The latest episode of Toon My Heart: First Impressions is a family affair, with not just host Tracy and daughter Darcy weighing in, as usual, but also a very special guest-- their husband and father, respectively, Dave! Listen to find out what all three of us thought of the latest animated film from Dreamworks, The Wild Robot, how we felt about the changes made from the original book by Peter Brown, whether we cried or managed to hold it together, what Bible verses it reminded us of, and why we wholeheartedly recommend this movie not just for kids, but for filmgoers of every age and stage of life.

Mentioned in this episode:

• "'The Wild Robot' Director Says Film's Painted Style Offers an 'Emotional and Immersive' Experience" by Peter DeBruge, Variety
• "'The Wild Robot' Turned Its Animators Into Painters" by Bill Desowitz, IndieWire

Music from Pixabay, by REDProductions

Welcome to the first episode of a new ongoing bonus series called "Showtune My Heart," in which Toon My Heart host Tracy Herold and a guest will discuss a song from an animated film from a Christian faith perspective. In this episode, Tracy is joined by Kevin T. Rodriguez, also known as iCritic, to discuss the song "God Help the Outcasts," written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. We talk about the story behind the song and how it almost didn't end up in the film, admire the accompanying animation, discover Bible passages that the lyrics reminds us of, discuss how Esmeralda's feelings and character are revealed in the course of the song, contrast it with the other "prayer" song from the movie (the villain Frollo's "Hellfire",) ponder whether it's true that "we all [are] the children of God," and more!

Mentioned in this episode:

• https://www.icritic.net
• https://www.youtube.com/@KevinTRod
• Heidi Mollenhauer's IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0597012/
• Romani Rants: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney) critiques and concerns: https://www.tumblr.com/romani-in-art/121214077396/romani-rants-the-hunchback-of-notre-dame-disney
• "Is everyone a child of God?" from Bible.org: https://bible.org/question/everyone-child-god

Music by REDproductions, sourced from Pixabay.com

If you have an idea for a song you'd like to discuss in a "Showtune My Heart" episode, please email [email protected]

Disney Pixar's Inside Out 2 is smashing box office records left and right, but is the sequel worth all the hype and a fitting follow up to the studio's beloved original "emotional rollercoaster" of a movie? Host Tracy and daughter Darcy weigh in with their thoughts (and feelings, of course) about 2024's first $1 billion box office film, and the return of Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust, along with their new friends (or are they enemies?) Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui, in this "First Impressions" episode of Toon My Heart.

Music by REDproductions, sourced from pixabay.com

Pixar is an animation studio known for producing films that tug on the heartstrings, but perhaps its most emotional movie-- quite literally-- is Inside Out. Now, with the release of Inside Out 2 just around the corner, Toon My Heart host Tracy Herold is taking a closer look at the original, and the lessons it has to teach us about emotional and mental health, with the help of special guest Jay Nepomuceno of The Climb ministry. In this episode, we discuss the Christian faith of director Pete Docter and how it impacts his work, the stigma surrounding depression and anxiety and how pastors and churches can help break it down, the ways in which Jesus Christ experienced and expressed joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust during his earthly life according to the Bible, the role these emotions have to play in our own lives, and much, much more!

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Climb Ministries: https://theclimbministries.com
• The Climb Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theclimbministries
• Interview with Pete Docter (Radix, archived):
• How Inside Out Director Pete Docter Went Inside the 11-Year-Old Mind by Lisa Miller (New York Magazine)
• It's All In Your Head: Director Pete Docter Gets Emotional in 'Inside Out' (Fresh Air, NPR)
• The Science of 'Inside Out' by Dacher Keltner and Paul Eckman (New York Times)
• Universal Emotions by PaulEkmanGroup
• 'Inside Out' is a kids' movie without villains, princesses, or cool cars - and that's a good thing by Kristen Page-Kirby (Washington Post)
• Those 365 "Fear Not" Verses in the Bible by Rebecca Davis
• Is crying good for you by Leo Newhouse, LICSW (Harvard Health Blog)
• Charles Spurgeon on Psalm 6

Music by REDProductions, sourced from Pixabay.com

Landing in theaters late in 2023, and now available on Peacock and other streaming networks, Migration flew under a lot of people's radar. But while the latest animated film from Illumination, the studio behind Despicable Me, Minions, The Secret Life of Pets, Sing, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie didn't soar to the same levels of box-office success as those predecessors, both host Tracy and daughter Darcy (age 8) enjoyed it-- although for very different reasons. Listen to this short episode to find out why this quirky but lovable family of ducks made a good first impression on us.

Music by REDProductions, sourced from Pixabay.com

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Disney's Wish didn't get a very warm welcome from critics or audiences when it came out in theaters last year, but does it have any redeeming qualities that might make it worth seeing now that it's out on streaming and blu-ray? In this bonus "First Impressions" episode, host Tracy and daughter Darcy (age 8) give their initial thoughts on Disney's newest musical fairy tale film and whether it might just be worth watching after all.

Music by REDProductions, sourced from Pixabay.com.

https://linktr.ee/toonmyheart

In this episode of Toon My Heart podcast, host Tracy Herold is talking about Bruno-- and the entire amazing Madrigal family! Disney's Encanto worked its way into the hearts of streaming viewers across the world when it landed on Disney+ on Christmas Eve 2021, with its relatable characters, way too catchy tunes, and unique setting and story. But is there something deeper behind this animated film's popularity? Tracy talks about the Biblical symbolism she sees in the movie, and explores how the theme of grace vs. works plays out as the story of Mirabel and her magical family unfolds.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Jared Bush's Twitter/X account: https://twitter.com/thejaredbush (Note: In the podcast, one Tweet attributed to Byron Howard was actually from Jared Bush.)
• "Encanto is Disney's first Latino musical. How the filmmakers got Colombia right" by Tracy Brown (LA Times): https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-11-29/encanto-explained-disney-colombia-consultants
• "'Encanto's' Luisa Is Way Too Beefy For A Woman" by Jeff Wright (The Federalist): https://thefederalist.com/2022/02/04/encantos-luisa-is-way-too-beefy-for-a-woman-and-its-wrong
• Charles Spurgeon quote: https://www.blueletterbible.org/devotionals/me/view.cfm?Date=02/03&body Music by REDProductions, sourced from Pixabay.com

One is the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time. The other is one of Jesus Christ's best known and most beloved parables. In this episode of Toon My Heart podcast, find out what Disney's The Lion King and the Bible's prodigal son parable have in common, and what both stories can teach us about guilt, identity, responsibility, and redemption. Join host Tracy Herold as she dives into the history behind one of Disney's most unexpectedly successful movies, shares what Bible verse always reminds her of Scar, contemplates whether Christians should follow "Hakuna Matata," and examines the journey of Simba on the Circle of Life to see what faith-related lessons we can learn along the way.

Mentioned in this episode:

• "Was 'The Lion King' Copied From A Japanese Cartoon? Here's the Real Story": https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lion-king-kimba_n_6272316
• Japanamerica: How Japanese Culture Has Invaded the U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/Japanamerica-Japanese-Culture-Invaded-U-S/dp/140398476X
• "The Circle of Life" (Biblical Geek, archived): https://web.archive.org/web/20190708064503/http://www.biblicalgeek.com/blog/2018/7/3/the-circle-of-life Music by REDProductions, Sourced from Pixabay.com

Is Disney's Tangled just a swash-buckling fairy tale romance movie, or can we look past the surface to find something deeper? Listen in to find out what Disney Animation's first CGI 3D princess, Rapunzel, along with Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert, a group of dreaming pub thugs, a feisty chameleon, and an intense horse can teach us about our need for community, our innate desire to know and be known, and the challenges we face in connecting with others. Of course, we'll also talk about what the Bible has to say about these topics, and we'll also hear wisdom from two lovers of both fairy tales and God, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein.

Mentioned in this episode:

• "Tangled" entry in Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangled
• "Eucatastrophe" entry in Tolkein Gateway: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Eucatastrophe Music by REDproductions, sourced from Pixabay.com Questions, comments, or suggestions? Email [email protected] Follow @toonmyheart on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter toonmyheart.com

Welcome to the very first episode of Toon My Heart, in which we'll examine some of your favorite animated films in search of themes relevant to the Christian faith and traces of eternal truth. In this episode: What can Disney's classic animated movie Beauty and the Beast teach us about the perils of pride and the redemptive power of love? We'll talk about what the Bible has to say about both pride and love, and see how these attributes are reflected in the characters of the Beast, Belle, and Gaston.

Referenced in this episode:

• "Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)" Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_the_Beast_(1991_film)
• "Beauty and the Beast: True Love or Stockholm Syndrome": https://snowwhitewrites.com/beauty-and-the-beast-stockholm
• "Glen Keane on Beauty and the Beast transformation sequence" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Wrc8DCk520 Music by REDProductions, sourced from Pixabay.com