The Little Prince

The Little Prince (2015) is an animated film that weaves together two narratives: that of a little girl overwhelmed by a rigid schedule imposed by her perfectionist mother, and the poetic, philosophical story of the Little Prince as told by her elderly aviator neighbor. The overall atmosphere is gentle and dreamlike, but the film carries emotionally charged themes running throughout, including aging, loneliness, loss, and the difficulty of growing up without losing one's sense of wonder. The most notable sensitive elements include the old aviator's illness and hospitalization, the sadness tied to separation and being forgotten, and certain scenes from the embedded story in which the Little Prince disappears by allowing himself to be bitten by a snake, a poetic image that may nonetheless disturb younger viewers. These moments are handled with care and are never gratuitous, but their emotional weight requires a degree of maturity to be fully absorbed. Parents may wish to accompany younger children through the viewing by explaining the metaphorical nature of certain scenes, particularly the Little Prince's farewell, and by opening a conversation about friendship, the passage of time, and what truly matters in life.