Married to the Media: Media Literacy for Parents, Children, and Family

The Chronicles of Narnia: Always Winter Never Christmas

In wrapping up our Christmas movie reviews before taking our holiday break, Cass and Pastor Robin tackle an oldie but a goodie: The Chronicles of Narnia. Around the time of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia was a fantasy movie series that was geared towards a more family-friendly audience. This is clear not only in the messaging of the source material itself, but the way it was adapted for the silver screen. While a little long and maybe a bit scary for 5 or 6 year-olds, Pastor Robin and Cass totally recommend this movie for a holiday movie night for kids older than 7.  Snuggle up and pop some corn; it's time for Married to the Media!

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Kinda Broke Our Hearts.

Robin and Cass went to the movies last week to see the new release, "Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2". Cass in particular did a lot of research amongst her friends to see what people's perspective was, and though it's been received very well by critics and audiences, our hosts aren't sold on the premise. And "sold" might just be the operative word here. Cass and Pastor Robin both feel that this movie, not unlike the similarly-themed Emoji Movie of 2016, plays like a giant commercial for Disney and its advertising partners. As Vanellope and Ralph explore the internet and engage in modern e-commerce, a lot of messaging is packed into their chaotic adventure that might go over the heads of the adults watching- while disturbing their kids.  We know it's not a popular opinion, but we're not into this latest release from Disney. Hear why on this week's episode of Married to the Media!

Angela's Christmas: A Nice Middle Ground between Santa and Jesus for Little Kids

In keeping with the theme of Christmas movies, Pastor Robin and Cass took to Netflix to hunt down some new, easily available watches for the season. While there are quite a few duds to wade through, Pastor Robin did find a hidden gem based on a story by Frank McCourt- Angela's Christmas. If you're struggling to find a more Christian-themed Christmas tale that isn't a straight retelling of the birth of Jesus, Angela's Christmas is a good middle-ground. Dickensian in nature, taking place in 20th century Ireland and focusing on a poor Catholic family, this narrative follows 5-year-old Angela when she steals the baby Jesus from her church's nativity scene in order to get him a blanket so he doesn't freeze in the Church.  Pretty cute premise, right? A children's presentation through and through, this movie has a child-like feel, in that it paces and reads like it's from the memory of a child, instead of being written for a child- all members of the family should find something familiar and relatable in Angela's Christmas. Here's Cass and Pastor Robin's Hot Take on the Netflix Original for the holiday season.

A Classic for Today's Times: It's a Wonderful Life

It's officially December, which means you've probably just run out of Thanksgiving leftovers and are finally ready to dive headfirst into the Christmas Spirit. Pastor Robin and Cass certainly are! This week they start off the holiday movie reviews with It's a Wonderful Life: the 1946 darling of American cinema and holiday movie marathons everywhere.  This is actually the first time Cass has ever seen this movie- and she's quite surprised at how applicable the post-WWII movie is to the struggles of lower-middle class Americans today: specifically millennials. She and Robin comment on the moral conflicts the Baileys face throughout the movie, and why they think this story is so important for today's audiences.  If you have a favorite Christmas movie you'd like to recommend for Cass and Robin to watch, send your suggestions to our facebook page at facebook.com/marriedtothemedia!

Pixar's Coco: How to Blend Personal Growth with Cultural and Family Tradition

In celebration of the season, Cass and Pastor Robin watched Pixar's Coco earlier this month. They're absolutely in love with this story and all of the messages that come across. In this episode, Cass and Robin talk family values, strong parental figures, dealing with loss, growing up, and ways this film can help you and your family talk about these important topics.  We tried really hard not to spoil it for you- so listen and enjoy!