“Grown-ups—they never understand anything by themselves.”
You know how Netflix has been stepping up their creative content game? Well, their newest addition of “The Little Prince” is no different. In fact, I feel like it is one of the best animated movies of 2016, and debatably, of my lifetime. The movie is based on the children’s book "Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which was first published in 1943. Although many years after its initial release, the movie is quite refreshing and truly asks the viewer to critically think about adulthood and childhood. It follows the aviator and how he helps a girl discover what it means to be an adult by showing her how to think like a child. Although it sounds peculiar, the aviator gives the perspective of creativity and innovation in the girl’s greyscale world.
At the beginning of the movie, the viewer sees the girl with her mother prepare for the Werth Academy admissions interview. They prepare for the “big question” which they think at the time is “Are you Werth material?” However, hanging over their heads in the posters, Werth Academy administrators changed the big question to “What will you be when you grow up?” In her interview, she proceeds with her prepared answer for the former big question. Realizing her mistake, she passes out. This instant in her journey shows how over planning can be a hindrance. However, the mother views the mistake as a bump in the plan and continues to plan her daughter’s life in more detail.
The aviator starts off by narrating what being a child is like, which in his experience is adults telling him to be more mature, and submitting to the notion of growing up. Then the audience sees his attitude change when he meets the little prince and he remembers what thinking like a child is like. He is introduced to the girl because he tries to start his plane, but the plane’s propeller goes through her wall, causing him to repair his mistakes with a giant jar of pennies and the story of the little prince. At first, the little girl rejects his offer, to which he says, “It’s okay. No one understands it anyway.” I interpret this as him trying to challenge this girl to understand.
I don’t want to spoil any more of this incredible movie, so I will stop going into plot details. I do, however, strongly encourage anyone to watch “The Little Prince.” It’s one of those movies that encourages you to think about what it means to be an adult, and it truly challenges how you perceive the adulthood and childhood binary. This is a movie one could use to explain to children about death, life, responsibilities, and a number of different subjects. On the other hand, it’s also one of those movies that reminds adults what’s really important, which is happiness.
