The Willoughbys was a Netflix Original Animated Film released in 2020. Unlike any other animated movie, this movie is not all rainbows and unicorns (although rainbows are there, but hardly significant). It is about a dysfunctional family comprised of two self-absorbed parents and four kids with weird, woolly hair. The narrator, Sprinkled with the sarcastic and moody comments, that movie gives the audience a new form of delight, albeit having a sorrowfully dark beginning.
The film begins as the old-fashioned home of the Willoughbys, where the parents are drowning in blind love for each other, depriving their children of the humane necessities at the same time. The eldest child, Tim, is an obedient one, but the same cannot be said about his sister, Jane. Then there are the twins, the Barnabys, with their mushroom heads and quirky unparalleled genius.
One day, an orphan arrives at their door, and she steers the whole course of their lives, but in the right direction. She gives the kids the perfect reasons to abandon their inconsiderate parents and discover the world out of their old-fashioned home. To say that this was an adventure for the kids would be a gross understatement. It was more like a roller-coaster ride for them, with their new adorable nanny is suddenly showing up, their visit to the land of sweets. Also, they are getting separated into new homes with new parents and then, of course, finally getting reunited. However, the one constant throughout the movie was the parents’ cringy, uncontrollable love for each other, which sadly did not prove adequate in the end. My fascination with this movie is linked with the fact that it has a more practical theme than any other animated movie. It’s about a dysfunctional family, which is something most people can connect with the character. But that’s not the point!
The point is, even though it starts with an imperfect family, it indeed ends with a perfect one. So what I got out of the movie is that our choices shape us in more ways than we can imagine. Had those kids decided to abandon the orphan initially, they wouldn’t have got the chance to see what life had in surprise for them. The next thing I liked was that no matter how unconventional their new family was, those kids were happy in the end. So it’s not always the question of perfection. Sometimes happiness is just enough. To conclude, I would like to suggest this movie to everyone, even kids, so that they have an acceptance of imperfection in their lives. This movie depicts a practical scenario in the warm light of adoration, making it a perfect watch for all ages.
Watch it on – Netflix.com
Written by – Tanya Passan