The Emoji Movie — Family Discussion Guide
A guided conversation resource to help families explore the themes of The Emoji Movie through a biblical lens.
Key Takeaways
People should not be valued only for performance or usefulness.
Honesty, friendship, and sacrificial help for others are presented as good.
The film treats personal authenticity as the main path to identity, rather than grounding identity in God's design.
Purpose is tied strongly to role, acceptance, and usefulness inside a digital system, which can shrink a fuller view of human worth before God.
Discussion Questions
Gene wants to fit in by doing his job perfectly. Where should our deepest identity come from?
Is being honest about your feelings always the same as following what is right?
How do words like "weirdo" or "freak" affect someone who already feels different?
What does the movie say about phones, and what should control our attention in real life?
Guidance Notes
Surface content stays fairly light, with comic peril, mild insults, and potty humor. The bigger reason for family discussion is the movie's message about identity, purpose, and self-expression in a phone-centered world.
The story reflects real longings children feel: to belong, to be known, and not to be reduced to one label. It also shows the pressure of performance and the fear of public failure. Where the film leans away from Christian truth is in treating identity as something discovered mainly by expressing your inner self and finding your function in the system around you. Scripture points children beyond self-definition toward being created by God on purpose and ultimately finding life and hope in Jesus Christ. Parents may want to discuss the difference between honest emotion and letting feelings define who we are.
Identity and belonging
Comic peril
Scripture References
Family Discussion Guide — The Emoji Movie (2017)
Use this guide after watching The Emoji Movie together to explore its themes through a biblical lens.
Key Takeaways
- People should not be valued only for performance or usefulness.
- Honesty, friendship, and sacrificial help for others are presented as good.
- The film treats personal authenticity as the main path to identity, rather than grounding identity in God’s design.
- Purpose is tied strongly to role, acceptance, and usefulness inside a digital system, which can shrink a fuller view of human worth before God.
Discussion Questions
- Gene wants to fit in by doing his job perfectly. Where should our deepest identity come from?
- Is being honest about your feelings always the same as following what is right?
- How do words like “weirdo” or “freak” affect someone who already feels different?
- What does the movie say about phones, and what should control our attention in real life?
Guidance Notes
- Surface content stays fairly light, with comic peril, mild insults, and potty humor. The bigger reason for family discussion is the movie’s message about identity, purpose, and self-expression in a phone-centered world.
- The story reflects real longings children feel: to belong, to be known, and not to be reduced to one label. It also shows the pressure of performance and the fear of public failure. Where the film leans away from Christian truth is in treating identity as something discovered mainly by expressing your inner self and finding your function in the system around you. Scripture points children beyond self-definition toward being created by God on purpose and ultimately finding life and hope in Jesus Christ. Parents may want to discuss the difference between honest emotion and letting feelings define who we are.
- Identity and belonging
- Comic peril
Scripture to Explore Together
- Psalm 139:13-14
- Ephesians 2:10
- Galatians 2:20
- Ephesians 4:15
- Proverbs 4:23
- John 14:6
- Ephesians 4:29
- Proverbs 18:21