How to Watch “Frozen 2” with Your Child
Many parents have welcomed Frozen 2 as an opportunity to view something wholesome and entertaining with their children. But it is important to recognize that media is not morally neutral. We all hold a worldview— a belief about what is true—and though we are not always consistent, we generally act and form conclusions based on what we believe. Therefore, a non-biblical worldview will produce non-biblical messages.
The story in a movie like Frozen 2 is no exception. So, if you decide to see this movie with your family, I encourage you to use it as an opportunity to equip your child to actively engage messages and hold them up against the truth of the Bible to see if they stand. This Christian review of Frozen 2 will act as a guide for how to walk your child through Frozen 2 by asking a series of questions.
What is the Message?
Spoiler alert: In Frozen 2, much of the message can be traced through the songs. Beginning with “Some Things Never Change,” Anna and Olaf contemplate the passing of time and the eventual loss of everything they love. They find solace in focusing on what seems good right now and choosing not to worry about the future. Elsa, on the other hand, takes a different direction. She is convinced she has a destiny to follow, and she believes she must follow it, even if it means discomfort. The characters spend the rest of the movie following Elsa as she pursues her destiny. . . until they face a crucial moral dilemma. In this climactic moment, Anna solves the dilemma by concluding that she must simply do the “Next Right Thing,” a philosophy expressed throughout the movie and especially in her final song.
One message ties the whole movie together: Each of the characters, in one way or another, find what they believe to be true or what makes them happy and follow it. Each looks inside of themselves for their source of truth, and we are meant to celebrate their pursuit of this truth.
What Beliefs Produce This Message?
This central message is not surprising. In fact, it’s very consistent with the predominant worldview of our age. Another term for it is Relativistic Secular Humanism. It’s relativistic because morals are said to be relative to the individual. It’s secular because there is no God in this worldview. Lastly, it’s humanism because it assumes that we should seek human flourishing above all. The vast majority of messaging coming from our culture stems from this worldview.
In Frozen 2, each of the characters uses Relativistic Secular Humanism to come to their conclusions. We see this when Anna and Olaf can seemingly only deal with eventual loss by focusing on whatever seems good to them right now. Then, we see it when Elsa pursues self-fulfillment at all costs. Finally, this worldview is evident as Anna navigates a moral dilemma by looking inside herself to define her own morality.
Is This Message Biblical?
Much is commendable about the message of Frozen 2. We should want our kids to sacrifice for the sake of others and to appreciate the good in front of them. But here is the problem: how does one determine the “next right thing?” If truth is inside us, then truth is relative to the individual. Your “next right thing” may conflict with my “next right thing,” which becomes really important when we’re deciding whether or not to destroy Arendelle. In contrast, Christians find truth outside us, in the Bible. The Bible helps us face loss by giving us hope for the future. The Bible teaches us that concern for others trumps self-fulfillment. And the Bible stands as the objective authority for any moral dilemma. When we help our kids work through movies like Frozen 2, we help them see the weakness of the world’s wisdom. We also help them see the greatness of God’s ways as revealed in Scripture.
