I like the idea of the story and I love the actors, but I'm really upset by the message it sends to children. The story is about neglected children that send their parents away and at one point in the film the "Orphan Protective Services" shows up to take them away. At that point the nanny gets really scared and tries to run away with the kids to protect them. The OPS then storms into the house in a very scary manner. As someone that has worked with children in abusive situations this scene can really influence children's fears about being taking away from abusive parents. It might prevent children from reporting abuse and instill fears that being taken away is worse than what they are experiencing. I do feel like it's important to talk about abuse and to not hide it in movies, but at the same time, helping children understand that the services that are there to protect will actually protect them.
Review of The Willoughbys
