The Good Dinosaur
Directed by Peter Sohn
TheoScope Rating
Worldview · content · moral framework
Plot
"The Good Dinosaur" asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In this epic journey into the world of dinosaurs, an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While travelling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.
Discern Score Breakdown
30%
30%
25%
15%
Audience Suitability
Kids
Under 10
Teens
10–17
Adults
18+
Family
Mixed ages
Content Flags
The Good Dinosaur is a sincere, emotionally ambitious Pixar film that ultimately affirms courage, family sacrifice, and the power of unlikely friendship. It lands in broadly compatible territory with Christian family values, though it offers no spiritual depth and one mildly concerning scene involving intoxication. Its greatest strength is its emotional honesty about grief and fear; its greatest limitation for younger children is the intensity of several peril sequences and the weight of parental death.
Pastoral Take
The Good Dinosaur is appropriate for most families with children ages six and up, though parents of sensitive younger children should be prepared for the father's death and several genuinely intense action sequences — this is not a toothless animated film. The brief fermented-fruit hallucination scene is worth a quick conversation afterward, framing it as a silly moment the movie shouldn't have treated so lightly. The film's genuine heart — its portrayal of a father's sacrificial love and a son learning to be brave — gives parents real material to draw on when connecting the story to faith and family values.
Discussion Points
- 1When Arlo's dad dies in the flood trying to protect his son, Arlo carries that loss with him the whole journey. The Bible talks about Jesus saying there's no greater love than to lay down your life for someone you love (John 15:13). Do you think Arlo's dad understood something like that? How did his sacrifice change who Arlo became?
- 2Arlo is terrified almost the whole movie — of the river, of the dark, of being alone — but he keeps going anyway. His dad told him that doing something scary when you're afraid is what real bravery looks like. Is that how you'd define courage? Does the Bible say anything about being afraid but trusting God to help you through it?
- 3When Arlo and Spot eat the fermented berries and start seeing things, the movie plays it as funny. But what do you think — is it a good idea to do something that makes your mind work in a way you can't control? Why do you think God designed us to have clear minds?
- 4At the end, Arlo has to let Spot go back to his human family, even though it hurts. Have you ever had to let go of something you loved because it was the right thing to do? What do you think it means to love someone enough to put their needs before what you want?
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Cast
Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Maleah Nipay-Padilla
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