Movies to Watch with Kids: The True Meaning of Friendship Taught by 'Ron's Gone Wrong'

Even when you want to watch a movie with your kids on the weekend, choosing the right one is surprisingly difficult.

The older child wants to follow the story. The younger one can't quite grasp the content yet. And as for the adults, we'd prefer a film that sparks conversation afterward (we're greedy like that). I feel that home time becomes much richer when a movie doesn't just end with being entertaining, but also leaves room for a little discussion afterward.

Yesterday, I watched 'Ron's Gone Wrong' with my 10-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter.

The deciding factor for choosing this film was clear from my son's perspective.

• Something I can watch in about 2 hours

• Something with beautiful visuals that's exciting

• Something even my 4-year-old sister, who can't fully understand the plot, can enjoy visually

When you actually look for them, there are surprisingly few movies that satisfy all three of these criteria. As expected of a modern kid. His search skills are top-notch (lol)!

Even though it's a story set in the near future with advanced technology, at its core was a story about 'humanity.' In this note, I'll summarize what left an impression on me.

The encounter between a perfect device and an imperfect robot

The story is set in a world where every child has a latest-model walking device called a 'B-bot.' It's a robot that integrates social media and game apps, analyzes the owner's preferences, and connects them with anyone in the world. It is programmed to be, in a sense, the 'perfect friend.'

The protagonist, a boy named Barney, couldn't get a B-bot for financial reasons and felt lonely at school. Then, the robot that finally arrived was Ron, a defective unit with incomplete programming that couldn't even connect to the internet. Even though he couldn't use the latest features like other B-bots, Ron tried his best to get to know Barney.

What's important here is that the 'convenience' and 'connection' gained from a perfect device aren't always the right answer. Ron's awkwardness, conversely, posed the question: 'What is a true connection?'

Children's sensibilities versus adult sensibilities as seen through my son's words

While watching, my son laughed many times and said things like this:

In other words, I think what attracted my son wasn't the robot's perfection, but rather how straightforward he was despite being imperfect. And perhaps children are able to grasp that feeling more honestly than adults.

On the other hand, my 4-year-old daughter wasn't so much following the story as she was drawn in by the movements, expressions, and the fun on the screen.

Even when watching the same film, the entry point is different for everyone. Yet, we can still laugh together. That is the beauty of watching movies as a family.

Robots that run on programs, humans who control their emotions

While watching the movie, what I talked about with my son was the "decisive difference between robots and humans."

Robots execute what they are programmed to do calmly, rather than struggling with right and wrong. There are scenes where they seem efficient and correct, but there is no human warmth there. That said, the robot's straightforwardness, free from hesitation, reminds us, who tend to overthink things, of purity.

On the other hand, humans have emotions. Even while feeling angry or sad, we manage to control them and find a way to get by day to day. It is precisely because we have pain and conflict that robots do not have that humans can love and care for others deeply. It was a time when we, as parent and child, could put such obvious truths into words.

The courage to make "your own happiness" the axis rather than "conformity"

The children in the story are caught in a vortex of desire for approval through their B-bots.
"How can I look good to others?" "How many likes can I get?" They are desperate to follow the same trends as everyone else, post similar things, and conform.

But those social rules don't apply to the imperfect Ron. All Ron was looking at was whether his friend Barney, right in front of him, was happy or not.

In other words, using your own inner feelings as a standard rather than the evaluation of others.

My son's words, "I don't think a human would do that, but Ron does," felt like they hit the nail on the head regarding this theme. Do you stop because of embarrassment? Or do you move forward based on your own feelings?

I think this same question exists in the world of children and in the world of adults alike.

The "love and emotion" we must not lose amidst convenience

In the second half of the movie, the company that manufactured the B-bots tries to manage and streamline everything. However, what Barney and Ron proved was that friendship cannot be measured by "efficiency" or "algorithms".

Convenience is something to be grateful for.
However, I feel that as things become more convenient, there are moments when tangible relationships become thinner... We may experience inconvenience or conflict, but that is precisely what we can call human warmth and proof that we are alive.

A "home movie" experience to deepen parent-child time to try next weekend

Finally, I will summarize this experience in a way that can be replicated in the future.
The point is not to look for the "correct answer" when discussing the work! Just one starting point for conversation is enough.

First: Leave the criteria for choosing the work to the child

• Can be watched in around 00 hours

• The visuals are beautiful and exciting

• Enjoyable for siblings even if they have different entry points

When a child chooses a work themselves, their sense of participation increases just by that. This is the trick.

Next: Pick up the words that come up while watching, just as they are

For example, this time, my son's words became the trigger for our conversation.

• 'I don't think a human would do that, but Ron is doing it' -> 'What is your criteria for deciding what you wouldn't do?'

• 'I wonder if schools in the future will be like this' -> 'If that happens, what are you looking forward to? What are you worried about?'

Finally: End the summary with a 'question' rather than an 'action'

Adults tend to think about the next action. However, if you do that to a child, it might end up putting invisible pressure on them to come up with some kind of conclusion. Therefore, I recommend ending with a 'question'.

You can ask a question based on the synopsis, or you can pose a question based on the scene that resonated most in the movie. For this time, it's something like this.

Just by leaving this question behind, you might be able to remember it when a similar situation arises next time.

Summary: Sharing the loveliness of being imperfect as a family

For Barney, Ron was not a convenient tool.

You can expose all your flaws and uncool parts. And they accept you completely. I feel that such a 'presence that sets you free' is a true friend.

My 10-year-old son will likely face more complex human relationships from now on. He might feel connected on social media, but sometimes feel lonely in reality.

That is exactly when home movies come in.
I want to create time to watch the same story as a family, share our emotions, and talk about 'what did you think?'

Bring what you felt and exchange opinions a little. Then, touch upon ideas (perspectives) different from your own, or try to put yourself in the other person's shoes. I feel that accumulating these experiences helps nurture the foundation of the heart.