Onward — Family Discussion Guide
A guided conversation resource to help families explore the themes of Onward through a biblical lens.
Key Takeaways
Family love and sacrificial care matter deeply.
Grief is real, and people long for reconciliation with those they have lost.
The story centers on spellcasting and a magical return of the dead, which may conflict with a biblical view of life, death, and spiritual power.
A brief same-sex reference may conflict with a historic Christian view of sexuality and may be worth discussing plainly.
Discussion Questions
Why do you think the brothers wanted one more day with their dad so badly, and where can we take our sadness when someone we love is gone?
What is the difference between a fantasy story using magic and what God says about seeking spiritual power in real life?
How do the brothers grow in the way they treat each other, and what does real love look like in a family?
When Ian feels awkward or left out, what helps him grow, and where should a Christian find identity and confidence?
Guidance Notes
This animated adventure is warm, funny, and deeply focused on family love, brotherhood, and grief. The main discernment issue for Christian families is that its emotional core is built around spellcasting and a magical attempt to bring back a deceased parent, alongside some fantasy peril and a brief same-sex reference.
The film strongly reflects love between brothers, the ache of missing a parent, courage, and self-sacrifice. Those are meaningful themes, and the story lands on family love rather than selfish gain. Still, its central solution is magical power: a staff, spells, and a supernatural attempt to restore a dead father. That can blur important biblical lines, since Scripture treats attempts to access power outside God's design with caution, and Christian hope in grief is not found in magic but in Jesus Christ and the resurrection hope He gives. Parents may want to discuss the difference between a fantasy device in a story and real spiritual truth.
Magic resurrection quest
Fantasy peril
Scripture References
Family Discussion Guide — Onward (2020)
Use this guide after watching Onward together to explore its themes through a biblical lens.
Key Takeaways
- Family love and sacrificial care matter deeply.
- Grief is real, and people long for reconciliation with those they have lost.
- The story centers on spellcasting and a magical return of the dead, which may conflict with a biblical view of life, death, and spiritual power.
- A brief same-sex reference may conflict with a historic Christian view of sexuality and may be worth discussing plainly.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think the brothers wanted one more day with their dad so badly, and where can we take our sadness when someone we love is gone?
- What is the difference between a fantasy story using magic and what God says about seeking spiritual power in real life?
- How do the brothers grow in the way they treat each other, and what does real love look like in a family?
- When Ian feels awkward or left out, what helps him grow, and where should a Christian find identity and confidence?
Guidance Notes
- This animated adventure is warm, funny, and deeply focused on family love, brotherhood, and grief. The main discernment issue for Christian families is that its emotional core is built around spellcasting and a magical attempt to bring back a deceased parent, alongside some fantasy peril and a brief same-sex reference.
- The film strongly reflects love between brothers, the ache of missing a parent, courage, and self-sacrifice. Those are meaningful themes, and the story lands on family love rather than selfish gain. Still, its central solution is magical power: a staff, spells, and a supernatural attempt to restore a dead father. That can blur important biblical lines, since Scripture treats attempts to access power outside God’s design with caution, and Christian hope in grief is not found in magic but in Jesus Christ and the resurrection hope He gives. Parents may want to discuss the difference between a fantasy device in a story and real spiritual truth.
- Magic resurrection quest
- Fantasy peril
Scripture to Explore Together
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
- Psalm 34:18
- John 11:25
- Deuteronomy 18:10-12
- Galatians 5:19-21
- James 1:5
- Philippians 2:3-4
- Ephesians 4:2