Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Great songs and a timely message about the dangers of greed.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
VeggieTales: Madame Blueberry
What's the Story?
Madame Blueberry (Megan Moore Burns), a cute round fruit, lives in a beautiful tree house filled with pretty things in VEGGIETALES: MADAME BLUEBERRY. She is catered to by her faithful butlers, Larry the Cucumber (Mike Nawrocki) and Bob the Tomato (Phil Vischer). By any standards her life is cushy. Yet, as she plaintively croons to tunes mimicking Puccini, Gilbert and Sullivan, and The Wizard of Oz, she is inconsolably "blue" because she wants the nicer dishes and sharper cutlery her neighbors have. Bob and Larry try to persuade her that she has much to be grateful for, but when the vegetables running Stuff-Mart, the new big box store nearby, come a' courtin' she can't resist buying truckfulls of unnecessary things. As a result, her tree house overloads and she loses everything. Ony then does she see how little all her stuff meant and how much she possesses without it. In keeping with the VeggieTales franchise, she thanks God for her good fortune.
Is It Any Good?
With its musical parodies of well-known music, including Strauss waltzes and light opera, this is a terrifically entertaining story in the long-running series. Lyrics and jokes in VeggieTales: Madame Blueberry will entertain both toddlers and the parents watching with them. As Bob and Larry put it, "We tried to cheer her up, but our efforts were fruitless." Get it?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about materialism. In VeggieTales: Madame Blueberry, Madame Blueberry says she is "blue," meaning she is sad, even though she has a house full of nice things and loyal friends. Why does she think that having more things will make her happier?
The guys from the big store, Stuff-Mart, make a special trip to Madame Blueberry to invite her to buy more stuff. Do you think she should have agreed to shop with them? If she had been happy with what she already had, do you think she would have gone shopping with them?
Can buying something make you happier? If you could choose between good friends and new toys, which do you think would make you happier?
How do the characters in VeggieTales: Madame Blueberry learn and demonstrate gratitude? Why is this an important character strength?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 1, 1998
- Cast : Megan Moore Burns , Mike Nawrocki , Phil Vischer
- Directors : Chris Olsen , Phil Vischer
- Studio : Big Idea Productions
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Character Strengths : Gratitude
- Run time : 37 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
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