To learn more about watching these movies with children, with more detailed ratings and reviews for families, go to commonsensemedia.org.

 
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD -- JUNE 21 -- REV.  ANNA
  1. Mr. Rogers was an ordained minister, but he rarely spoke about his faith. He was, however, commissioned as an “Evangelist to Children” by the Presbyterian Church (USA). How does Mr. Rogers evangelize, or spread the good news of Jesus, to children? Do you believe Mr. Rogers was “evangelical?”
  2. Create your own “Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” As Mr. Rogers encourages Lloyd, begin your day by “imagining all the people who have loved you into being.” Next, think of someone in your “neighborhood” who has recently shown kindness, and write them a note of appreciation. Throughout your day, remember that all your feelings are mentionable, and anything mentionable is manageable.  Last, but not least, find time to play!

ZOOTOPIA -- JUNE 28 -- REV.  ANNA
  1. Can you think of a specific line of dialogue or specific scene in this movie that spoke to an issue of inequality in our world today? What real life scenarios parallel the discrimination and stereotypes played out in this film?
  2. The plot of Zootopia centers around the police force and their interaction with the citizens of Zootopia. What is the current relationship with law enforcement in our community and our nation? What does this movie have to say about policing, and more specifically, racial profiling?

​THE TREE OF LIFE -- JULY 5 -- PASTOR CARL
  1. In your opinion, what role should relationships play in making sense of life?
  2. In the movie, Mrs. O’Brien in a voice over says, “Their nuns taught us there were two ways through life: the way of nature and the way of Grace. You have to choose one to follow.” What do you think she means by "nature?" What do you think she means by “the way of Grace?”
 
THE TWO POPES -- JULY 12 --  REV.  ANNA
  1. Both popes confess their sins to each other in this movie seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. Sin is not unique to priests, to any brand of Christianity, or any time in history. How do we, the Church universal, heal and learn from our institutional sins?
  2. This movie imagines conversations between two popes, conservative and progressive, ending in understanding and love. How do these men reach understanding without agreement? How might we model this kind of religious dialogue?

WONDER -- JULY 19 -- REV.  ANNA
  1. If we believe scripture, that all people are created in the image and likeness of God – no matter who they are or what they look like - then disabled people are also created in God’s image. What does that mean, then, about the God we worship? What would it mean to worship a God that is disabled – a God that is, in addition to being almighty and perfect, also vulnerable, limited, and receiving?
  2. Where do you see God in this true story? Who plays the hands, feet, ears, and/or voice of Christ at different times in the movie?

THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND -- JULY 26  -- REV. NIKKI
  1. What motivates people like William to attempt the unthinkable? How would you describe him to someone who has never heard of his achievement?
  2. William writes of the corruption, greed, nonexistent services, and lack of empathy that turned the drought into a disaster for average people like him and his family. Can you see any similarities with our own culture, both past and present? How did the American Depression compare to Malawi’s drought?