homes of the students of my future school.
1) Big Hero 6 promotes creativity and lifelong dreams of producing the next big advancement that society sees, whether it be in robotics or not. I have seen children in the schools be so inspired by Baymax himself. One day, in an art class that I substituted for, we were working with clay and one of the students sculpted him out of the modeling clay pretty accurately. I encouraged him to pursue the arts at least on an academic level because perhaps claymation won't be phased out completely by computer animation and he will be able to use his clay work in a motion picture. For another child, the tool might be robotics and from fiction can come reality. From space travel to cell phones, it all started as a dream. We might have our own Baymax in the future. It's not too far fetched with these wild dreamers that we have.
2) It promote interpersonal connections. It teaches children that they need friends. Even before they became the team that they were in the end of the movie, the 5 friends simply bonded over a shared love of science. There are many opportunities for children to find shared interests and potentially learn how to work collaboratively or to just form friendships with classmates. When huge events happen in our lives, particularly sad ones, it is incredibly beneficial to have a support network. If children learn that early on and do not leave themselves in a vulnerable position by isolating themselves from peers, there might not be so many cases of depression or anxiety in the teen years. In my Developmental Psychology class we're focusing on coping strategies this week. It is so sad to hear how many teenage girls in particular suffer from depression which could be avoided altogether or at least managed by developing the right coping skills. Like Baymax says, we all need physical reassurance from time to time. We all need to talk it out. That's what friends are for.
3) The movie is so rich in knowledge of bodily science. It delves into topics such as neuroscience, blood type, nutrition (in the credits), safety procedures, and properties of energy. If you can capture the attention of children and blow the door wide open on a whole new world of information that they might not have even thought would interest them before, you can develop a love of learning in them. They can learn, not just because you tell them that they have to, but because they want to. If we want our children to possess the same desire to learn as the children from competing nations, we have to plant that seed.
4) The level of morality that this movie shows is off the charts. Disney is known for it's morality, but they really put it all out there on this one. Hiro does not have the highest moral fiber in the beginning, cheating and lying, sneaking around, and overall just having no values. It's clearly because of a lack of structure. The only two parental figures in his life are too young to have it all figured out and too busy with their own lives to ensure that he's being productive in his, but to become the hero that he needs to be, he needs to grow up, put his talents to use, and stop thinking so selfishly. The team helps him with his his aggression issues and with any luck in a future sequel he will mature further and become the leader he is so ill-equipped to be at age 14ish, despite his overly large intellect. I will impress you now and mention that he is probably a good example of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence. He might be 'gifted' in his understanding of science, but that in no way gives him superior moral reasoning.
5) It is a safe and welcome exposure to loss and grief. Let's be real for a moment. Sadly, children even as young as 5 or 6, and I know this from experience, can suffer loss and feel grief in a deep way. Some of the very children who watched the movie opening day might have been dealing with a sadness of a loved one's passing that just wouldn't go away. They probably instantly related to Hiro and felt his pain as he experienced loss, but then possibly got a small amount of closure with the movie coming to an end. We all felt for Hiro. We've all felt that pain, but in time there is a hope of closure. The movie is a very good portrayal of grief and positive ways to cope with it and negative ways to cope with it.
6) In a nut shell, Big Hero 6 is a great family movie. Any activity or movie that brings the family unit together and promotes bonding is something very worthwhile in my opinion. I am a fan of extra credit and I feel that it is something I will utilize a lot in my teaching. I would make it an extra credit assignment to go home and watch Big Hero 6 with the family. Why not...families are too busy for each other these days and most would gladly take the opportunity to carve out some family time and watch a family movie with their loved ones.
If you, or someone you know, has not seen the movie, don't waste another second. Rent, download, or stream Big Hero 6 today. =-D
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