In case you were following my feed on Twitter or Facebook you probably figured out I was in NYC last weekend for something to do with new Mr. Peabody and Sherman movie coming out March 7th.
I was invited to not just screen the movie but to talk to the director and actors about how the movie came about and their opinions on how the audience will view it.
If you were a kid growing up in the 1960’s you might remember Peabody’s Improbable History. This animation was about a well accomplished dog and his adopted son Sherman. Dreamworks Animation has revised that original story into a modern day adaptation called Mr. Peabody and Sherman.
The background is essentially the same, Mr. Peabody (voiced by Ty Burrell, Emmy Award® Winner -Modern Family) is a special dog; a genius, Olympian, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, inventor and business tycoon who adopts a boy, Sherman, (Max Charles -The Amazing Spiderman) with the approval of government.
They travel time in the WABAC machine to significant periods in history. These adventures of course are meant to be educational but things go awry and they wreck havoc on these important moments.
I took away a few different messages from the movie, I’m guessing that was the point.
It takes more than a title to be a father. While Mr. Peabody has officially adopted Sherman there was something missing in their relationship. It took a series of misadventures for Mr. Peabody to see Sherman as not just his human but his family, his son.
While Mr. Peabody and Sherman have an unconventional family it’s a family nonetheless. Others looked at them and saw differences and didn’t agree with the way they were living.
Glimpses of historical moments ignited a passion for learning in me. I’m hoping that it does the same for children as they watch the movie. As your children ask “Did that really happen”, it should encourage a dialog and possible examination into the true story.
Mr. Peabody and Sherman is more than just a kid’s animation film. It’s a family movie that grasps at different emotions and aspects of life. The WABAC machine might take them back in time but the lessons learned will help them forge a hopeful and evolving relationship for the future.
Starring Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, Patrick Warburton, Stanley Tucci, Allison Janney, Lake Bell, Zach Callison, Dennis Haysbert
Directed by Rob Minkoff
Produced by Alex Schwartz, Denise Nolan Cascino
Executive Produced by Tiffany Ward, Eric Ellenbogen, Jason Clark
Visit the official website
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