My friend, E, had a big fight with her mother about watching the film Heidi with her 6 year-old foster daughter who has been in a dozen homes and has serious emotional and behavioral issues.  I stupidly said “What’s wrong with Heidi?” to which E started yelling, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MOVIE IS ABOUT!?!  Here’s her synopsis according to my recollection: “Heidi’s parents die so she gets carted off to her evil aunt’s house.  After two years the aunt punishes Heidi by dropping her off at a scary old man’s house far away in the mountains.  Eventually Heidi and the old man bring out the best in each other but the aunt kidnaps Heidi and sells her to another family in the city to be a companion to their daughter who is disabled.  Turns out the daughter isn’t disabled, she just thinks she can’t walk because her caretaker is psychologically abusing her so that she can keep a job.” Perhaps we should create a special rating system just for foster kids…

My friend, E, had a big fight with her mother about watching the film Heidi with her 6 year-old foster daughter who has been in a dozen homes and has serious emotional and behavioral issues.  I stupidly said “What’s wrong with Heidi?” to which E started yelling, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MOVIE IS ABOUT!?! 

Here’s her synopsis according to my recollection:

“Heidi’s parents die so she gets carted off to her evil aunt’s house.  After two years the aunt punishes Heidi by dropping her off at a scary old man’s house far away in the mountains.  Eventually Heidi and the old man bring out the best in each other but the aunt kidnaps Heidi and sells her to another family in the city to be a companion to their daughter who is disabled.  Turns out the daughter isn’t disabled, she just thinks she can’t walk because her caretaker is psychologically abusing her so that she can keep a job.”

Perhaps we should create a special rating system just for foster kids…

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16 Notes

  1. electrickitten said: I agree that Heidi is not a good choice for a foster child. However, the book doesn’t have a scary grandfather or child who has been brainwashed into being ill. Don’t watch the little princess either. Have a look at The Secret Garden (by hallmark).
  2. emmysmacks said: Yikes.
  3. elaina-marie said: Hated this movie as a kid. It terrified me. Why do so many children’s movies play on kids’ fear of abandonment/losing parents? It’s cruel.
  4. katunedited said: I can totally relate—anything that has a family theme is a no-go when I take the foster kid I mentor to the movies. Even the guinea pig movie from last year has that story line!
  5. thepinksuperhero said: Think how scary “Annie” is! And I love that movie!
  6. alexieileen said: What the F?! I didn’t even remember it as such. Creep.
  7. fosterhood posted this