What to Watch: Animated Movies that Remind Us to be Grateful

A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING is a delightful PEANUTS cartoon movie made for television where Peppermint Patty invites herself and many others over to Charlie Brown’s house for Thanksgiving. A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING is an adorable animated movie with some great, positive messages the whole family can enjoy.

FINDING NEMO is a wonderful animated adventure about a small clownfish who goes in search of his son, who’s been put into a fish tank by human beings. Every second of FINDING NEMO is beautifully animated, spectacularly directed and written with great heart and strong moral values.

INSIDE OUT is an animated comedy about a young girl who has a wonderful life, until her family moves to San Francisco and her emotions get out of control. INSIDE OUT is a well-made, delightful movie with a great plot line, excellent animation and a strong moral worldview.

The first totally computer animated movie is TOY STORY. It answers the question “What happens to my toys when I leave the room?” in a wonderful, moral, fantastic way. In the movie, Woody is a cowboy doll, voiced by Tom Hanks, who envies the new favorite toy in town, Buzz Lightyear, space ranger, voiced by Tim Allen. When their fighting gets Woody and Buzz left behind at a gas station, they have to start working together to get home. TOY STORY is funny, clean, wholesome, and virtuous — a classic beginning to a new genre and a masterpiece which is sure to capture the imaginations of young and old alike.

RATATOUILLE is a wonderful, savory concoction from the incredible Pixar team in an incredible, but delightful story about a country rat who pursues his dream of culinary greatness among the gourmet restaurants of Paris. Some of the cartoon violence skews toward older children and teenagers, and some moral points are ignored by the dramatic action, but RATATOUILLE has a brilliant light Christian worldview with strong moral elements and very strong sentiments favoring a capitalist meritocracy.

THE GRINCH (2018) is a great movie about the true meaning of Christmas triumphing over alienation and materialism. It features powerfully loving parents and children, a joyous community of inspired Whos, and a terrific character arc for the Grinch, plus great Christmas carols and hymns focusing on Jesus Christ and His redemptive divinity, lordship and love.

DESPICABLE ME is a very witty, heartfelt animated movie about an extremely sinful character transformed by the love of three little girls. The ending to DESPICABLE ME is so uplifting and redemptive that it overshadows some of the action violence, slapstick comedy and light scatological references.