Today’s Prayer Focus

Boy and the World

also known as “Boy & the World,” “O Menino e o Mundo,” “El niño y el mundo,” “A fiú és a világ,” See all »

MPA Rating: PG-Rating (MPA)

for thematic material and images.

Moral Rating:	not reviewed
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:	Family Kids
Genre:	Animation Family Adventure
Length:	1 hr. 20 min.
Year of Release:	2013
USA Release:	May 24, 2014 (festival) December 11, 2015 (limited) DVD: July 5, 2016

Relevant Issues

Imagination

Relationship between boys and fathers

Adventures in the rainforest! Learn about the Creator of the universe by exploring His marvelous creation. Fun for the whole family with games, activities, stories, answers to children’s questions, color pages, and more! One of the Web’s first and most popular Christian Web sites for children. Nonprofit, evangelical, nondenominational.

Featuring	Marco Aurélio Campos (voice) Vinicius Garcia (voice) Lu Horta (voice)
Director	Alê Abreu
Producer	Filme de Papel
Distributor	GKIDS

Here’s what the distributor says about their film: “A little boy goes on an adventurous quest in search of his father

Cuca lives a life of quiet wonder, exploring all that the countryside has to offer. But his cozy life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. The young boy’s journey unfolds like a tapestry, the animation taking on greater complexity and variety as his small world expands.

Simple line drawings of the village give way to broad brushstrokes forming giant bushels of cotton lining country roads and sweeps of pastel churned into roaring waves. Approaching the city, industrial landscapes are inhabited by animal-machines, whirling carnival colors and exploding fireworks fill the sky above decoupage favelas, while flashing neon advertisements and garish shop windows illuminate the night.

Entirely wordless, the narrative describes a clash between poor and rich, countryside and city, indigenous and imperial, handcrafted and mechanized‒and throughout the tumult, the heart and soul of the people beats on as a song. Accompanying the stunning visuals is a rich soundscape of pan-flute, samba, and Brazilian hip-hop, creating the powerful visceral experience of a passage through life.”

Volunteer reviewer needed for this movie

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

Movie Critics

…charming bit of Brazilian animation… brightly colored, often charming film that juxtaposes simple, hand-drawn animation with kaleidoscopic computer-generated patterns.

Charles Solomon, Los Angeles Times

…Whimsy and melancholy make this Oscar-nominated animated movie from Brazil a heartfelt valentine to the innocence of childhood lost and found. …

Soren Andersen, Seattle Times

…It is, without a doubt, the most purely visual of the Oscar-nominated animated films. …

Michael O’Sullivan, The Washington Post

…It’s both the best children’s animated film this year since “Inside Out” and, unexpectedly, a more stirring depiction of the deadening modern megalopolis than most heal-the-world documentaries. …

Nicolas Rapold, The New York Times

A simple, universal parable played out in boldly imaginative …an enchanting visual treat. …This increasingly bleak parable of human injustice will appeal to adventuresome animation fans. …

Dennis Harvey, Variety

…This kaleidoscopic reflection on the losses of relentless economic growth carries the proud stamp of hand-tooled craftsmanship… magical visuals… exuberant score

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

…a bit abstract and largely free of dialogue… Pulsing with a vibrant samba/hip-hop soundtrack and the pastel palette of a tropical fruit salad… [B+]

Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly

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