Explaining Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
I'll be missing several days of school when I go back to the US for Christmas. I figure I'll take the opportunity to up my Favorite Teacher Status by letting the kids watch a movie one of the days I'm gone. Ask any 5 year old and what is their favorite Christmas classic? Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer of course.
The choice was easy to make, getting permission was another story. Have you ever tried to explain the plot of this movie? Especially to someone brought up with a completely different style of Christmas?
"The school's policy is strictly non-religious," my unit director Ms. Marta explained.
"I promise you this movie has nothing religious about it."
"What's it about?"
"There's this reindeer Rudolph- you see Santa Claus raises reindeer to drive his sleigh. Reindeer can fly. And that's how he can visit all the children all over the world and give them presents."
"Ok"
"So anyways Rudolph was born with a shiny red nose that glows and all the other reindeer would laugh and call him names... So he decides to run away from home."
Ms Marta just stares at me.
"Meanwhile there's this Elf. Elves are little people who build the toys for Santa. Well, this one Elf doesn't want to make toys, he wants to be a dentist. But he can't cause Elves have to make toys, you know?"
"Ok"
"He runs away with Rudolph. They have a tough time at first trying to live in the North Pole on their own. By the way, Santa's workshop is the North Pole. I don't know why."
Silence
"But then they meet this guy prospecting for silver and gold. But he's being hunted by his archenemy, a Yeti, which is like a snow monster... but that's just a subplot"
"Ok"
"Anyways, a wicked snow storm comes on and Santa thinks he's gonna have to cancel Christmas. Fortunately, Rudolph's Dad finds him and brings home right around this time. And it turns out, Rudolph's nose makes the perfect headlight! So he's put on the front of the sleigh and, you know, saves the day. And also, all the Elves have terrible teeth because they live on a diet of candy canes which are...whatever. So they really need a dentist so they let the little Elf come back and be their dentist. And like everyone lives happily ever after."
Silence
"It's like the quintessential kids Christmas movie in the States."
"We'll see."
"Ya totally I can bring it in and we can watch it to see what you think."
"That sounds good."
Good thing I didn't pick Frosty the Snowman.
