“One Last Chance”
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What You Need To Know:
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LAST STRAW has a strong moral message focusing on family dynamics. We see this played out specifically with the relationship between Greg and his dad. Mr. Heffley learns to express love even when his son isn’t performing the way he thinks he should. Greg learns that his dad wants to be close to him and have a healthy relationship. There is some questionable content in the movie, including light violence, language, and upper male nudity. Lies abound in this movie, but all are ultimately brought to light. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution to children of all ages.
Content:
A strong moral worldview of family is seen throughout the movie. This is particularly shown through the father-son relationship. A father must learn how to relate and gain the trust of his son, and his son likewise. Other moral elements include friendship and teamwork. The family is seen going to church;
The words “Stupid,” “Oh my gosh,” “Curse you,” “Butts,” “toots,” and “twerp” are used at least once throughout the movie. We also hear the name of Jesus abused once in the lyrics of a song;
Light scenes of violence litter the movie with kids throwing things at each other, a raccoon gets speared with a metal tent pole, and a man falls into a river;
No sex;
Upper male nudity is seen briefly, A boy is seen in his boxers, A boys pants falls down revealing his underwear, A few women are seeing with crop tops at the gym. The movie makes a point of highlighting the characters rear ends which are displayed prominently under tight pants;
No alcohol use;
None; and,
Boys are heard burping loudly, the skull symbol is seen on multiple occasions, a boy lies to and deceives his parents, yelling is heard and kids are rude to one another.
More Detail:
His father, unprepared to deal with Greg, decides it might be best to send him to Spag Union, a military boarding school. When Greg finds out what his father has in mind, he is terrified and must come up with a way to change his mind. His friend Rowley is part of a club called the Woodchippers, similar to Boy Scouts, that trains boys to be responsible and learn different skills. Greg jumps on the idea. He pitches it to his dad, who, with a little nudge from his mom, agrees with the idea.
Greg sets his mind to do everything and anything to earn the top badge in the club, which was required if he wanted to stay at home and not be enrolled at the academy. However, when he starts cutting corners and deceiving his parents to get his dad’s signature for different Woodchipper skills, things get complicated. His dad is just beginning to believe he is getting through to and connecting with his son, but that all starts crumbling when he discovers the lies his son has told him.
His dad, enraged, enrolls him in the academy, sealing Greg’s fate. However, Greg might have one more chance to connect with his dad and save his future. The Woodchippers do an annual camping trip, and Greg and his dad are signed up to go. Greg has lost hope, but things might turn in his favor as the journey unfolds.
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LAST STRAW pairs clear and engaging animation with fantastically voiced characters. We see this from the beginning to the end. The storyline, based on the book, has comedic elements throughout. From the dialogue to the way the characters look, it all has a comedic aspect. The screenplay is written by the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, Jeff Kinney, who also produced the movie. At different points throughout the movie, it jumps to the black-and-white, sketchbook-style animation of the actual Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, which further engages the audience.
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LAST STRAW has a strong moral worldview focusing on family dynamics. We see this played out specifically with the relationship between Greg and his dad. Mr. Heffley sees himself as an incompetent parent who can’t raise his son correctly, and Greg sees himself as always letting his family, and especially his dad, down. We see their story arc slowly shift over the course of the movie as they figure their relationship out and get to know one another on a deeper level. ‘
The dad learns how to be patient and be more understanding of his son instead of flying off the handle. He also learns to express love even when his son isn’t performing the way he thinks he should or wants him to. Greg learns that his dad truly wants to be close to him and have a good relationship. There is some questionable content in the movie, including some light violence, language, and upper male nudity. Lies abound in this movie, but all are ultimately brought to light. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution to children of all ages.
