Dr. Donna's Review


THEMES & OTHER THINGS

There have been many renditions of Charles Dickens’ timeless story, “A Christmas Carol” since the original was first published in 1843 but all have shared the central goal of helping us gain a deeper understanding of the real spirit of Christmas. “Barbie – A Christmas Carol” succeeds in conveying this important theme to children. This lovely, touching film will appeal to children from 6 to 10, especially girls. Younger children may miss some of the subtle messages but they too will enjoy the film and take away some of these important understandings:

1. Selfishness, or putting one’s own needs or desires above the needs or desires of others, does not bring happiness. Eden’s Aunt Marie always told her that “in a selfish world, the selfish succeed.” Now that Eden is a successful singer, she shows selfish indifference to the needs of the people who work for and with her. When Eden is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, she comes to understand why she acts selfishly and how her actions affect others.
2. Happiness is not to be found in success. It will be found in the love and respect for family and friends. Eden learns how important her friends, especially her friend Catherine, are to her happiness.
3. The true meaning of Christmas is giving to others. The three ghosts help Eden see that she will be a happier person when she gives to her friends rather than makes demands on them. Then her greatest act of giving is in her decision to help the children at the orphanage.

TALKING POINTS

  • Ask children why big sister Barbie decided to take the time to tell her little sister Kelly the story about Eden? What did Kelly say that made Barbie think telling the story was important?
  • Ask children to talk about Eden’s personality. What kind of a person was Eden at the beginning of the story? What did she do that told you what kind of a person she was?
  • Ask children how they felt when Barbie told Catherine and the other performers that they could not take the day off for Christmas. Help them understand that Eden had no understanding of or care about their feelings. She was only concerned about her own feelings.
  • Eden was awakened by the ghost of her Aunt Marie. Aunt Marie’s ghost was bound up in chains. She said they represented “the chains I formed in life.” What did Aunt Marie mean by that expression?
  • It was Aunt Marie who told Eden that “in a selfish world, the selfish succeed.” Ask children what that expression means to them.
  • Talk about what Eden saw when she visited the Christmas of her girlhood. Was that a happy time for Eden?
  • Talk about what Eden saw when she visited the Christmas of the present. What was the other job that Catherine was doing as a side-line to working for Eden. At first, Eden felt angry at the idea that Catherine had another job. How did she feel when she learned that Catherine was taking care of the children at an orphanage?
  • Talk about what Eden saw when she visited Christmas of the future. How did the decisions that Eden made in the past affect Catherine’s life? What kind of person had Catherine become because Eden had fired her and the others that Christmas long ago?
  • After Eden saw how her behavior affected Catherine’s future life, she said she wanted “a chance to make it different.” What things did she do differently? What are the important lessons that Eden learned? Help children to understand that Eden was a happier person at the end of the story than she was at the beginning because she learned to give to others.
  • Ask children to talk about the snowglobe that Barbie gave to Kelly after telling her Eden’s story. What important lesson did the snowglobe help Kelly to remember? (“to keep Christmas in your heart.”)

ACTIVITY IDEAS

Draw and cut out a Christmas tree on a large sheet of green construction paper. Have children make ornaments that represent the “true meaning of Christmas.”

Build on the theme of giving to others as the true meaning of Christmas. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Select a charity that gives gifts to needy children for the holidays. Let children help shop for and wrap gifts to take to the collection center.
  2. Adopt a needy family for the holidays. Select gifts and make cookies for the family.
  3. Encourage children to sort through their own toys and books and pick some favorite things to give to children who have less.
  4. Help children make a “giving of myself” commitment. Perhaps they could commit to visit an elderly relative or neighbor, save a part of their allowance to buy a gift for a needy child, write a letter to a grandparent, etc. Make up a certificate that the child received when the commitment is met.

Click here to find directions to make your own SnowGlobe.


BOOK SUGGESTIONS

These books are recommended to encourage you to read to and with children about the themes from the movie.

A Small Miracle by Peter Collington

Dolls Christmas by Tasha Tudor

The Story of Christmas by Barbara Cooney

The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde

It’s Mine by Leo Lionni

No Fair by Caren Holtzzman and Marilyn Burns

Rabbit and Hare Divide an Apple by Harriet Ziefert