The Christmas Bunny

[Deleted User]

I mentioned this movie in the lounge about a week ago, but I think the post was probably overlooked as there were a lot of other long replies on that thread that day! It’s called “The Christmas Bunny”

This movie is super cute, heartwarming, and bunny orientated. There is a little girl who is jumping between foster homes because her mother is an addict. The girl gets a hold of the cartoon “The Velveteen Rabbit” and watches it non stop. It sparks an interest in rabbits for her.

Anyway, I don’t want to give any spoilers away but I just loved this little movie! The way that they depict caring for pet rabbits is actually accurate, which you don’t see a lot of. It’s definitely worth the watch, in my opinion! (I found it on Netflix).

[LittlePuffyTail]

Bought it a few years back, watched it once and bawled my eyes off the whole time. Haven’t been able to watch it again. Good movie, for sure. I just hate movies that make me sad. I totally lost it when she doesn’t show up at the birthday party.

[Deleted User]

It’s so sad!!!! I kept crying but I’m such a sucker for sad movies. Too empathetic!

I know, I was like WTF are you doing little girl!

Also it really made me want a bunny barn

[pinknfwuffy]

LPT, that was the part that got me, too! All the decorations. If I ever found out I missed a bunny birthday party I think I’d die.

Also, I loved that it had some genuine information about rabbit care. We all know how so many stereotypes are perpetuated about rabbits and I think this movie did a decent job of portraying rabbits and how important their needs are.

[Bladesmith]

This probably won’t be a popular viewpoint, but that’s never stopped me. I found it heavy handed and cloying, and way to heavy on the Jeebus aspect. Not unsurprising, given it was made by the evangelical DeVos family, of Betsy (“How can I force religion and bankrupt public schools”), DeVos and Eric (“I’ve never met a mercenary I didn’t like”) Prince Amway fame.

My daughter and I watched this together, and while there were some tender, if heavy handed (Just short of holding up signs on the screen that screamed “Touching Moment! Cry Now!”) moments, most of the time we spent in almost homicidal anger at the people who were routinely abusing those rabbits. I’m honestly surprised the SPCA signed off on the “No animals were hurt or abused in the making of this potion picture” part of things. Not ONE of the people in that movie were shown how to properly pick up a rabbit, and the ones who were abusing the rabbit never faced so much as a second of punishment for their actions.

This could have been a great movie, using it to teach people not only that rabbits aren’t disposable pets (It tried, but the information got drowned out by preachiness), how to properly handle these animals, and how giving someone an animal doesn’t automatically mean they’ll become a better person.

All of the parents involved should have been having long conversations with Child Services. Both of those little boys are freaking serial killers in the making. Give two young boys pellet rifles for Christmas (Without, I note, discussing it with his wife, because in the Evangelical world, who asks women for their opinions? Man rules, wifey should be silent barefoot and in the kitchen, or something like that) and let them run off with them without an OUNCE of firearms training or proof they can be responsible with them? No. Just NO. First thing they is try and kill the rabbit!! Those little turds wouldn’t have seen daylight until they were 21 were they mine.

And what was with them sitting there passively while little Johnny Rich Kid proceeds to DESTROY their home, decorations, and kids things? I’d have thrown her and her noxious crotch spawn out into the snow, face first.

But the bunnies were adorable, and Florence Henderson was interesting in an atypical role for her. I would have preferred to see more about her and the foster child bonding and coming out of her shell, both of them healing their psyches together by caring for bunnies. Both of their characters were damaged, both love rabbits. Seeing Rabbit Lady soften and open herself up to people again (She has clearly been hurt by humanity at some point, that’s clear), and Foster girl learn to trust and open up, to become an advocate for rabbits, teaching others about them. Maybe seeing that old crumbling farm become a rabbit rescue and sanctuary, maybe helped by a large donation by mysterious, bearded, red jacketed stranger, who leaves a check in an envelope in the mailbox and drives off in an old, red, step side pickup, would have been a better movie.

[Deleted User]

I didn’t think it was really that pushy with the religion. (for the record, I am not a religious person…AT ALL) There were some mentions of “God providing” and they showed a nativity scene, but I personally didn’t think it was over the top with religious innuendos. I mean, they drank wine at dinner and the one guy was outside smoking a cigar, so it wasn’t that rigidly Christian, in my opinion. Perhaps I’m just more tolerant of the religion part because I was raised in a VERY religious household, and was told by church members that I was going to burn in hell and the like, so maybe I’ve just been a bit desensitized to religion because I just learned to never care about it. 
  
I noticed that they did pick the rabbits up improperly, but its just a movie. I liked the general idea that they tried to convey: if she was going to have a rabbit, she needed to learn to take care of it. And the fact that they showed how they can be a source of comfort. The little sh!the@d that had it previously was obviously just supposed to be an utterly opposite character just to highlight the fact that most people who get rabbits are completely oblivious about care. And they held the rabbits a lot, which we all know isn’t enjoyable for them.

Of course, everyone has a different opinion. I think that you maybe took the movie too seriously or too literal whereas I thought it was a good story because it focused on the fundamental issues facing rabbits as pets: human ignorance.

I gotta say, I’m a little disappointed at the way you’ve painted this picture of it being an awful movie. Sure we are all entitled to our own opinions, but you kind of just ripped this film apart and that may discourage anyone reading to just not watch it, so that effectively just mucks up my whole post.

[Bladesmith]

Noob, I was an SPCA cruelty investigator for 8 years. I eventually quit because one more case of abuse and I was likely to shoot the next human who caused it. Horrific things that at times haunt me worse than my military experiences. So yes, I’m judging it with a jaundiced eye.

[Hazel]

I happened to catch this movie on TV shortly after BunNoob mentioned it the first time. It had been on for a while and I only had time to watch a little bit, but from what I saw, I tend to agree with Bladesmith. I mainly caught the scene were the boys push the rabbit down the snow ramp, and a few minutes before and after. I was pretty put off by how the rabbit was handled, being picked up by the scruff, then plopped down. When the boys grabbed the bun to take it outside I expected someone to stop them, I was surprised that they actually had them go through with it and push it off the ramp. That showed everything that’s wrong with how people view rabbits, as disposable toys for nasty kids. Then I thought, “Okay, they went there, but surely only to have the parents come down on those horrible little animal abusers like a TON OF BRICKS!!!”… Nope, it cuts away to a new scene where the parents fight over whether or not they should let the girl stay. The boys weren’t punished, the whole thing wasn’t even mentioned. That pissed me off even more than the previous scene. That’s all I watched, I don’t know if or how my opinion would change if I watched the whole thing.

As BunNoob said, we all have our own opinions, and to those who enjoyed the movie, good for you. Sorry to be such a Grinch! 

BunNoob, thanks for mentioning the movie, I was looking forward to watching it when you brought it up. There certainly are not enough bunny themed Christmas movies!

[Deleted User]

*sigh*

People are really ruining my Christmas spirit.

[Bladesmith]

Heck, if that’s all it takes, we’d better skip reviewing Christmas songs.

Happy Holidays to everyone, however you celebrate!

[Author]

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