Remember when Disney made good movies? And actually treated child viewers like they could think? Do you miss those days every time you see Miley Cyrus and those twins from Big Daddy? Then look no further! The Whipping Boy is one of those movies both adults and children can truly enjoy. It tells the story of two very different pre-teen boys in the German kingdom of Brandenberg. Jemmy is a tenacious orphan who catches rats to support himself and his younger sister Annyrose. Horace is the mean-spirited prince who entertains himself by causing mischief and embarrassment or pain to other people. After refusing to give the prince a cage of rats for free, Jemmy is captured by Horace's servants to become his whipping boy. Horace is angered and dismayed when Jemmy shows him no respect, and disobeys his orders to cry and scream when he is whipped for Horace's purposeful transgressions. Jemmy is determined to escape the castle to take care of his sister, and refuses to give Horace the satisfaction of seeing him cry.
Meanwhile, Jemmy's sister Annyrose is running out of rent money and devastated at her brother's disappearance. While trying to ask for help to read a letter he sent her, she is falsely accused of theft and sent to prison. Horace's father the king is also very busy sorting out boundary issues with a neighboring kingdom. So busy that he never has a moment for Horace, and continually breaks promises to spend time with him. After Jemmy discovers Annyrose's imprisonment, and Horace's father loses his temper, the two boys decide to put their differences aside and run away together. On their journey the boys encounter kidnappers, a bear, a gypsy, and a potato salesman. More importantly, the two boys bond and develop a truly believable friendship. They learn that both has his own struggles and difficulties in life, and that they can help each other through that. The kids aren't the only ones who end up learning a lesson, and both boys' families and the entire kingdom are all better in the end.
The Whipping Boy is truly a gem of a movie. It's the kind of film that entertains and teaches a lesson, without beating the viewer over the head with it. It feels no need to dumb down the plot, nor water down the abuse simply because it is for children. Despite its 18th century atmosphere, the characters are realistic and easy to relate to. It teaches some of life's most important lessons: everyone has problems no matter how much(or little)money they have, children need to learn empathy and have discipline, and pay attention to your children. This is what every children's movie should strive to be.
Meanwhile, Jemmy's sister Annyrose is running out of rent money and devastated at her brother's disappearance. While trying to ask for help to read a letter he sent her, she is falsely accused of theft and sent to prison. Horace's father the king is also very busy sorting out boundary issues with a neighboring kingdom. So busy that he never has a moment for Horace, and continually breaks promises to spend time with him. After Jemmy discovers Annyrose's imprisonment, and Horace's father loses his temper, the two boys decide to put their differences aside and run away together. On their journey the boys encounter kidnappers, a bear, a gypsy, and a potato salesman. More importantly, the two boys bond and develop a truly believable friendship. They learn that both has his own struggles and difficulties in life, and that they can help each other through that. The kids aren't the only ones who end up learning a lesson, and both boys' families and the entire kingdom are all better in the end.
The Whipping Boy is truly a gem of a movie. It's the kind of film that entertains and teaches a lesson, without beating the viewer over the head with it. It feels no need to dumb down the plot, nor water down the abuse simply because it is for children. Despite its 18th century atmosphere, the characters are realistic and easy to relate to. It teaches some of life's most important lessons: everyone has problems no matter how much(or little)money they have, children need to learn empathy and have discipline, and pay attention to your children. This is what every children's movie should strive to be.