Netflix’s Spellbound touched me deeply and its moving message will touch children and parents alike
*Contains spoilers for Enchanted*
After watching I was surprisingly moved Netflix‘s newest animated adventure Enchanted. It’s no surprise that these types of films often explore deep emotional themes, but… Enchanted has an incredibly moving message that many families will appreciate.
Enchanted is a perfect family-friendly film that unravels beautifully without surprising anyone. So you can understand that I was shocked when I left the hotel Enchanted Screened with a tear in my eye when I discovered that this wasn’t just another children’s film – it actually serves a very important purpose: to help children understand divorce in a positive way.
Enchanted follows Princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler), the cheerful young daughter of King Solon (Javier Bardem) and Queen Ellsmere (Nicole Kidman) of Lumbria, as she embarks on an adventure to break the spell that has turned her parents into monsters. It may sound like the plot of your average child’s imagination, but the film is packed with metaphors about divorce, grief and family that you don’t realize until near the end.
A traditional fairy tale with a modern twist
In Enchanted, 15-year-old Ellian is forced to become her own parents’ caretaker, as they have become a bunch of rambunctious monsters who wreak havoc on the castle where the family lives. As she attempts to tame her turbulent royal family and hide their unfortunate transformation from their subjects, she must also take on other adult responsibilities, such as ruling the kingdom alone under the leadership of Minister Bolinar (John Lithgow) and Minister Nazara Prone ( Jennifer Lewis). After Ellian calls two magical oracles for help, the wisecracking couple tells her that the king and queen have “lost their light” and that she must venture into the Dark Forest, to the Lake of Light, to get it back.
What follows is a magical, musical delight straight out of a Disney adventure with its bright, imaginative world and weird and wonderful creatures that reminded me of my favorite Disney story. Confused. Ellian’s quest isn’t all singing and dancing, however, as she and her monster parents must avoid being swallowed by The Darkness, a black tornado that consumes people’s negative emotions and turns them into a monster. This means the trio must remain optimistic, which is a tall order considering the King and Queen’s constant bickering and disagreements as they remember how to speak, with the spell having robbed them of the power of speech.
The obligatory happy ending seems to be in sight when they reach the Lake of Light, but this isn’t your traditional fairy tale. As the King and Queen enter the golden glittering pool, it is revealed that their broken marriage is the cause of their transformation. The couple’s constant arguing is why The Darkness came and turned them into monsters, a clever metaphor for how destructive and transformative a broken relationship can be for a family.
Once the king and queen realize the damaging consequences their marital problems are having on their daughter, they decide to separate. Unfortunately, this revelation sends Ellian into a spiral of anger, despair and resentment that is heartbreaking to watch. Even though I didn’t go through this experience, I immediately sympathized with the sense of devastation, betrayal, and inner turmoil that many children go through when their parents divorce. Ellian’s woes soon invite the wrath of The Darkness and her parents put aside their differences and join forces to save their daughter before she turns into a monster herself. Ultimately, thanks to her parents’ endless reassurance, comfort and love, Ellian comes to terms with their divorce and returns to being the happy girl she was before.
A divorce can bring about major changes in a child’s life, making it feel like the world is ending. But this potential best Netflix movie approaches the subject with a positive attitude in a way that can help children cope with divorce and explore their emotions. It’s an important message that I’m sure children and adults will benefit from, and Spellbound is sure to bring a tear to your eye, even if you’ve never experienced a life-changing event like this.
Enchanted can be streamed on the best streaming service from November 22.