Trolls - 2016

Movie Info

Rating: PG

Age-appropriateness: mildly scary scenes where trolls are "eaten"

Overview: After the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and the curmudgeonly Branch set off on a journey to rescue her friends. The theme woven throughout the entire film is happiness. This movie does a great job in showing the variations of happiness in characters and its affects on their lives. We see some who think they’ll never be happy, others who are way too happy, and some who used to be happy but are no longer happy. The primary motivation for many characters is to achieve and maintain happiness.

Themes: happiness, sadness, emotions, friendship, bullying, family, death, grieving, isolation, loneliness, authenticity

The Quick 3

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

1. Happiness. What do you think it takes to be happy?

Princess Poppy explains happiness to the Bergens. “Happiness isn’t something you put inside you”. True happiness isn’t something we get from external, material things, but it’s something within our hearts. Our toys and the things we love can indeed make us happy, but the deepest feeling of love and joy come from our relationship with Jesus in our hearts.
Check out this article on How to Talk to Your Kids About Expressing Their Emotions.

2. Sadness. Do you have one memory from your life that makes you really sad? How does that make you feel today?

Branch recalls an old and painful memory when he lost his grandmother.
Here's an article on How to Talk to Your Kids About Death/Grieving.

3. Friendship. How can you rely on your friends to give you hope and encouragement whenever you experience really big feelings?

As they sing "True Colors", the trolls are all very discouraged and sad. Branch said “happiness is inside all of us, sometimes you just need someone to help you find it.” We are meant to live this life with other people, and they can lift us up when we’re feeling down. The Bible is full of verses that tell us how to care for one another, especially when we're feeling down.
Check out this article to see a list of "one another" Bible passages.

After The Movie Discussion Guide

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

1. The trolls were the happiest people ever! The Bergens were super grumpy. The trolls are happy because they sing, dance, and hug. They share their love with everyone! The Bergens only spread negativity and pessimism to each other. What do you think made the trolls so happy and the Bergens so sad?

2. The trolls have a ton of fun together. They love to sing, dance, hug, and spread joy into the world. Because of what Jesus did for us, we can live everyday with joy and love, regardless of our circumstances. Romans 15:13 says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." How can you spread joy and love into the world today?

3. Branch focused on hunkering down and trying to avoid danger. Meanwhile, Poppy trusted everyone and knew everything would work out. So she decided to live her life out in the open, partying and having fun. Branch's fears came to be true, when the Chef cam and snatched up some trolls. What are you most afraid of in life? While a healthy fear of some things is totally normal, how can you keep your fears from negatively impacting your life?

4. Bridget was treated poorly by bullies. She was forced to do a lot of the cleaning in Bergentown and she was excluded from specific parties. The Chef used mean words and didn't care about Bridget as a person. Have you ever been treated this way? What is your typical response when this happens to you?

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

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.

:02 The Bergens think they can only be happy one day a year (during Trollstice). They think happiness only comes from eating trolls. How many days of the year are you happy? What makes you the happiest?

:17 Poppy assesses all of the trolls that Chef took. Princess Poppy feels really sad because the Bergens took her friends and she wants to help. Can you think of a time when one of your friends needed help? What did you do to help them?

:19 Branch chooses to stay safe in his bunker rather than go save his friends. Why do you think he made this decision? Have you ever made a decision that is best for you, but maybe not best for your friends?

:34 Poppy and Branch make it all the way to Bergentown. They are far from home and probably pretty scared. What’s the furthest away from home you’ve ever been? Was it scary at all?

:42 Chef tells Bridget that everyone is invited to Trollstice, except her. Have you ever been left out of something? Is there anyone at your school or in the neighborhood that is often left out of things? How might you be able to include them more?

:48 Branch recalls an old and painful memory when he lost his grandmother. Do you have one memory from your life that makes you really sad? How does that make you feel today?

Here's an article on How to Talk to Your Kids About Death/Grieving.

:52 King Gristle notices Bridget for the first time. She changed her appearance in order to get Gristle to like her. Should we change who we are in order to get other people’s attention? Why or why not?

1:08 "True Colors". The trolls are all very discouraged and sad. Branch said “happiness is inside all of us, sometimes you just need someone to help you find it.” We are meant to live this life with other people, and they can lift us up when we’re feeling down. The Bible is full of verses that tell us how to care for one another, especially when we're feeling down. When was the last time you felt really sad? How can you rely on your friends to give you hope and encouragement in these moments?

Check out this article to see a list of "one another" Bible passages.

1:17 Princess Poppy explains happiness to the Bergens. “Happiness isn’t something you put inside you”. True happiness isn’t something we get from external, material things, but it’s something within our hearts. Our toys and the things we love can indeed make us happy, but the deepest feeling of love and joy come from our relationship with Jesus in our hearts. What do you think it takes to be happy?