Toy rabbit brings hope back from future

Taking out the trash is your son's least favorite task. Not wanting to miss his favorite cartoon, he carelessly throws the trash bags outside, leaving the top off the garbage can. Finding a fabulous source of food, raccoons rapidly move in and terrorize your trash can and the family cat for the rest of the summer.

Your actions today can affect the future. That's one of the lessons in The Last Mimzy, available on home video July 10. After watching the movie, take time to talk more about the link between todays and tomorrows. Then play our game, “Clock Walk,” for some film-themed family fun!

This sci-fi story follows ten-year-old Noah (Chris O'Neil) and little sister Emma (Rhiannon Leigh Wryn) after they find a washed-up box full of mysterious toys. While playing with the new finds, they begin to acquire amazing powers. Noah creates a science fair project that is NASA worthy, while Emma starts to communicate telepathically with Mimzy, a stuffed rabbit who helps give her glimpses of the future.

The talents don't go unnoticed, especially by Noah's science teacher (Rainn Wilson) and his new-age girlfriend (Kathryn Hahn). They soon join in the adventure to help the kids figure out the deeper puzzle behind the toys and from where (or when) they came.

Talk Together

Take turns sharing something you've done—good or bad—that had a much bigger effect than you'd anticipated. Perhaps instead of birthday presents you asked guests to bring canned food to your party, which you donated to help the homeless, and two other guests were so inspired they did the same at their parties. In the movie, Noah didn't realize that the blackout he accidentally triggered was going to get his family in so much trouble.

Is there anything in the past that you wish you could go back in time and change? Did you say something unkind to a friend that now you'd like to take back? Or did you choose competing in a big swim meet instead of going to camp with your cousin? Together, brainstorm some questions you should ask yourself to figure out if the decisions you make today are smart ones.

What could you do today to impact something you would like to see happen in the future? If your family is concerned about the environment, perhaps you could plant some trees in your community. Or, if you wish your neighborhood was more social, you could form a committee to plan an annual block party.

Play Together: Clock Walk
 
Time flies when you're playing this well-rounded game!

You will need:
• Sidewalk chalk
• Black poster board
• Scissors
• Plastic or glass soda bottle
• Tape
• A radio or CD player
• A group of friends

Start by having your family use the sidewalk chalk to draw a large clock on the ground. The numbers should be big enough to stand upon. Cut a long arrow from the black poster board similar to the hand of a clock. Tape the arrow to the top of the bottle. Up to twelve players (plus a DJ) are now ready to begin.

The object of the game is to be the last person standing on a number. Choose one person to be the DJ, and let the rest of the players choose a number to stand on. Just as in the old favorite musical chairs, start the music. As it plays, each player walks clockwise from number to number.

When the DJ decides to stop the music, everyone must stop on the nearest number. The DJ then spins the bottle in the middle of the circle. The player who is standing closest to the number where the arrow points is out. The last person standing in the clock wins for best time traveler!

copyright © 2007 Cinematters