Lessons from Better Nate than Ever written by the Ent on April 6th, 2022. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog. Images used from Disney media kit and does not belong to Down the Hobbit Hole Blog
There has been a lot of fuss and buzz about whether or not Better Nate Than Ever is an appropriate watch for teens. Mostly by homophobic critics who fear an LGBTQ agenda being normalized. So is Better Nate Than Ever Appropriate? Read more about the movie below. Plus our discussion questions and lessons from Better Nate Than Ever to discuss with your teens.
Know Before You Watch Better Nate Than Ever
Movie: Better Nate than Ever
Rating: PG
Genre: Musical, Drama, Comedy
Length: 1 hr 34 mins.
Age suggested: 6 and up
Streaming Service: Disney Plus
Release Date: April 1st, 2022
Warnings: Lots of disobeying/sneaking around adults/parents and mild intimate scenes
Better Nate Than Ever Summary
Based on the Book of the Same Name, Nate Foster is struggling with fitting in at school. He gets bullied, but he is set on following his dreams. After being rejected from his middle school play, his friend, Libby, devises a plan to get him to audition in the Broadway’s adaptation of Lilo and Stitch!
Better Nate Than Ever Review: (May Contain Spoilers)
–Why Watch Better Nate Than Ever –
Better Nate Than Ever is a fun journey of following one’s dreams. Although some jokes are funnier than others, it is a jovial watch all the way through. There are also a decent number of lessons from Better Nate Than Ever that can lead to good discussions about people’s dreams and goals in life. The soundtrack is quite enjoyable and the film has a plethora of nods to classic Broadway hits. A fun one to watch together.
The plot overall is relatively predictable, but the characters along the way make it very fun and enjoyable. Nate (Played by Rueby Wood) and Libby (Played by Aria Brooks) had fantastic chemistry throughout the film. The characters really had a lot of development and the actors handled the characters so well. Nate’s Aunt Heidi (Played by Lisa Kudrow) provides a lot of the heart behind the movie as she has a fractured relationship with her sister and the rest of her family and has to process that while helping Nate.
-Is Better Nate Than Ever Appropriate?-
This movie is getting a lot of buzz for starring a LGBTQ lead character. Honestly, there is absolutely nothing inappropriate about Nate. This is simply homophobic people making a big deal out of nothing. One of the main arguments I’ve seen is that ‘you don’t want your kids exposed to this as normal.’ And the reason that I don’t buy that argument is because it is normal. Your kids are going to go to school with, work with, be around, be friends with people who are gay. They might even be gay. And this representation is not only a positive thing but it can help you facilitate these conversations. HOW would you react if your best friend came out to you? HOW would I react as a trusted adult in your life if you came out to me? And as far as there being gay or teen love scenes in the movie: that just is not factual. There are a couple of scenes where teens are about to kiss but you don’t actually see them kissing or something interrupts them.
There are two scenes that might cause viewer concern with Better Nate Than Ever. The first one and least worrying is that there is an implied sex scene between the parents but nothing is shown besides them being in bed, flirting. It is mostly played for laughs as the camera pans away to show big news that they are missing due to being distracted. The second one is a bit more troubling as almost all of the kids end up lying to an adult or parent about their whereabouts. This is a common trope in kids movies, but most of them have at least an attempt at consequences. This one does not, lying ends up working out in their favor. Overall, it’s a pretty innocent movie that most of the family can enjoy.
But the AGENDA
We just want to address this here because it has come up a few times recently. Every media creator has intentions with the projects they create agendas. To say that one movie has a political agenda and another does not is not understanding that basic concept. Y’all- even pre-school shows have political content and other things that represent modern life. Everything has an angle and it’s good to be aware of that, not afraid of it. Art typically does reflect some perspective of the world. Fearing an agenda being pushed by a movie is just that: fear based. And if your position and ideals can’t hold up against a fictitious teen movie? That’s a personal problem, not one to project fear and anger about into your kids. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to watch it. You also do not have to sew hatred and bigotry into your kids.
Diversity, representation, and inclusion are important. And it matters to be able to watch or see something that you might disagree with and be able to discuss it peaceably without hatefulness. AND TO MODEL THAT to the younger generation. If your kid has access to Tik Tok and Youtube they are seeing a LOT of content that is not PG on the daily. And Better Nate than Ever is PG. And it has been rated this way because there is not vulgar or violent content in this movie and it is a fun, family, watch. Is Better Nate than Ever appropriate? Yes! Are some of it’s critics hate-filled and scared? Also yes. We think it’s a fun movie to watch together and there are a bunch of possible discussions and lessons from Better Nate than Ever to talk about together.
Continue reading for our Lessons from Better Nate then Ever
3 Lessons from Better Nate Than Ever
*****SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT******
Everyone Needs to Find Their ‘Thing’
At the beginning of the film, Libby is following Nate’s dream of becoming a Broadway superstar until she admits that she has never been interested in pursuing this. Later on, she learns about her true gifts and is able to truly bloom in those abilities.
Family is more Important than Careers
Nate’s aunt has an interesting subplot. We learn that she has lost communication with her sister due to skipping her sister’s wedding for a Broadway callback. She later has a chance to do the same, but realizes that being there for her family is more important.
You Need to Follow Your Dreams
Nate is continuously persistent on following his dreams of being a Broadway star. Although, you can argue he may have taken it a bit far, there is no denying the ultimate results.
-Favorite Quotes from Better Nate than Ever-
- I might be small, but I’m headed to big time
- I am not the praying kind, but I’m going to pray for you, ma’am.
- When you find the thing you love, I’ll be cheering for you.
Better Nate Than Ever Discussion Questions
Better Nate than Ever Themes to Discuss:
Following your Dreams, LGBTQ+ Inclusion, and Finding Your Gift
***SPOILERS beyond this point***
- What was your favorite song from the movie?
- Do you have a dream job or something you aspire to when you get older?
- How did Libby find her gift throughout the film?
- How would you respond if your best friend came out to you?
- What did Nate sacrifice to follow his dreams? Were these good choices?
- What did we learn about Nate’s bully? Why do you think that led to him bullying Nate?
Thanks for reading our Lessons from Better Nate than Ever. Before you go, check out these other posts:
-Other Family Friendly Disney+ Suggestions
-Is Turning Red Aprropriate?
-For Older Kids, Clouds, the inspirational story of Zach Sobiech
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