Adoption in the Movies十佳收养题材电影

孟洁冰

Many of our entertainment choices are escapist; we look for super-heroes or geniuses that do things we cannot do and in scenarios that don’t match up with our ordinary lives. We love to see ourselves reflected in the screen or story. It feels good to see a person who looks and acts like us triumph over difficult circumstances.

Adopted children are looking for the same reassurance. We’ve chosen 10 movies that may resonate with the adopted child and his or her family， and leave them feeling positive about their place in the world.

Anne of Green Gables （1985）

Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel Anne of Green Gables， previously filmed in 1934， was afforded a TV-movie treatment in 1985. Anne Shirley is an orphan girl sent to live with a foster family on Canada’s Prince Edward Island. Though she has great difficulty controlling her temper， impulsiveness and vivid imagination， Anne eventually wins over her new guardians， domineering Marilla Cuthbert and Marilla’s shy brother Matthew. Anne’s journey is a happy one， but starts out difficult like many children adopted at an older age.

Lilo and Stitch （2002）

An alien mad scientist creates an experimental creature that escapes and arrives on Earth. A young girl named Lilo mistakes him for a dog and adopts him from a shelter. Lilo is raised by her older sister because their parents passed away， so this story has two strong adoption connections. This movie offers a great representation of a non-traditional family and affirms the fact that a family doesn’t need to be perfect to be positive.

Elf  （2003）

Buddy has been raised as an elf at the North Pole for his whole life. When he learns he is not an elf， he sets off to find his birth father， Walter. His reception is not initially a warm one， but ultimately， Walter acknowledges Buddy as his son. Some adoptees say that this reunification-themed movie makes them feel understood. For kids， it’s just plain fun to see a grown man act like a child.

Martian Child （2007）

Martian Child tells the story of a widower， David， and his continuation of the adoption process started before his wife’s death. His new son， Dennis， believes that he is a Martian. David must contend with this belief and gain access into Dennis’s world. Both characters are inherent outsiders and they recognize their common sense of loss. Martian Child is a wonderful story for any adopted child， especially those who have created their own origin story to cope with the absence of their birth family.

Meet the Robinsons （2007）

Meet the Robinsons is another animated film focused on the lives of children living in a group home. Lewis and his roommate Goob don’t get along because Lewis is working on inventions at night， keeping Goob awake. Lewis’s inventions also deter potential parents from adopting him. Lewis’s inventions are primarily time travel devices to help him meet his birth mother. After a number of time travels with a strange kid to the future and back， Lewis finally meets his future family. He meets his son， future wife and， in the end， future Goob who has been trying to sabotage his success because Goob never got adopted.

Meet the Robinsons is a happy tale of a child letting go of the unrealistic expectations of birth parents and coming to accept the love of a new family.

The Blind Side （2009）

The Blind Side depicts the story of Michael Oher， a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home， taken in by the Touhys， a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time， Oher’s presence in the Touhys’ lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment， the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student， Oher works hard and， with the help of his coaches and adopted family， becomes an All-American offensive left tackle. Kids heartily enjoy The Blind Side without even realizing they’re developing empathy.

Despicable Me （2010）

Despicable Me is a favorite of children and we want to champion it for its portrayal of children without parents. This movie is great way to show kids how much their presence impacts the lives of their adoptive parents. Gru is a super-bad guy until he meets orphans Margo， Edith and Agnes. They upend his life and his evil plans as they warm his heart and home. Despicable Me is a funny kids movie on the surface， but truly has a lot to say about the love of a child and the affect of that love on their new parents and home.

Kung Fu Panda 2 （2011）

Po， a panda， is adopted by Mr. Ping， a goose. In the second movie， Mr. Ping shares Po’s adoption story with him. Mr. Ping supports Po as Po pursues his own destiny， both a proud son of a goose and a proud panda. Family-friendly， amusing for kids and adults， and solid and direct in its approach to adoption， this is the absolute best family-friendly adoption movie out there.

Annie （2014）

In this recent remake of one of the most-beloved adoption stories， Annie’s positive attitude shines in the midst of unrealistically negative stereotypes of incompetent social workers and greedy foster parents. The songs are upbeat and catchy and the film is happy. While this film could be very challenging for （and should be prescreened by the parents of） children who have experienced disrupted placements or who long for absent birth parents， it is generally family-friendly. It ultimately emphasizes the permanent nature of adoption. It also gets points for allowing Annie to exemplify several strengths of foster kids： she is hopeful， brave， resourceful and resilient. It will be most appreciated by 6 and up.

Paddington （2014）

Very early in the film， Paddington’s aunt tells of a time when “children were left at railway stations with tags around their neck，” and picked up by parents who “cared for them as their own.” She tells Paddington that Londoners “will not have forgotten how to care.”

Some kids may resonate powerfully with Paddington’s feelings of hopelessness as he tries unsuccessfully to find a family. Mrs. Brown wants to help， and does so over the objections of her husband， who says that Paddington’s plight “is not our responsibility.”

The Brown family comes to love Paddington， and characters deliver lines like， “It doesn’t matter that he comes from the other side of the world... he’s family！” This could be an encouraging message for people who were adopted across national boundaries.

Mrs. Brown ultimately does become an adoptive mom to Paddington， but along the way is trying to help him reunify with people who know and love him. *End Spoiler* Mrs. Brown tells him， “I’m not standing by while there’s a chance of finding you a proper home.”

Paddington expresses： “A home is more than a roof over your head.”

我們的许多娱乐消遣都是对现实的逃避;我们期盼超级英雄或者天才人物做出凡人无法企及的成就、置身与日常生活格格不入的场景。我们乐于在银幕上或者小说里找到自己的影子。倘若看到与自己面貌相仿、行为相似的人战胜困境，我们会感觉良好。

被收养的孩子也在寻求同样的安慰。我们选择的十部电影可能会引起领养儿童及其家人的共鸣，让他们乐观看待自己在世上的处境。

《绿山墙的安妮》（1985年）

露西·莫德·蒙哥马利的名著《绿山墙的安妮》在1934年曾改编成电影，此后在1985年又改编成电视电影佳作。主角安妮·雪莉是个孤女，被送到加拿大爱德华王子岛的寄养家庭生活。虽然安妮很难克制自己的脾气，容易冲动又异想天开，可她最终还是得到了两位新监护人——性格强势的玛丽拉·卡斯伯特及其腼腆害羞的弟弟马修的疼爱。安妮的经历充满欢乐，不过像很多被领养的大龄儿童一样，她最初也遇到过坎坷。

《星际宝贝》（2002年）

一位外星“科学狂人”制造的实验生物逃了出来，流落到地球。有个名叫丽洛的小姑娘误认为这是只小狗，就从收容所里领养了他。由于父母都已去世，丽洛由姐姐抚养长大，因此这部影片描写了两种亲密的收养关系。本片精彩呈现了非传统家庭的生活，证明了一个事实：即便家庭不完美，一样可以积极生活。

《圣诞精灵》（2003年）

巴迪从小在北极被当作精灵抚养。他偶然得知自己不是精灵，于是动身去寻找亲生父亲沃尔特。起初他没有受到父亲的热情欢迎，不过最终沃尔特承认了巴迪是自己的儿子。有些被收养的人说，这部以家庭团圆为主题的电影让他们感觉自己得到了理解。对于儿童来说，看到大人表现得像个小孩本身就很有趣。

《火星的孩子》（2007年）

《火星的孩子》讲述了鳏夫大卫的故事，他领回了在妻子去世前开始办理收养手续的孩子，由于新领养的儿子丹尼斯坚信自己是火星人，大卫必须应对这种妄想，从而走进丹尼斯的世界。本片的两个主角都是天生的异类，他们意识到两人有着共同的失落感。《火星的孩子》是个适合领养儿童观看的精彩故事，尤其是那些不知生身父母而编造自己身世来历的孤儿。

《拜见罗宾逊一家》（2007年）

《拜见罗宾逊一家》是另一部着重讲述孩子们在集体家庭中生活的动画电影。刘易斯和室友戈布相处不融洽，因为他总是在晚上搞发明，吵得戈布睡不着。刘易斯的发明也让可能收养他的家长望而却步。刘易斯的发明主要是能帮他见到生母的时间旅行机器。在影片中，他和一个奇怪的孩子多次穿梭于未来和现在，终于找到了未来的家人。他还见到了自己的儿子和后来的妻子，最后遇见了长大的戈布——因为从未被人收养，戈布一直想方设法破坏刘易斯取得的成功。

《拜见罗宾逊一家》讲述了一个孩子放下对亲生父母不切实际的期待、开始接受新家庭关爱的欢乐故事。

《弱点》（2009年）

《弱点》讲述了迈克尔·奥赫的经历。非洲裔美国少年奥赫自幼父母离异、无家可归，被陶西一家收留，这个富裕的白人家庭帮助他发挥了自己的潜能。与此同时，奥赫出现在陶西家的生活中，也让他们对自己有了些许清醒的认识。由于生活在全新的环境中，这个少年需要解决一系列完全不同的难题。无论是作为橄榄球运动员还是学生，奥赫都很努力。在球队教练和领养家庭的帮助下，他成长为一名进攻型左后卫并入选全美最佳阵容。在投入观看电影《弱点》的过程中，孩子们会不知不觉对主人公感同身受。

《神偷奶爸》（2010年）

《神偷奶爸》是深受孩子们喜爱的電影，我们要称赞本片塑造的孤儿形象。这部影片以巧妙的方式向孩子们展示，他们的存在如何影响着养父母的生活。在遇到孤女玛戈、伊迪丝和艾格尼丝之前，格鲁是个十足的坏蛋。她们给格鲁的内心和家庭带来了温暖，同时也颠覆了他的生活和邪恶计划。从表面上来看，《神偷奶爸》是一部幽默有趣的儿童片，不过实际上花了很多心思来描写孩子们的爱以及这种爱对他们的新父母和新家庭的影响。

《功夫熊猫2》（2011年）

本片的主角熊猫阿宝被一只名为平先生的鹅收养长大。在《功夫熊猫2》中，平先生讲述了他收养阿宝的经历。在阿宝追寻自己使命的过程中，平先生始终支持他，他既是鹅爸爸感到骄傲的儿子，也是令人自豪的熊猫大侠。本片适合全家观看，孩子和成年人都会乐在其中，对收养情节的描述可靠而直接，绝对是最适合全家观看的收养题材影片。

《安妮：纽约奇缘》（2014年）

“孤女安妮”是最受欢迎的收养故事之一，本片是对它的最新翻拍。在不称职的社工和贪心的寄养家长这些脱离现实的老套反派衬托下，安妮乐观积极的形象大放光彩。本片的插曲欢快动听、朗朗上口，电影本身也充满欢乐。如果有些孩子经历过领养安置中断或者想念不在身边的亲生父母，那么本片对他们来说可能是很大的考验（孩子家长可以事先筛选），不过总体来说，这部影片依然适合全家观看。影片最终强调了收养的持久性，也通过安妮展现了寄养儿童的几个优点：她满怀希望，勇敢无畏，足智多谋，适应力强。本片尤其适合6岁以上的孩子观看。

《帕丁顿熊》（2014年）

电影一开头，帕丁顿的婶婶就讲道，从前有段时间，“孩子们被留在火车站，脖子上挂着标签”，会有父母收养他们并“视同己出”。她告诉帕丁顿，伦敦人“不会忘记怎么关心别人”。

看到帕丁顿尽力找寻一个家却未能如愿，有些孩子可能会对帕丁顿的绝望感产生强烈的共鸣。布朗太太想伸出援手，她的丈夫却表示反对，说帕丁顿的困境“不是我们的责任”，不过她还是帮了帕丁顿。

布朗一家逐渐喜欢上了帕丁顿熊，片中角色说出了这样的台词：“他来自世界另一边又有什么关系，他是家人！”对于被跨国收养的人来说，这可能给他们带来莫大的鼓励。

布朗太太最终的确成为了帕丁顿的养母，但是一路走来，她也在努力帮助帕丁顿与认识他和爱他的人团聚。终极剧透：布朗太太告诉他：“我不会放过任何机会为你找到合适的家。”

帕丁顿说：“家远不止是头上的一个屋顶。”