The Land Before Time

I'm at that stage with one of my children when we watch the same movie, day after day. Right now, it's The Land Before Time, the one with the little dinasaurs travelleing to the great valley. And I have to say, after watching it with her, oh fifty times or so, I've finally noticed the allegorical elements of it. It's like Everymanfor toddlers. As she's dying, the mother longneck tells Littlefoot, the hero, that he needs to get to the great valley, a place he can only see in his heart. They have to fight the evil of the sharptooth along the way, forming a little community (a little multiculturalism thrown in there, as different types of dinosaurs band together)--I'm always struck by the fact that they actually killthe t-rex by luring it to its death--overcoming personal vices, and finally arriving at the Great Valley--a place of milk and honey, or in this case, plants and water. And their families are there, of course.

It's really lovely, actually!

which is just one allegory after another.

My fave is when Kirk splits in two: good Kirk and bad Kirk. Good Kirk lays about crying and moping and can't lift a finger to help, because he lacks the kind of masculine and aggressive energy a captain needs. But he's very sensitive and caring. Bad Kirk is hyper-aggressive and powerful and commanding, but a moral cretin. You have to put 'em both through the transporter and unite the two into one to get a leader you'd want.

I think that's very profound.

memories for me cradle. My son, who is 21, use to watch that very same movie over and over. I think he was age 4 or 5. Bet I have you beat at the number of times I remember some sequels also, but not as good. That movie led to at least 7 more years of dinosaur fascination. He had every model dinosaur there was. (I have them in my attic).