Yesterday, I spend the day with my husband Bob at the LA Live Regal 14 theaters as part of the Walt Disney Blogger's Movie Preview Event.
The three films previewed were incredible in their own way. Each one was a live action film, that had the audience cheering and using a fair amount of tissues to wipe away the tears. Each expressed the true meaning of LOVE in variety of ways, some obvious and some a bit more subtle. While Pete's Dragon is definitely for kids and families, Queen of Katwe can be viewed by older children and adults and The Light between Oceans is recommended for adults due to its strong emotional story line.
Pete's Dragon is based on the Disney animated story so many of us grew up watching. While I know that Disney Studios creates magic everyday, I am always so surprised and amazed at what they can do with CGI to make these live action films - perfect. Elliott, the big green dragon is a combination of part dragon, with wings and spikes on his back and part Brontasaurus yet his face could easily be based on Tramp (from the Disney film Lady and the Tramp) giving him a lovable look. Uplifting story of love, friendship and family values, Pete's Dragon left us with a great feeling that Love conquers all. Now in theatres!
Queen of Katwe was up next, after a quick break. Queen of Katwe tells the story of a young girl from the slums of Katwe, Uganda who upon discovering the game of chess through a local ministry group, goes on to become an international chess champion and the “Queen of Katwe.” Her life in the slums and the hardships Phiona and her family endured was hard to view as I sat in a air conditioned comfy cushy seat in a Los Angeles theatre eating popcorn and enjoying ice cold drinks. Uplifting and inspirational, Queen of Katwe again showed Love and family support along with personal strength and determination can make you a champion.
But it also made me think of the millions of people throughout the world that live in less than ideal conditions (even in the U.S) and had me shedding a few tears for them as well. Coming to theatres - September 23, 2016.
With more popcorn and drinks in hand, we sat down to our third and final film of the day -
The Light between Oceans. I can't stress this enough when I say bring tissues. For those of us that are moms and have known the love and heartaches of trying to start a family, this film will have your heart in shreds. However, this movie is so much more! It is about the strong love of a couple and brings to light the question...what would you do for LOVE? In theatres starting September 2, 2016.
As our emotional day full of love, heartache and happy endings came to an end, I reflected on the film and realized that I learned valuable lessons on human nature and the definition of the true meaning of Love from different points of view. All showing that in the end, the decisions we make for the sake of Love might be judged by others as right or wrong. They might be questioned or even punishable by law, but in the end each decision made by the characters was done out of what they felt, at that moment was the biggest act of love they could possible show for others!
Enjoy the films and share your thoughts!