Want to become a super parent? Look no further.
This book will help each dad and mom face the daily challenges of raising great kids, and ultimately becoming the best parents they can be through lessons and wisdom from Socrates, Theodore Roosevelt, Bruce Springsteen, Queen Elizabeth II, Marcus Aurelius, Toni Morrison, and many more.
Book Name | The Daily Dad – 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids |
Author | Ryan Holiday |
Topic | Parenting |
Category |
Self Help |
“Becoming a parent is more than just a biological process – it’s a lifelong commitment to sacrifice, service, and most importantly, love. It’s a challenge to get up every day and put your kids first. You will experience moments of heroic compassion and humiliating failure, sometimes within the same day.” I couldn’t agree more with the author.
Today the landscape of everyday things – including parenting – has changed drastically because our children are getting exposed to Social Media, Internet, Mobile, Tabs, and so on. The art of parenting and raising great kids has come a long way from the times of our grandparents – or even for that matter – our parents. However, “parents” have always been the same – worrying about their child’s schooling, their grades, their friend’s circle, and so on. Parents have also questioned, doubted, and wondered if they are doing enough and providing enough for their children. Your parents did it. You too are doing it. Even 50 years from now – nothing would have changed.
Understandably, parenting can be hard. And that’s why we often need inspiration, perspective, and practical advice at every stage of our child’s life from the ones who have been there and done it. The author draws on his own experience as a father of two as well as lessons and wisdom from mothers and fathers, heroes and celebrities, ancient philosophy, and contemporary figures such as Socrates, Theodore Roosevelt, Bruce Springsteen, Queen Elizabeth II, Marcus Aurelius, Toni Morrison and many more in order to help each dad and mom face the daily challenges of parenting, and ultimately become the best father they can be.
The Daily Dad by Ryan Holiday – provides 366 accessible meditations on fatherhood – is built around the concept of absorbing one definitive piece of advice one day at a time. Each meditation offers a memorable lesson on being the role model your child needs, rooted in timeless principles. Just pick up the book and start reading the page with the date you are presently living. It is the perfect book to start your mornings – so that you can dwell and think over the message of the day. This book is for anyone at every stage of their respective journey of becoming a parent which is a lifelong affair.
Some excerpts from the book:
Jim Mattis – the former US Secretary of Defence, talks lovingly of a house filled with books, run by parents who encouraged their children not only to read them but to question and interact with them as well. He recalls, “They introduced us to a world of great ideas – not a fearful place, but a place to enjoy.
In his book, Travels with Epicurus, the writer Daniel Klein recalls a formative moment: “I remember one long-ago evening, on an overcrowded train to Philadelphia, hearing a young woman moan to her mother, “God, I wish we were there already!” Her white-haired mother replied eloquently, “Darling, never wish away a minute of your life.”
The book is divided into 12 chapters, dedicated each for every month of the year – specifically focusing on different aspects of parenting:
Raising great children is not often easy. But trust me, it will be the most rewarding and important thing you’ll ever do. With this book, you can stand on the shoulders of the giants to see a little further through a series of collective learning — our species’ unique ability to share, preserve, and build upon knowledge over time.
Rating | Available on | Other books by author |
???? | Amazon, Audible, Kindle, Apple Books, |
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Article by:
Vijayendra Darode:
Vijayendra is a Hong Kong-based self-confessed foodie and traveler, a part-time chef cooking mostly Italian for his wife and daughter, and a full-time dreamer. When he is not thinking about what to eat next or which new place to see – he is engrossed in reading books and writing technical documentation to make a living. Follow him on Instagram: geek_on_gastronomic_gateaways
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Our columnist Baljit reviews this poignant story on the plight of refugees, a plight that continues even when they have reached the shores of their safe havens.
A rusty boat with five hundred Sri Lankan Tamils arrives at the coast of British Columbia. They have survived a perilous journey, impoverished and desperately seeking refuge. Within minutes comes the political rhetoric – there are terrorists among them affiliated with the LTTE, and they are a threat to all Canadian citizens.
The refugees are placed in detention centers, children are separated from their parents. They go through a never-ending legal process to determine their right to stay and forever face the possibility of deportation.
At the center of this story is Mahindan, who has escaped from Sri Lanka with his five-year-old son; running through jungles and across rivers to various safe spots, oftentimes caught between the army and militant groups. Along the way, family members perished from disease and violence, but he kept running; doing anything necessary to keep his son safe.
Grace is a newly appointed adjudicator; her political friend has placed her in this position to be tough and uphold national security. At the same time, Grace is coping with the revelation of some family history- the injustice inflicted upon her Japanese grandparents and parents during the Second World War. Her ancestors bore the yoke of shame and chose to keep this chapter of their lives hidden. Grace faces the enormity of her decisions over the refugees.
“Don’t you ever worry about letting the wrong person in?” she’d asked Mitchell once. To which he’d replied: I worry about sending the wrong person back.”
Priya is a second-generation Sri Lankan lawyer, with ambitions in corporate law. She has been roped in to represent the refugees and is initially reluctant. As the cases progress and she connects with the individuals concerned, her perspective changes. A chance conversation with her Uncle reveals his inner conflict and sense of guilt for deeds done during his youth.
‘I shut my eyes and waited until I heard them leave.’
While Mahindan spends months in detention, Sellian is placed with a foster family where he learns English, goes to school, plays sports, and inches into a new life. Weekly visits with his father are precious gifts; the weight of their situation weighs heavily on his little shoulders.
‘Is it about the future, Sellian asked. He grew still. The word future was totemic, heavy with importance. A word he knew in both languages.’
This writer gives a voice to people caught in a system that questions their history, their hardship, and their motives. The frustration and anguish are palpable. It is a sensitive and thought-provoking debut novel.
Article By:
Baljit Nagreh
Baljit Nagreh is a GP who dabbles in baking, cooking, gardening, swimming, and volunteer work BUT indulges in reading at every opportunity. The books she reads take her to new places and across different times and often fuel interesting discussions. She is a mother of two young men and lives in suburban Selangor, Malaysia with her husband.
]]>Cobra Kai’s fifth season breaks tradition with the last two outings, which have premiered at year’s end, with a September debut and a conclusion that, for the first time, feels like default closure should the series not return for another run. It’s because of things feeling a little too neat and tidy come the finish line that Season 5 feels a little less organic than what’s preceded it. That being said, in true Cobra Kai fashion, there are still plenty of crowd-pleasing moments, an abundance of heart-melting sentiment, and some joyous usage of franchise legacy characters that help make these 10 “summer break” episodes most triumphant.
Picking up from the cliffhanger ending of the fourth season, the series wastes no time and dives head first into the drama that unfolds after the All Valley tournament finale where Terry Silver’s dojo ends up winning it all. The series casts some great actors in its ensemble including Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, The official synopsis of the series reads, “Following the shocking results of the All Valley Tournament, Sensei Terry Silver is expanding the Cobra Kai empire and trying to make his “No Mercy” style of karate the only game in town. With Kreese behind bars and Johnny Lawrence setting karate aside to focus on repairing the damage he’s caused, Daniel LaRusso must call on an old friend for help.” As for the two leads, Johnny goes through some major development that promises even more growth for a character who’s already come an unbelievably long way. In fact, in a compelling paradigm shift, Johnny is the one who’s got it together, while Daniel struggles under Terry’s reign of terror. It’s a relief to see the events of The Karate Kid 3 treated as a genuinely traumatizing experience for Daniel, too, which makes for a more complex and interesting story for Macchio’s Karate Kid, while also making Silver even more of a dangerous threat.
Cobra Kai continues its winning ways with this season featuring Terry Silver as the karate kingpin to topple. Whereas Kreese knew his way around Johnny’s mind, Terry knows how to manipulate Daniel and Season 5 has fun with honoring The Karate Kid Part III in numerous, awesome ways.There are elements of the finale that don’t gel, but overall Cobra Kai is still filled with heart, humor, and a staggering amount of franchise love, as if the entire show was designed to help us understand and forgive all ’80s movie bullies while also taking stock of our own actions. It’s not enough that past villains heal here; some get to thrive and find their own happy endings.
All the Cobra Kai calling cards are still here – Rocky references, epic needle drops, karate battles, and Miyagi wisdom – but season 5 takes fresh, bold strides towards the future. Once the season finds its footing, it’s another rock-solid installment in the Karate Kid saga. There’s also a jaw-dropping, air-punching finale so good that it’s easily the best episode of the series yet. And, yes, there are some major teases of unresolved plot threads that would need at least one more season to tie together… Here’s hoping Netflix allows Cobra Kai to return for its victory lap.
click the link below to watch the trailer.
]]>Each episode follows a day of the festival, from an optimistic start on Friday through to the apocalyptic scenes in the early hours of Monday morning, using a ticking clock to count down to each fresh catastrophe.
From the start, its organisers freely admit that their intention was to make as much money as they could. In 1994, there had been another Woodstock revival, but the fences were breached and it didn’t turn a profit. By the time the 1999 event was pulled together, an eight-mile perimeter fence was erected around a decommissioned airbase, many of the crucial infrastructure tasks had been cheaply outsourced, and independent food and drink vendors were allowed to charge as much as they wanted for water and sustenance. It was hot, there was minimal shade and 250,000 punters grew increasingly irate.
There were omens of an ill-tempered weekend from the start. The crowd was by many accounts and from the plentiful footage of the time macho and aggressive, a “frat boy” culture dominating the event. There are obvious villains here, though their shocking lack of self-awareness makes it debatable whether they would see themselves that way. There is a lot of finger-pointing and blame-shifting, from one organiser to another, from the organisers to the crowd, from the crowd to the organisers. Was it the fault of the nu-metal acts who stirred everyone up, or the bookers who didn’t vary the tempo of the acts on the stage? Was it the kids who interpreted those old 60s notions of free love as a licence to maraud, or the profiteering managers who failed to provide even the most basic infrastructure that might have placated 250,000 “high as balls” attenders? Was it the culture, or the environment? Was it greed, or naivety?
This is where Trainwreck, though largely enthralling, reaches its limits. It does an impeccable job of laying out the story, but doesn’t venture far below the surface. As Fatboy Slim’s set in the rave hangar ends under hideous circumstances, and he, like many other acts, gets out of there as quickly as he possibly can, you can feel the fear and the nascent panic. By the end, it is like a disaster movie. But surely there is more to be explored than that. The biggest questions are why it turned, and why in such a particular and grotesque way. Why did a music festival that was meant to stand as a statement against gun violence, in the aftermath of the Columbine school shooting, collapse into such violence and misogyny? In the end, it doesn’t have the heart to go there in any depth, following the adrenaline-inducing spectacle of the fires and the riots instead.
One of the few light moments here comes from one of the festival’s attenders, Heather, who was 14 at the time. She says that now, at least, “we don’t accept what happened any more … I’m glad that my daughters will never have to see that and think that is just the way it is.”
It’s interesting to revisit 1999, to look at the crackly VHS footage and say “What did it all mean?”, especially in the context of the decade that came next. Trainwreck: Woodstock ‘99 doesn’t dig all the way into those larger questions. But it does offer a primer, and its share of insights.
Click the link below to watch the trailer.
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Shabaash Mithu opens with a dejected Mithali Raj (Taapsee Pannu), drenched in sweat, sprinting through the quiet lanes of Hyderabad. The film hits the rewind button where we get a peek into Mithali’s childhood. When a young, exquisite Mithali strikes a friendship with the sharp-tongued, tomboy Noorie at her classical dance classes, little does she know that it would change the course of her life forever.
Amid sessions of ‘nritta’, ‘natya’ and ‘nritya’, the girls sneak out to play cricket at an abandoned ground where a washing paddle is their cricket bat, and stones lying there double up as their fielders. During one such match, Mithali’s exceptional cricketing skills catch the eye of Samrat (Vijay Raaz), a cricket coach. He offers to take Mithali and Noorie under his wings. While Mithali’s father agrees to this, Noorie keeps it a secret from her family.Years pass by, and this ‘Sachin-Kambli’ duo is now slowly making their mark with the bat and ball. However, owing to certain circumstances, only Mithali gets selected in the Indian National Women’s Team. What follows next is the journey of her glorious career which is marked with hits and misses.
Shabaash Mithu is the perfect example of how the Hindi film biopic can never just be that. In Bollywood, biopics turn into code words for wholesome entertainers. They are mandated to fulfil other duties, simultaneously resembling a love story, a family drama, and a coming of age adventure. Srijit Mukherji’s biopic on the trail blazing female cricketer who disrupted and dominated the country’s favourite male dominated sport follows this pattern. The film captures Mithali Raj as a friend, sister, daughter, a Bharatnatyam dancer who applies her dance lessons to cricket, and an untiring supporter of gender equality. What we never get to see, however, is Mithali Raj the youngest captain in the history of international cricket as a protagonist. As a cricketer coming onto her own. As a remarkable woman who isn’t only defined by her extraordinary actions or struggles.
There’s not much invention in either the film’s plot or its form. Mukherjee recounts the retired cricketer’s life in a linear fashion, dividing it into three parts, focusing on her childhood discovery of the sport, the years she spent in the national camp as a rookie player, and finally her tenure in the national team leading up to her comeback and eventual retirement. On paper, the film covers more than three decades in Mithali’s life but it’s hard to tell that on screen: Not only do characters refuse to age in Shabaash Mithu but the proceedings itself betray no hold over the passage of time. Years are condensed into minutes and integral phases of life are packaged in saccharine montages. Mithali’s career for instance is reduced to a choppy highlight reel, embodying the absolute rock-bottom of biopic filmmaking.
That is to say Shabaash Mithu becomes the kind of sports biopic that believes it is making a statement even when it says nothing about the life led by its protagonist. It doesn’t tell a story as much as it engineers one by fetishising the gender of its protagonist. The film isn’t interested in just depicting Mithali Raj’s incredible career and comeback as much as it fixated with underlining one thing: Mithali Raj is a woman.
The movie doesn’t amply showcase those edge of the seat, nail biting moments that would have unfolded in her life, especially during the 2017 world cup. Those keenly waiting to finally watch a movie revolving around Mithali, one of women’s cricket’s most iconic contemporary players, will certainly be left asking for more. Maybe a rerun of one of her milestone matches will help.
Click the link below to watch the trailer.
Content sources- theHindu.com firstpost.com koimoi.com
]]>Po seems to be living a peaceful life with his noddle-slinging dad Mr. Ping (James Hong), and he’s preparing to go on a food tour of China, eating noodles and dumplings and greeting his fans. His goal is to get to a village with a “fat gobs” restaurant run by a woman named Pei Pei (Amy Hill). When he gets there, he’s greeted by a throng of fans, so many that he can’t get to Pei Pei’s restaurant and he’s starving.
When he finally gets there, he’s waiting for his fat gobs when a ruckus occurs outside. Two weasels, Veruca and Klaus Dumont (Della Saba, Chris Geere), are determined to steal a powerful glove called “The Gauntlet”. Po eventually hears the ruckus and bounds out to defend the village, but misjudges the power of the Gauntlet and accidentally destroys the village when he captures it in the battle, and even though he chases the weasels, all he’s able to come away with is the thumb. But, by then, not only is the village destroyed, but so is his reputation. When he returns home, Mr. Ping tells him that his Dragon Master title is being revoked.
During his battle with the Dumonts, Po encounters a mysterious-looking knight he thinks is helping them. But when the knight comes looking for the Dragon Knight she heard about, he finds out that Wandering Blade (Rita Ora) came all the way from England to battle against the Dumonts; they will wreak havoc on the world if they use the Gauntlet and other dangerous jewels. Po wants to join her in her quest, but all she can see is the bumbling panda; Po so wants to get his reputation back, he’ll do anything to convince her he’s worthy.
With the return of Jack Black, who is also an executive producer along with Peter Hastings and Shaunt Nigoghossian, the Kung Fu Panda franchise gets back to much of what made the original 2008 film so appealing. Even though Po is no longer the underdog he was in the original film, he’s now been humbled by what happened when he battled the Dumonts, and it looks like he’s going to try to rebuild his reputation from scratch, with the help of the Wandering Blade.
While Mick Wingert did an admirable job as Po in the other two series, Black brings a degree of anarchic energy to the rotund warrior that was hard to duplicate. He’s adept at giving Po that degree of confidence that shines through despite his stumbles and fumbles, all the while staying relatively down to earth — and always focused on his next meal.
The Dragon Knight is a back to basics story for Po, which makes the fact that Black is back doing his voice all the better, and is a must watch.
click below to watch the trailer.
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Portman, whose Jane Foster here wields the power of Mighty Thor, flexes her biceps and lands dorky joke after dorky joke – two things so rarely granted to the actresses Hollywood demands are perpetually dainty and polite. These three actors gambolling around a soundstage as if it were their own personal playground.
That probably has a lot to do with who’s behind the camera here – one Taika Waititi , who, since 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, has become the shining exemplar of how to navigate the mainstream without losing your soul in the process. He’s one of the only people who could ever convince Bale to return to the superhero genre post-Batman, and Portman to forgive the franchise that burned her so badly with her lacklustre roles in Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013).
It’s certainly not as thematically tight as Ragnarok, which snuck in a fairly sharp critique of colonialist narratives. And both of Waititi’s Marvel films struggle with the same issue – that he’s been lumped with so much franchise baggage that it takes about 20 minutes to clean up the mess before the fun can actually begin. The Guardians of the Galaxy appear here, but in a contractually obligated kind of way. And the film has absolutely no idea what to do with Thor’s clumsily handled weight gain subplot in Avengers: Endgame. But once Waititi, and his co-writer Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, push all of that out of the way, you can almost feel the stick-shift change in Love and Thunder. Its plot sees Thor (Chris Hemsworth) venture out of his self-imposed, emotional cocoon in order to rescue the children of New Asgard. They’ve been kidnapped by Gorr, a grieving father who’s dead set on vengeance against the gods who rewarded his faith with contempt.
How did she get her hands on a weapon like the hammer? I won’t spoil the answer (though comic fans might already have an inkling), but Portman’s finally been handed an MCU storyline that’s worthy of her talent – a simple but potent take on waking yourself up out of a state of self-denial. Love and Thunder has less of the usual Waititi stuff we’ve grown to expect, namely themes of insecure masculinity and marginalisation broached with a lightness of touch. But it radiates with that titular love. It’s a true family affair, with the real-life children of Waititi, Hemsworth, and Portman all making cameo appearances. Meanwhile, Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie gets an extended role as the King of New Asgard, her deadpan nonchalance covering for the lingering grief of losing the woman she loved in battle (her bisexuality was only hinted at in Ragnarok, but it’s confirmed here).
Of course, Ragnarok’s distinctive humour is carried over, and there’s a blissfully dumb running joke about a pair of giant, heavy metal-screaming goats. But, really, it’s the heart that matters here. Love and Thunder’s characters are all running towards the same conclusion: that, no matter how long or short our time on Earth (or any planet) may be, we’re all inevitably living for the benefit of others. We love. Then we love again. It’s nice for Marvel, always caught up in its own chaos, to remind us of something so simple.
click the link below to watch the trailer:
content sources ; movieblend.com , newyorker.com , news18.com
]]>The movie introduces a collection of colourful new villains, including Jean Clawed, who’s voiced by Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Nun-chuck, a Lucy Lawless-voiced character who, yes, is a nun-chucks-wielding nun. Yet while a young version of the series’ anti-hero, Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), is front and center in this romp, the draw continues to be the Minions. The odd but obedient little yellow fellows voiced distinctly and clever again by the uniquely gifted Pierre Coffin
After an adventure that ultimately landed them in the late 1960s, we meet up with them, serving a nearly 12-year-old Gru, in the mid-’70s. Gru worships a daring supervillain team of the day, the Vicious 6. In the movie’s opening minutes, the group travels to Asia to steal a powerful item known as the Zodiac Stone. After the gang’s leader, Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), narrowly escapes with it, another member the Afro-sporting Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson), snatches it from him and literally cuts him out of the team, filling the sudden leadership void herself.
Gru is thrilled when he’s granted a chance to interview for the opening with the Vicious 6 and excitedly heads for an interview in their secret lair within the music store Criminal Records. There, Gru meets a future associate, then-aspiring mad scientist Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand), but the interview is a bust. However, in hopes of impressing Belle Bottom and company, Gru swipes the Zodiac Stone. Instead, that puts him in their crosshairs and leads him to his favourite baddie, Wild Knuckles, who becomes his mentor.
Meanwhile, the familiar Minion trio of Kevin, Stuart and Bob are worried about Gru and try to catch up with him, while a new minion character, the larger, almost-round and highly chatty Otto tries to redeem himself after disappointing Gru.
Ultimately, the Minion-fulled gags are enough, such as when our fearless trio takes the place of a flight crew and attempts to fly a passenger jet to San Francisco. I won’t spoil all the fun, but be aware it is one of at least two instances where you’ll get a peek at bare Minion behind. Well, i can say this is another clever, weird and again entirely Minion-y experience.
To watch the trailer click on the link below
]]>When her husband dies suddenly, Irene Shen feels disconnected from her three grown up daughters. She decides on a whim to go on a tour of China with her daughters, sister and their elderly mum, a journey to heal and bond. Despite some scepticism they embark on this journey which ultimately opens a Pandora’s box of family history and secrets that have lain unspoken for years.
Each of the characters in this novel is well developed. You find yourself wanting to know more about them, what decisions they will take, what ultimately happens to them.
Nora, the eldest of Irene’s daughters is a successful and independent financial whiz in New York city. She has been fluctuating in her decision to commit to her long-term partner. Kay relocated to China soon after her father’s demise to immerse herself in the study of Chinese heritage and history; but the China she lands in is undergoing rapid changes, embracing the new free market economy and chasing tourist dollars. Kay feels at odds despite her noble efforts to reach out to the downtrodden. Sophie is the baby of the family and has always felt herself a subject of scrutiny. She wants to break free from her slim attractive siblings and start afresh in the West Coast.
Susan is Irene’s poet sister who spent many years drifting between various teaching jobs across the country and in and out of relationships. In her middle age she has settled with her husband in Hong Kong. She still doubts her decision to embrace stability.
Lin Yulan is turning eighty soon and currently lives with her son Lou in California. In her youth, Lin was a leader of the Nationalists and together with her young family was finally forced to leave the mainland for Taiwan under harrowing circumstances. She decided to move to America in her sixties and care for her grandchildren, leaving her husband.
This novel explores issues of racism and orientalist notions, especially preconceived ideas of oriental women as portrayed by the media and Western notions of exoticism and submissiveness. It is interesting to see how the new generation of women straddle the Western-Asian divide and this enjoyable story illustrates what is faced within many migrant communities today.
My favourite line of this novel is uttered by Kay’s astute observation.
“Societies evolve constantly, while the homeland, for the immigrants, is a fixed memory.”
Rebecca Stone is a first-time mother, feeling rather overwhelmed with motherhood. By chance she meets kind, gentle Priscilla; a black lady, single mum of a grown-up daughter, Cheryl. Priscilla is engaged as a nanny and the two women form a special bond. Rebecca has for the most part led a privileged life sheltered from the realities of racial inequality and has limited interaction with people of colour. She has to face the blind spots of her privilege.
When tragedy strikes Rebecca finds herself supporting Cheryl and caring for Priscilla’s baby, Andrew. Now she is the strong capable mum and it seems natural to both families that Rebecca and her husband Christopher adopt baby Andrew. But is Rebecca prepared to be the white mother to a black son, despite her love for both her sons?
This story has great potential but the characters are not well developed. Rebecca seems very naïve about how other families function- the drudgery of routines, the financial limitations, the constant demands of young children. She has very little insight into the challenges black people face.
‘She had never considered that being a white woman was, when weighed against being a black man, superior. That a judge would be more inclined toward her for simply this fact.’
Christopher is a caring husband; a traditional father and provider. In a misplaced career move he is implicated in a series of financial scandals There are links to terrorism but this is not elaborated.
There are other family members; Rebecca’s sisters, uncles and elderly parents but they don’t touch the reader as they are described only in passing.
The whole theme of racial discrimination is not explored in depth. There is a moment where Rebecca says, “Skin is skin”, and Cheryl counters, “Skin is not just skin”, but the argument peters out. In another conversation, Cheryl’s husband recounts an incident with the police, and tries to explain to Priscilla and Christopher that such incidents are to be expected as Andrew grows up.
Does Rebecca ultimately find the right balance between her role as a mother and her career both as poet and educator?
‘She didn’t want to be that kind of mother, the one who can’t stop talking about her children, can’t stop thinking about them. Surely there had to be another kind of mother for Rebecca to be.’
]]>The movie follows a Pachyrhinosaurus named Patchy and is narrated by a bystander bird. Stretching over years of Patchy’s life, the movie focuses on all the troubles a young dinosaur faces, paralleling one a growing human would face too.
We first meet Patchy as a baby dinosaur who sets out on his first adventure within minutes, exploring the jungle alone. His adventures only continue and escalate as time goes on, learning many life lessons as he does. The young dinosaur falls in love, makes friends, and has his first migration, but he, unfortunately, has to deal with loss, falling outs, and bullies. The troubles our Pachyrhinosaurus has to go through only help him as he learns from his mistakes and grows to become a better person is something all people should aspire to be.
The most striking aspect of this movie is how it manages to intertwine childish humour with educational facts to create an enjoyable movie. With each dinosaur and animal that is featured in the movie, there is a brief description, which is optimal as it provides facts without disrupting the storyline. Additionally, the CGI is incredibly realistic that it might as well be real. The details and colours are better than what anyone could expect, on par with the famous Jurassic Park movies! The basic premise of the movie would be enough to grip any viewer, no matter your age. From the beginning, an emotional bond is created with Patchy making you root for him during all his troubles. However, one thing to keep in mind before picking this for your family movie night is if you are interested in learning about the animals that have come before us. The movie is merged with facts that are hard to separate from the storyline – and although educational – it might not be what you’re looking for.
Overall, the plot, characters, and effects of this movie combine to create a simply outstanding film. I have watched this as a kid, I am still watching it now, will continue to watch it in the future and I can only hope you will find it as enjoyable as I do.
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