This Kids Movie Talking Points is not an endorsement of this movie or a recommendation to watch it with kids. This movie contains fairly inappropriate content particularly for some ages.
Below are Kids Movie Talking Points for Elf.
Buddy doesn’t seem to fit in at the North Pole and that makes him sad. If we don’t feel like we fit in does that mean we aren’t valuable?
Of course not! Regardless of what talents we have or how people treat us, we are valuable because we are made by God and loved by Him (Gen. 1:27).
How did Buddy get to the North Pole?
He climbed in Santa’s sack at the orphanage he was at.
Why was Buddy at an orphanage?
Sadly, not all parents are married when they have kids, which can cause pain in the life of the kids and parents. That is why God designed us to only have children when we are married. Because of sin, sometimes children are born to parents who aren’t married and that has painful consequences. Yet, no matter what circumstances children are born in they are a blessing and made beautifully in God’s image (Ps. 139:13-14).
Why is Buddy’s dad, Walter, on the naughty list?
He’s dishonest and unkind. He also tends to neglect his family for work.
How does Walter’s sin affect others, including his family?
His boss almost fires him because he decides to print blank pages in a children’s book, and his son doesn’t like being with him because he feels ignored.
Why does Buddy love his dad so much, even though he isn’t kind to him?
God made children to obey their father and mother (Exd 20:12) and fathers to love and encourage their kids (1 Thess. 2:11-12), which is why children often care what their father thinks of them. No matter what some people might say, we all want a good relationship with our parents, especially our dad.
Buddy and his family and friends end up saving the day by spreading Christmas cheer. What is actually the best way to spread Christmas cheer?
By telling people about Jesus!
The real meaning of Christmas is that God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. At the end of the movie, the people in Central Park stood with their jaws dropped watching Santa’s sleigh soar through the sky, but the actual story of Christmas is much more amazing. Angels appear to shepherds in the sky praising God (Luke 2:13-14) and a bright star shows the wise men where Christ was. They all came to worship the king of the world, the Son of God in the flesh.
Christ didn’t come to give gifts to the people on the nice list, he came to give himself to save those on the naughty list. We’ve all sinned, but through Christ we can be perfect. That’s the news that truly spreads Christmas cheer.
Mike McGregor
Mike McGregor (MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is Director of College Ministry at First Baptist Church in Durham, N.C. You can follow him on Twitter at @m5mcgregor.
