The blockbuster film Wicked was recently released in theatres. It’s creating a sensation among older children and teens—my big kids are obsessively playing the soundtrack and demanding to see the movie as soon as it is released on a streaming service. (Having a newborn makes going to the movies challenging at the moment). Loosely based on the book The Wizard of Oz, the plot explores the backstory of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. The plot’s emphasis on individuality, psychological development, and trauma is a reflection of twenty-first century America’s fascination with those themes. I’m not opposed to my kids seeing it. However, the central theme I most want them to internalize does not appear to be offered by Wicked–but it is in the 1939 classic film version of The Wizard of Oz.
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