Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway - 2021

Movie Info

Rating: PG

Age-appropriateness: slapstick comedy

Overview: Thomas and Bea are now married and living with Peter and his rabbit family. Bored of life in the garden, Peter goes to the big city, where he meets shady characters and ends up creating chaos for the whole family.

Themes: family, friendship, father/son, love, mischief, getting lost, stealing, belonging, jealous, selfishness, loyalty, identity

The Quick 3

Ask these quick questions to hit the major themes of the film.

1. Father/son. How would you describe your relationship with your father? How does that relate to the way that God, your Heavenly Father, loves you?

Peter really misses his father, who isn’t around anymore. Peter said his dad was the only one who really “got him”. When Bea marries Thomas, she expected her husband to act like a father figure in Peter’s life.

2. Getting lost. Have you ever felt like you weren’t super close with your family? What does the story of the prodigal son tell you about God’s love?

When Peter is called out as a “bad guy”, he decides to leave and run away. In Luke 15, Jesus tells a story called the “prodigal son” about a a boy who left his home and went away from His family. The boy’s father eagerly waited for his return because he loved him so much. The boy eventually returns and his father throws a party. This story is meant to show us how much our Heavenly Father loves us and how He’ll always welcome us home, no matter how lost we were and no matter how big our mistakes have been.

3. Belonging. Where do you feel like you most “belong”? Which of your friends love you foe who you are?

Peter mentioned that he felt like he really belonged with his new friends. He felt like Barnabas and the other animals accepted him for who he was. They didn’t think poorly of him, like his family does sometimes.

After The Movie Discussion Guide

Follow this 5-10 minute discussion guide to drive an in-depth conversation.

1. Peter really misses his father, who isn’t around anymore. Peter said his dad was the only one who really “got him”. When Bea marries Thomas, she expected her husband to act like a father figure in Peter’s life. How would you describe your relationship with your father? How does that relate to the way that God, your Heavenly Father, loves you?

2. Peter was known as a clumsy rabbit. He was regularly making accidents and getting into mischief. Do you know anyone that acts like Peter does? How often do you get into mischief?

3. When Peter is called out as a “bad guy”, he decides to leave and run away. In Luke 15, Jesus tells a story called the “prodigal son” about a a boy who left his home and went away from His family. The boy’s father eagerly waited for his return because he loved him so much. The boy eventually returns and his father throws a party. This story is meant to show us how much our Heavenly Father loves us and how He’ll always welcome us home, no matter how lost we were and no matter how big our mistakes have been. Have you ever felt like you weren’t super close with your family? What does the story of the prodigal son tell you about God’s love?

4. Thomas becomes jealous of Nigel, who is a smooth talker and has a charming personality. Nigel connects with Bea and they work together to make the books successful. Jealousy is wanting to have something that someone else has. When was the last time you were jealous of someone? How did you handle that situation?

5. After Barnabas lies to him, Peter makes a decision to remain loyal to his family. He does whatever he can to make things right. He could’ve taken the farmer’s market vegetables and left, but he stayed loyal. Loyalty is showing trust and constant support for someone. How loyal would you describe yourself? How can you show loyalty to your family?

6. Peter eventually accepted the fact that he wasn’t a “bad seed”. He wasn’t always naughty. He recognized those lies and reminded himself about his true identity. He was loved and he was an imperfect, loyal person who deeply cares for his family. How would you describe your identity - who you are deep down inside? Have you ever considered how God defines your identity?

Check out this article about How to Talk to Your Kids About Their Identity.

Minute By Minute Guide

Use this break down of the entire movie in addition to the “After the Movie” discussion guide. Great for repeat viewings.

:03 Thomas and Bea get married. Marriages are intended to reflect the same type of love that Jesus has for the church. The love of a marriage is meant to be sacrificial, caring, compassion, forgiving, and much more. What type of love does Jesus have for you? How can a husband and a wife reflect this type of love?

:10 Thomas and Bea’s home is a place where all animals are welcome. There is no gate on the garden, and the rabbits, pigs, foxes, and others all help themselves to the vegetables. What are some places that you feel like everyone is truly welcome? How would you describe the way that place makes you feel?

:18 With the publishers, Thomas and others acknowledge Peter as a “bad seed”. They mention that he’s a brat and he’s always getting into mischief. They even call him a “villain”. Have you ever been labeled as something negative? How did that make you feel?

:27 Peter and Barnabas get adopted as pets by a new family. What is your favorite kind of pet? Why are pets so great to have?

:37 Peter mentioned that he felt like he really belonged with his new friends. He felt like Barnabas and the other animals accepted him for who he was. They didn’t think poorly of him, like his family does sometimes. Where do you feel like you most “belong”? Which of your friends love you foe who you are?

:50 Barnabas and his crew break down a plan for the group to steal some tasty fruit from the farmer’s market. They devise a plan to be sneaky so that they aren’t caught and they don’t get in trouble. When was the last time you stole something that didn’t belong to you? Did you try to be sneaky and get away with it?

:57 Nigel tells Thomas, “if you’re that selfish, maybe you’re not fit to be a father.” Selfishness is caring more about yourself than you care about others. Why do you think a super-selfish person might be unfit to be a good father? What can a selfish person do to become more thoughtful and selfless?

1:05 Peter recognizes that Barnabas set up his friends to get caught. They didn’t want to share the yummy vegetables with that many people. Barnabas lied to Peter and took advantage of him. Have you ever been lied to like this? When was the last time someone betrayed your trust?

1:10 Thomas acknowledges that Peter is young, and young people make mistakes. He admits that he’s too hard on Peter sometimes. He apologizes for calling Peter a “bad seed”, and assures him that not everything Peter does is wrong. How often do you make mistakes? Do you give yourself grace when you make mistakes, knowing that no one is perfect?

1:18 Thomas, Bea, and Peter rescue the rabbits and other animals when they are in trouble. When the animals couldn’t save themselves, Peter puts himself in danger in order to save them. When we fall short of God’s best for us, the Bible calls that “sin”. Our sin separates us from God and there’s nothing we can do to make things right. But God loved us so much that He sent Jesus on a rescue mission to save us from our sins and bring us back to God forever and ever! How much must Jesus love you if He was willing to sacrifice His own life to rescue you? What questions do you have about God’s great rescue mission to save you from your sin?