The Willoughbys Review written by the Ent on 4/23/2020
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Know Before You Watch:
Movie: The Willoughbys
Rating: PG
Age Suggestion: 10+
Running Time: 1 hr. and 32 min.
Release Date: April 22, 2020
Stars: 3.5 out of 5
Themes: Family, identity, purpose, abuse
Warnings: This is overall a fairly heavy kid’s movie. It deals with child neglect and abuse, abandonment, and death. It is all shown in cartoonish manner, but if you or your kids have any history with any of the previously mention topics, this is not something I would consider a safe or fun watch. There’s also some slightly creepy imagery, mostly coming from the young twins.
Quick Summary:
Based on the book of the same name by Lois Lowry (which can be purchased here), The Willoughbys appear to be a perfectly normal family from the outside. Two parents who greatly love each other and their four children. The problem: Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby never wanted children and have no extra love or tolerance for them. When these four kids grow up, they determine they would be better off living on their own without their parents. They devise a plan to send their parents away and become the new leaders of the house.
Discussion Questions:
1) Which sibling did you relate to the most?
2) If you could have Linda as a nanny, what fun things would you do with her? If you were friends with Commander Melanoff, what candy would you eat first?
3) What would you do if you thought your friends were in an abusive relationship? (This is a very difficult, but very important question). Make sure to discuss that they should share anything that makes them uncomfortable with other adults.
4) Who can you choose to show extra love to this week?
3 Lessons from The Willoughbys:
*Spoilers Beyond This Point*
1) We should not put up with abusive relationships.
This movie deals with some heavy topics. Some of it is handled better than others, but the overarching lesson is very important. The Willoughby children determine that they should not have to deal with the abusive relationships in their lives (in their case, their parents). This is a hard fact to digest, especially for children, but ultimately it is a crucial lesson for us all to know and value ourselves.
2) Your identity is not predetermined
Tim Willoughby throughout the entire movie/book had the desire to have a large mustache like his ancestors before him. The ability to grow facial hair holds the metaphor of being the head of his household. At the end of the film (slight spoiler), he is still unable to grow a mustache, despite his siblings all having some form of facial hair. Although still slightly upset, he is at peace with it. He realizes that he no longer has to be considered the head of his household to be a good man and human.
3) You choose who you invest your love in
Jane is so adamant about leaving her parent’s behind. This is shown over and over throughout the movie to be the correct choice. The last scene, when Tim comes to them and tries to reason with his parents, is the last straw for these kids. It becomes clear that their parents simply don’t have love for them. This leads to Jane singing “At the end of the day, I choose you” to her siblings. This is by far the most poignant and emotional scene of the film.
What was your biggest takeaway from the movie?
Keep reading for our review of the Willoughbys movie!
The Willoughbys Review
*Spoilers Beyond This Point*
-Characters & Acting:
The voice acting in this movie was done very well. All of the kids project their personalities quickly and effectively while still allowing for character development. Also, the bioparents sound like the worst, most annoying people, which is the desired effect.
The voice acting line up here is wonderful!
-Script & Story:
This story is a little hard to process at first. Seeing the complete negligence of the bioparents is very frustrating and may be triggering for some people, but the character development and ending are quite lovely. It is hard to see how CPS is portrayed as in reality they are very hardworking, loving people doing the best they can. This also continue the trope of villainizing birth parents in foster situations. Overall the story is very well paced and tells a constantly intriguing story about what it really means to choose tobe a family.
-Film Quality:
The artistry of this film is very fun and is a good contrast to the darkness of some of the topics covered. It is very stylistic and flows very well throughout the entire film.
-Final Thoughts:
This is a very fun, family movie, but you need to make sure that you and/or your children can handle its content before diving in. If you think they can, then you are in a for a good comedy with a slight macabre twist. It will remind you of your powerful choice to extend love and care to others.
What to check out next:
If you enjoyed The Willoughbys Review, we would also highly recommend The Addams Family, The House with a Clock in it’s Walls, and Onward. You can also check out our post on What to Watch and Where to find more family friendly Netflix streaming suggestions.
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