Trauma-Informed Films for Young Teens with Emotional Disabilities
January 21, 2025 3:19 AM   Subscribe

It's harder than it looks. Starting Fun Friday Film Fest for middle schoolers with significant trauma and emotional disabilities. Things to avoid because they're traumatic: any type of violence (so a little swat on the butt is no good, Bambi's mother, etc.); nuclear families (most of these kids are unhoused or in foster care); mean to kids (Home Alone); perilous situations (Emperor's New Groove, Toy Story). I literally have nothing. Help a friend out!
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes to Media & Arts (49 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
I wonder, could you look into non-fiction films? There are some really good nature documentaries aimed at kids. Although even these might present challenges as they'll probably anthropomorphize the subject animals and then show them in some degree of peril. I'm thinking of something like March of the Penguins, for eg, with the caveat that I've never seen it.

How about a documentary or TV show where a team of people work together to solve a problem? My kid watched a show on (I think) Netflix a while back where kids suggested weird inventions and a team of people then worked out how to build them for real. Fun, silly, co-operative.
posted by damsel with a dulcimer at 4:10 AM on January 21 [3 favorites]


Lots of midcentury adult-oriented classics fit these criteria while simultaneously being clearly plotted enough for kids to enjoy.

Depending on your definition of "peril": possibly Buster Keaton films: Seven Chances, The General, etc. These are hilarious and full of very on-point class commentary; there's interesting physical danger, obviously, but I think it might be cartoony enough to not read as perilous? While not all the cinematic conventions exactly match modern film styles, it seems like with the right messaging middle schoolers could be persuaded to regard them as sources of hipster cred rather than just "boring, where's the cgi?"

Movie musicals: My Fair Lady, State Fair, maybe The Sound of Music depending on how perilous you find the short hiding-from-Nazis scene at the very end.

Screwball comedies: Bringing Up Baby, My Man Godfrey

Disney '60s fantasies: That Darn Cat, Summer Magic (close family relationships but single parenthood and adoption are central to the plot), The Absent-Minded Professor.

For easy vetting of films, Common Sense Media has very detailed age-appropriacy ratings including separate ratings for violence, sex, drug use, etc.
posted by Bardolph at 4:11 AM on January 21 [4 favorites]


What about My Life as a Zucchini? (Courgette in the original French.) It's a stop-motion animation about a 10yo boy in foster care. While it's definitely kid-friendly and has a happy ending, it's not overly sanitised or saccharine (the screenwriter is Céline Sciamma who is brilliant at depicting a child's point of view.) The protagonist's mother dies at the start, although this is off-camera and subtle.

Theater Camp may also work, although for a slightly older audience than the above (it's rated 12A).
posted by snarfois at 4:13 AM on January 21 [1 favorite]


Totoro, Ponyo, Kiki's Delivery Service?
posted by tardigrade at 4:32 AM on January 21 [8 favorites]


Just a thought, but: the librarian at my kid's K-8 school attempts to offer a similarly benign but engaging film experience all of the kids might enjoy by presenting sets of short films, generally curated from festival winners. I don't know enough to make specific suggestions, but when I've been there it is social and chatty in a way that I'd think would help smooth over things that might be a little upsetting for any one kid.
posted by teremala at 4:47 AM on January 21 [4 favorites]


Best answer: I remember Mary Poppins was the only movie with a rating of 100 on CAP media, the site that took offense at EVERYTHING. I realize this is not the same as taking offense but basically the movie is completely anodyne because there's really no conflict at all. There is a nuclear family (the a non-nuclear family might well have offeded CAP), but the dad spends most of the movie checked out, if that helps.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:01 AM on January 21 [5 favorites]


Best answer: Like, found family animals being together. Shaun the Sheep?

A lot of ghibli has perilous situations, deep pain, fyi
posted by Geameade at 5:13 AM on January 21 [8 favorites]


But there might be good, wacky, non intense anime out there for this.
posted by Geameade at 5:17 AM on January 21


Googling "conflict" together with ones that seem appropriate can be a good idea too. So, Kiki's Delivery, the "conflict" is the loss of her witch power and how her self doubt makes life harder. Totoro is about having to step up as a mom figure when you are an elder sister who is still a child themself so, I mean...
posted by Iteki at 5:18 AM on January 21 [6 favorites]


Amongst the gentler stuff that I often watched with my kids when they were younger, I remember Hotel for Dogs and Marmaduke which are both charming & fairly low-conflict dog-related stories. Also G-Force is about special-ops guinea pigs. And Alvin & the Chipmunks is a chipmunk boy band.

I don't remember any of those have Bambi's-mother level peril, but there will be a certain amount of narrative tension in all of them so maybe check them first.
posted by rd45 at 5:35 AM on January 21


I absolutely love Ghibli movies but would not recommend Totoro due to the nuclear family and dying mother / heavy emotional angle. Less familiar with the other two but echoing other comments that Ghibli is often pretty heavy.

I really like Iteki’s suggestion of googling “conflict”!

Could you say more about “no peril”? That is definitely the hardest metric to adhere to for the recommendations I might have. I know Toy Story and Emporer’s new groove are too much. Can you update when you do identify a movie that does definitely work for the criteria? Based on that I can try to recommend some.

Cautiously making one suggestion - Whisper of the Heart is a Ghibli movie that granted does have a nuclear family, and a lot of mild name calling (particularly the word “jerk”) but the actual plot line is basically two preteens make fun of each other and crush on each other and ride bikes and hang out at an antiques shop in between. Outside of angsty teen pining, pretty non-perilous by my standards.
posted by seemoorglass at 5:56 AM on January 21 [3 favorites]


Adding this Whisper of the Heart review which seems like addresses some your criteria.
posted by seemoorglass at 5:59 AM on January 21


Yeah, unfortunately all movies need a conflict to be resolved, otherwise it is not a movie. You could make the argument in Mary Poppins that a kid might get scared when it seems as though the father lost his job at the end, since he represented material safety.

Topsy-Turvy.
Apollo 13.
Back to the Future.
Amadeus.
Remains of the Day.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (mocks the nuclear family, going to school, etc.).
posted by Melismata at 6:54 AM on January 21 [2 favorites]


Apollo 13 is a story literally about a perilous situation, but everyone is okay at the end because everyone came together to work very hard and respected each other. There are no villains causing the peril, it's only very bad luck.
posted by phunniemee at 6:55 AM on January 21 [6 favorites]


I also recently asked a question about movies with no bad guys, which you may find fruitful. I did specifically ask for peril, but importantly only situational peril, not person-to-person peril.
posted by phunniemee at 6:57 AM on January 21 [4 favorites]


Prescreen the animated movie Flow about a black cat surviving with help from friends.

I know, I know, you said no peril but in this movie the cat uses his wits and help from his friends to survive. that's what these kids need to learn!

They need to learn how to support each other to survive.

You didn't ask for cute animal survival animations so I will escort myself out.
posted by memoryindustries at 6:59 AM on January 21 [3 favorites]


Best answer: Hunt for the Wilderpeople? It's about a foster kid who goes on an adventure with his foster-father and has a happy ending.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 7:03 AM on January 21 [7 favorites]


Actually, there are also a lot of very eligible documentaries in the gritty specialized craftsperson genre-- Jiro Dreams of Sushi, King of Pastry. Those can have a more compelling narrative arc than nature docs, but they tend to rely on material challenges for their tension, so the peril is relatively low-key like "OMG what if the spun sugar collapses??"
posted by Bardolph at 7:24 AM on January 21 [5 favorites]


Ponyo has (fantasy-type) peril and an abusive dad situation.

Amadeus and Remains of the Day are pretty dark?

Apollo 13 ticks all the boxes I think (though there are scenes of the lead astronaut's loving, all-American nuclear family). Not much in the way of women as anything but supporting wives, though, or anyone not white.

The Martian might tick similar boxes but with better representation, but I haven't watched it (only read the book).

Nonfiction seems like a good direction.
posted by trig at 7:44 AM on January 21


Best answer: Sometimes a family is a deeply emotionally unintelligent man and his very capable dog. Try Wallace and Gromit.

I mean, there is conflict and there is violence, but it's all lumpy clay people and nobody dies. In the one where they go to the moon, they steal moon cheese and anger a robot. Like.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 8:12 AM on January 21 [17 favorites]


Back to the future has Biff systematically bullying George, beating up Marty and assaulting Lorraine.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:20 AM on January 21 [3 favorites]


The Martian is great for problem solving and never giving up, but there are a lot of perilous situations.
posted by Archipelago at 8:23 AM on January 21 [6 favorites]


Agree with Melismata -‌- without conflict, you've got no story. Was it determined that those with emotional disabilities require conflict-free entertainment? I guess Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 don't have much...
posted by Rash at 8:39 AM on January 21 [1 favorite]


Possibly Mythbusters?

Tex Avery shorts, filtered for racism?
posted by clew at 8:49 AM on January 21


Studio Ghibli is a great example of how you can have story and drama without conflict: Totoro, Kiki, Whisper of the Heart are all examples. (Conflict of the protagonist / antagonist variety – there is plenty of internal conflict.) I would definitely recommend all of those.

OP did ask for "trauma-informed" films though, which doesn't apply for a lot of the otherwise great suggestions above. I think this makes Totoro a good choice, as there is very relatable trauma (fear that a mother or a sister might die), but the overall tone is optimistic and heartening and hugely cathartic.
posted by snarfois at 8:52 AM on January 21


The BFG, Sing, the Kid Who Would Be King (battle scene at the end), School of Rock, Captain Underpants, isle of Dogs, the LEGO movie, Moana.

These are all films that need to be vetted for your criteria by you but I’ve found were enjoyable for kiddos who were very conflict averse in films. Sometimes it’s because the animation style diminishes the impact of the conflict. Sometimes it’s because the conflict is very fully resolved within the plot in a loving way (Moana). There was a period where these kids would only watch shorts like Piper from Pixar or animated or kids shows like Little Lunch and Odd Squad (age limited but kids have a lot of agency within the plots outside of familial structures).
posted by annathea at 8:55 AM on January 21 [1 favorite]


Totoro

Yeesh, tread carefully. Totoro's frame is that the nuclear family is disrupted by the mother's lengthy/chronic illness, and the father and daughters have to move to a new house closer to the hospital where she's being treated and make due without her. There's some (unfounded, ultimately, but from the perspective of the children so you don't know) concern she has become seriously ill or died.

More broadly, seconding or thirding that Ghibli movies deal with heavy themes that can be missed if you're concentrating on superficial cute aspects but probably won't escape the notice of anyone primed to engage with them. Refer to memes comparing Hayao Miyazaki to Junji Ito
posted by pullayup at 9:15 AM on January 21 [1 favorite]


Looks like nobody has yet mentioned the crowdsourced site "Does the Dog Die" which meticulously tracks any common triggers you can possibly think of for movies. Out of curiousity I searched Ferris Bueller's Day Off and the hive mind called out some big ones: animal abuse, stalking, and anxiety attacks.
posted by oxisos at 9:20 AM on January 21 [6 favorites]


You might also check out the Search Function from Kids-In-Mind. You can use sliders on the left to find movies that include low exposure to Sex & Nudity, Violence & Gore, and Language. Each film description includes a very detailed breakdown of each area of content.

I used to use this a lot for family movie nights and it was helpful in finding things that were appropriate for our particular group.

Setting the sliders to 0-1 for each, results included Little Women, Being Elmo, Muppet Christmas Carol....
posted by mochapickle at 9:59 AM on January 21 [1 favorite]


This may be a little young for middle school but it is so sweet and gentle with lots of lessons to impart that I had to mention it - Stillwater (a TV show about a giant panda neighbor next to a family of 3 kids). Every episode has a problem and the panda relating a story to explain a proverb to help each kid with their problem. Kids might complain it is too slow or two young but if you leave it on, I find that kids eventually watch it. It is based on a Zen book series.

It is only available on Apple+. I watch the show with my kid and can confirm it does not have any of the triggers mentioned. Here is the trailer.
posted by ichimunki at 10:01 AM on January 21 [2 favorites]


Yeesh, tread carefully. Totoro's frame is that the nuclear family is disrupted by the mother's lengthy/chronic illness, and the father and daughters have to move to a new house closer to the hospital where she's being treated and make due without her. There's some (unfounded, ultimately, but from the perspective of the children so you don't know) concern she has become seriously ill or died.

Yeah. Also a part where the younger daughter, who's basically a toddler, tries to walk alone to the mother's hospital which is hours away, and gets lost, and the whole town has to search for her and for a while it seems like she might have drowned, and her older sister feels responsible because earlier she'd yelled at her...

(I hate to feel like it's necessary to say this but there's also a naked family bathing scene that might play weirdly to an audience of immature middle schoolers in the US, even trauma context aside.)


Has anyone seen Linda Linda Linda? It just came to mind and I think it might work but not sure?
posted by trig at 10:20 AM on January 21 [2 favorites]


Another possible option if they are OK with subtitles although really, you can just watch the show without it and get what's happening - Jinny's Kitchen. It is a Korean show where a few famous Korean celebrities travel to a different country and open a restaurant. It is very sweet as they work together to make food for their customers many of whom don't know they are famous. The light drama is just how to make so many meals for so many customers (oh no!) but they always manage. :)

I like Jinny's Kitchen Season 2 (Iceland) the best. It is on Amazon Prime.
posted by ichimunki at 10:29 AM on January 21


"The World's Fastest Indian" (motorcycle brand, not person) might fit. There's a nuclear family that the protagonist leaves behind in his quest to set a record at the Bonnecille Salt Flats. Spoiler: He succeeds in his goal via guile, hard work and the kindness of strangers. There are obstacles, but if I remember correctly, none of them are because of cruelty or mistreatment. There is implied off-screen elder sex.
posted by donpardo at 10:35 AM on January 21


Best answer: Mr Poppers penguins with Jim Carey
Spoiler: one penguin egg doesn’t hatch and the zoo guy reaaaaaly wants the penguins in the zoo and not, like, an uptown nyc apartment but that’s about as intense as it gets.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:42 AM on January 21


Flow has a really upsetting scene with violence among the secretary birds.
posted by janell at 11:47 AM on January 21 [1 favorite]


Mister Rogers?
posted by Sky12 at 1:06 PM on January 21 [1 favorite]


I was just going to suggest Mister Rogers as well. Aimed at a bit younger audience, but I can't imagine anything more wholesome on TV, and his voice and manner of speaking are just so soothing.

Carl Sagan's Cosmos series?

Not sure where exactly you'd draw the line w/r/t cartoon violence, but "Lilo & Stitch", "Ice Age", and the animated "Avatar: The Last Airbender" series have great messages about found family and supporting each other.
posted by xedrik at 1:40 PM on January 21


The Gods Must Be Crazy - I haven't seen it in many years so be warned, it might not be appropriate at all anymore, but I think it would fit your bill and be unfamiliar enough to overcome a lot of worries - when the setting is that far removed from everyday life, it lessens the peril issues a little. I nth the idea of documentaries, will speak up again for Brimstone and Glory, which is basically just beautiful explosions for about an hour and a half. The Blue Planet might be good. I think Ponyo, Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service are probably just too young for middle schoolers although I love them all, but I live with a three year old. Of the three I would say Kiki is probably best but! I think you could also do Spirited Away which is way more age appropriate. The peril is, again, so far removed from daily life that my guess is it would be okay.

For the commenters: please remember that these kids don't live in a vacuum and I absolutely guarantee you that they have been watching TV for their entire lives and have seen a bazillion hours of terrible, terrible things. Trauma informed is great and keeping it calm is great but suggesting preschool TV shows for middle schoolers is just going to insult them.
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:46 PM on January 21 [2 favorites]


Old comedies - Marx Brothers especially - the wordplay means your attention is rewarded.

"It Happened One Night" and then the remake "You Can't Run Away From It" - again the language rewards your attention and as a point of comparison.

Paddington and Paddington 2
posted by Barbara Spitzer at 4:14 PM on January 21


Hate to shoot down ideas, but Back to the Future includes an implied attempted rape; March of the Penguins includes starving children and dead parents; It Happened One Night includes a scene where the protagonist threatens to hunt down some stranger's children.

I don't suppose it's possible for you to lightly edit movies that have one or two objectionable scenes? I think that would enormously increase your list of candidates.

I haven't recently watched the following, so please vet them further first, but to the best of my memory, the following might fit the bill:
- The Music Man
- Jiro Dreams of Sushi
- The Last Dance
- My Fair Lady
- Some Ken Burns documentaries
- Gaga: Five Foot Two
- Salt Fat Acid Heat
- Julia

Koyaanisqatsi is just a bunch of interesting visual scenes, with no narrative at all, scored by dramatic music. I'm almost sure it's not going to upset anyone (I think a building is demolished?), but I'm also not sure how many middle schoolers would enjoy it.

Homeward Bound contains occasional peril that might be edited out.

Inside Out contains a nuclear family and mild peril, but is ultimately one of the most psychologically comforting and affirming movies I know.

I think this is one of the hardest AskMetafilters that has ever been Asked of Metafilter.
posted by foursentences at 5:05 PM on January 21 [3 favorites]


Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a great movie, but I think you should screen it yourself first. The “adventure” is the kid and his foster dad going on the run from state employees who are trying to move him to a different home. There’s also a sad animal death.
posted by Hex Wrench at 10:41 PM on January 21 [4 favorites]


I couldn't handle movies very well when I was a kid. Even Star Wars, my favorite movie, had parts I couldn't handle and which we had to fast-forward through. I feel like the point of film is to bring out emotional responses -- if you're sensitive to emotions, any movie might be too much.

Here's an idea that I think I would have appreciated -- if you have access to two rooms, how about showing the movie in one room and having other activities available in the other? That way if someone's feeling overwhelmed, they can leave and come back later instead of feeling trapped in the experience.
posted by panic at 12:56 AM on January 22 [3 favorites]


Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions! If it helps, School of Rock is a movie that works. It's silly and over the top but there's no threat of violence or real peril, nobody gets hurt, the kids come out as the winners and the adults are kind of stupid.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 3:01 AM on January 22 [3 favorites]


Try the animated Robin Hood on "does the dog die", it's mainly problematic re. hassling the snake and medieval carceration/punishments, so like "it'll be the gallows for you!" threats. Also thieving as good.
posted by Iteki at 6:11 AM on January 22


Might Sky High work? Also clever kids, there is some "violence" like the kids having cars dropped on them to test their powers, some slight concern that the main character might not have a superpower and worry of disappointing his parents, of course he does tho.
posted by Iteki at 6:21 AM on January 22


Would The Secret of Roan Inish fit the bill?

Young girl is sent to stay with her grandparents, where she learns about the family from before they were evacuated from the Island of Roan Inish. There are no parents around, the two kids are very independent. A lost member of the family, a little boy who was taken by Selkies is recovered. No one is mean to anyone, and the highest moment of fear trauma would be when the little girl is adrift in a boat, which is being guided by Selkies, and she quickly gets over any fear. It does have a seen where a baby in a cradle drifts out to sea.
posted by Jane the Brown at 6:34 AM on January 23 [1 favorite]


Maybe "The Wild Robot" or "Harold and the Purple Crayon"? Seconding both the "Shaun the Sheep" movies.

Not sure about "Paddington", "Despicable Me", "The League of Super-Pets" or "Shazam": they're all about orphans ultimately joining a nuclear family which might not work. Some comic violence in the last three as well.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 2:30 AM on January 24


Also while it's both orphans-join-nuclear-family and comic-violence, the 11 years olds we took absolutely loved "Sonic the Hedgehog 3". Kids can be quite hostile to "old movies".

Regarding Buster Keaton's "The General" don't forget that the hero is a would-be volunteer who wants to join the Confederate Army in the US civil war. I'd forgotten how blatantly that movie is on the wrong side.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 2:38 AM on January 24


"The Wild Robot"

The Wild Robot has all kinds of peril from emotional to existential to a a deadly cold snap, people with guns, and a forest fire. It also has an orphaned goose. I mean it's not a nuclear family, but I assume that might also be a trigger.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 11:05 AM on January 24


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