Why All Moms can Love 'Sing!"

It's rare that I find a movie that my children love that I don't get sick of hearing play at least twice daily for days on end.  I have seen enough 'Cars', 'Home', and 'Planes' to last 1 million people a lifetime, and if I ever see or hear another freakin' minion again, I may vomit.  I really, really can't stand those yellow gibberish-speaking, hyper, assholes.  Lightning McQueen is okay, he learns some good lessons and let's be honest--we all get a kick out of Mater!  Oh is also alright.  His voice drives me crazy, but the music in 'Home' is spot on (I mean the movie only, not the crappy spin-off show Netflix made; stick to 'Stranger Things' guys).  However, there is one kids movie I can totally get behind and that's 'Sing!'. 

 It's not the super hip soundtrack.  It's not that the gorilla has a dreamy voice.  It's not the amazing love of music and art that the film portrays to kids.  It's not even the lesson in chasing dreams and those from many backgrounds banding together to accomplish a common goal.  It's Rosita.  It's ALL Rosita (voiced by Reese Witherspoon). 

Because Rosita is my spirit animal.  Literally--the movie is all animals.  But it's more than that.  Rosita embodies all of the things that I feel about myself as a stay-at-home mother.  Rosita personifies (pigsonifies? whatever) all of it.  For those unfamiliar with the film, Rosita is a stay-at-home mother of like 45 kids (she's a pig, they have had a few litters by this point!) with a husband who works long hours out of the home.  She has a beautiful talent, singing, that is so often lost in the daily rigmarole of motherhood and housework. She is seen early on in the movie singing 'Firework' by Katy Perry which is such a fitting song.  Hands up if you have ever felt like a plastic bag floating through the wind, wanting to start again; am I right?  I know that in the heat of the chores, and the kids, and the cooking, and the dog, and the chaos that is my everyday life I feel like this used up, old, crinkly, plastic bag who just wants to be recognized as worth something again!  In those moments, I am sure we all have felt that way.  Back to Rosita!  As the movie goes on, she finds the flyer for an "American Idol" esque singing competition and decides to try out while her 6 million kids are in school and husband is at work.

So she goes and is finally recognized for having a great voice, even though her moves are something to be desired.  She is partnered with the amazing Gunter, a fellow swine who may not be the best singer but damn, that pig has got some moves!  As the contest rehearsals continue, Rosita battles with the struggles of still having her motherly and home duties while wanting to focus also on something for herself.  Her children don't listen to her (I feel her on that), her husband falls asleep when she is trying to tell him her big news about making it into the competition (I feel her on that), and she struggles with finding herself in a life full of giving to others with no gratitude returned.  There's even a scene where she has to take her "sick" child to a rehearsal with her and in a hyper whirlwind he messes up the whole room--basically me every single time I have to tote my two hyper heathens anywhere important with me.  Like meetings. 

As the film continues, Rosita is finally able to recenter and find herself again through her singing.  She even finds a little sexy mama in there, too, thanks to the sweet dance moves Gunter teaches her.  Gunter is definitely Zumba certified. Has to be. I recognized those moves for sure.  Rosita deals with a lot of crap during the movie--not just the whole taking care of the family bit, but also feeling unsure of herself.  She often wonders if the "spark" just can't be relit anymore.  She finds herself in the grocery store, just busting a move while shopping alone in the produce aisle.  I love shopping alone for basically the same reason.  Only alone can I bust a move next to the gauc in peace.   At the end of the movie, they get to perform their big duet to "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift, which, seriously is such a good mama mantra.  I need to get better at just shaking it off--like Rosita learns not so obviously through the duration of the movie.  Her family finally sits and focuses their attention on her and they are literally blown away by what their mama can do.  None of the kids or her husband had any clue she had such a great voice; because they took for granted what they heard everyday in the trenches of life.  But when the focus was on her (and Gunter dressed as a washing machine, the best) on stage doing the thing she was passionate about for her, they saw how awesome she was.  They realized she was a person (a pig? whatever) all her own--not just a wife; not just a mama. 

What I love most about Rosita's character is that she shows the whole 'can't pour from an empty cup' thing.  I think for most mom's watching her is literally like looking in on our own lives in animal cartoon form.  It's so true.  If we can't refuel, eventually we will burn out and the stresses of daily life will begin to slowly break us down into a routine based on going through motions we know, without the passion we had.  No matter your passion, be like Rosita and fuel it!  We as moms are all Rosita in some way. 

If you are a stay-at-home parent like me, and you have yet to see 'Sing!' go watch it.  You will totally relate to Rosita as well.  So much love for her.  I want her to be my friend. Rosita can be in my tribe anytime!