I am a huge fan of children’s movies as I feel they have deeper messages than most adult films. As a child, I recall watching all of the classics over and over again. Now as an adult, watching some of the same movies with my own daughter, I am realizing how deep some of these movies go. As such, I’ve decided to start writing about the profound messages within them in hopes that if you’ve missed these nuggets of wisdom, you can begin to watch in a whole new way. In addition, as a parent I feel it’s important to raise our youth with consciousness and life skills from a young age. So often, school does not teach the lessons that one really needs to implement in order to live a life full of joy and meaning.
One of the films that strikes me is Trolls. In it, I can see how perspective shapes everything. The Trolls and the Bergens live in the same world, but while the Trolls see the world as a place to rejoice in and celebrate, the Bergen’s see it as dark and full of desperation. The Bergens, in my opinion, represent many humans today caught in their own thwarted perspective… consistently longing to be happy. Especially in America, we see time and time again the situation of the “king” who has the power, palace, and the material objects, yet no real joy. The Trolls are the enlightened few who have “figured it out.” Maybe that’s why they depicted the Trolls’ world as so much smaller than the Bergen’s in size.
The Bergen’s endlessly seek to devour Trolls, thinking that consuming them will bring them happiness… Often times, humanity seeks the external in search of happiness. Whether it be new homes, new cars, new partners, new clothes, new albums, new places, etc. We buy into so many of the marketing schemes that sell us on the false idea that our lives will be better when we get that next promotion, when we move to that new place, when we meet the right person, when we buy that new product, etc. However, when “when” comes, we realize we are no more fulfilled then we were prior to that time. We now have the new job, the new place, the new person, the new thing… yet we still feel exactly the same… unfulfilled and longing for happiness.
The Trolls, however, know that happiness can only be created from the inside out. They paint, they create, they sing, they dance, they bring positive attitude and outlook to all that they do. They’ve adopted the mindset of happiness and set their lives up so that they intentionally bring joy and happiness to everyone they interact with, each place that they go, and each job that they do. I say intention because, if I recall correctly, they purposely set certain times of the day for activities that will help them to cultivate joy. In essence, they end up teaching the Bergens how to create their own happiness from the inside out. They show them that happiness is not something you attain, but something you become through adopting right thinking and right attitude.
Furthermore, Trolls is a portrayal of how the patterns within society repeat themselves. We see the young king being sold on the idea that he cannot be happy without the Trolls. We see him seeking and searching for answers but being molded by the dark society in which he lives. We also see the young scullery maid who has resigned herself to feeling lesser about herself and believing that she is unworthy of love and happiness. She wallows in her sorrow, but still there is a glimmer of a dream left within. It is that glimmer of a dream that the Trolls latch onto to show her that it can be possible to find love. Granted, they give her an external makeover to show her this, which I don’t necessarily buy into. Though, thinking further, I suppose maybe sometimes changing the outside can allow one to see themselves as more beautiful than they originally believed themselves to be and when they can see themselves better, then they can become better.
Another aspect of the movie that I found to hold a very spiritual lesson is that the Trolls, although imprisoned by the Bergen’s chose to show love even when in a dire circumstance. No matter how dark a situation we may find ourselves in… for instance stuck in a pot about to be eaten, we can still choose to show up with love and courage. Had they not offered love to the young scullery made, they would not have found their freedom. Had they not had had faith that changing one person could in fact change a whole society, the Bergen’s would have never found their happiness. That area of the world would have remained dark, miserable, and hopeless.
This movie perfectly illustrates what a lack of belief, faith, creativity, and inspiration can do to a person. We see this in the miserable lives of the Bergens. We see that when people are miserable, they seek to devour others who are happy. We see that they hurt others because they are hurting and further perpetuate suffering.
It’s all about belief in brighter possibilities. It also does a wonderful job illustrating what is possible when you have the aforementioned qualities. The world can be a place of beauty, we can dance, sing, create, and love our way through it frolicking through fields of flowers while holding the hands of those whom we love. We can have work that is meaningful, that inspires us and others to become more (rather than acquiring more) and ultimately serve the world by lighting ourselves up with joy, laughter, and love. I pray that each of us can learn these lessons and embrace the teachings that this movie has to offer. For when we embrace these lessons, we can raise children who know the way and in turn change the world for the better.