Book Review: Adoption at the Movies: A Year of Adoption-Friendly Movie Nights to Get Your Family Talking

Adoption at the Movies: A Year of Adoption-Friendly Movie Nights to Get Your Family Talking, by Addison Cooper, Jessica Kingsley, London and Philadelphia, PA, ISBN: 978-1785927096, 2017, 287 pages, $17.95.

     As the editor of The New Social Worker, I am familiar with Addison Cooper’s movie reviews for the magazine, as well as his Adoption at the Movies blog. I love movies and try to go to the theater often, so I excitedly anticipated the publication of his book.

     Movies have that magical ability to transport us to a different place, where we see things in new ways. They can be a useful, and sometimes less painful, vehicle for gaining insight into important life issues. With Addison Cooper’s guidance, adoptive families can easily choose films to help them initiate important conversations in a non-threatening manner.

     Building on his popular Adoption at the Movies blog, Cooper’s new book (of the same name) organizes 63 movies into four main categories— Disney movies, more movies for kids, movies to watch with your teens, and movies for parents. Each movie listing includes basic information (title, length, rating), a plot summary, description of the “adoption connection,” strong points, challenges, recommendations, and questions for discussion.

     The introductory chapters “set the scene” for adoptive families to use movies to start difficult conversations. The final chapters touch on asking for professional help and finding other resources.    

     Alphabetical, age, and topic, indexes add to the book’s usability. Adoptive families and professionals who work with them will find this to be a most welcome resource.

Reviewed by Linda May Grobman, MSW, ACSW, LSW, publisher/editor, The New Social Worker.