Story
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth is based on a story by Oliver Jeffers and narrated by Meryl Streep.
Encouraged by his mum (voice of Ruth Negga) and dad (voice of Chris O’Dowd) from an early age, young Finn (voice of Jacob Tremblay) is filled with curiosity and the joy of learning. Finn’s favourite place is the Museum of Everything.
On Earth Day Finn’s parents persuade him to go on a bike ride through Central Park. They have difficulty engaging Finn in the wonders of nature and eventually Finn tricks them into going to the Museum.
There, Finn goes on a magical tour around planet Earth. He sees the diversity of people and animals everywhere. He goes to the bottom of the ocean and into outer space. Finn develops a new appreciation for everything that’s around him and starts to see the trees, the butterflies and the beauty of nature.
Themes
Nature; conservation
Violence
None noted.
Sexual references
None noted.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
None noted.
Nudity and sexual activity
None noted.
Product placement
None noted.
Coarse language
None noted.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth is an animated short movie produced for Earth Day.
Especially made for young children, the movie is gentle and educational and includes many positive messages about conserving Earth. Some messages might need some explanation for children aged four years and under, so we recommend parental guidance for this age group.
The main messages from this movie are that we all feel lost at times and we need to start with what we know. We also need to treat everyone with kindness and respect. And although there are 7.5 billion people on Earth, there’d be enough for everyone if we all share.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include:
- diversity and inclusion
- the interconnectedness of everything on Earth
- conservation and preservation of the planet
- care for animals and nature.
This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about looking after our planet and doing what we can to help – for example, recycling and caring for wildlife by protecting their natural habitats.