Ontario elementary school cancels 'Lightyear' viewing due to 'questionable content'
An Ontario elementary school planning a field trip to the movies this week deemed Disney’s Pixar film ‘Lightyear’ unsuitable for students due to “questionable content,” announcing a last minute decision to see a different movie in a letter to parents.
The animated 'Toy Story' spin-off, with main character Buzz voiced by actor Chris Evans, contains the inclusion of a brief kiss between a lesbian couple.
The field trip, organized by St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Elementary School in Hamilton, took place on June 22 and the students, ranging in age from junior kindergarten to Grade 3, were initially meant to see ‘Lightyear’ at Cineplex Cinemas.
But in a digital notice delivered to parents, the school informed parents “the movie [junior kindergarten to Grade 3] students are going to see on Wednesday, June 22 has been changed to ‘Sing 2.’”
“This change has been made from the original movie ‘Lightyear’ due to questionable content in this movie that we feel is not suitable for all of our students," the notice read.
The school, in its notice to parents, didn't specify what content it found "questionable" but offered parents the opportunity to get a refund if they no longer wanted their children to attend.
The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board confirmed to CTV News Toronto in a statement Friday this decision was made.
“The language, humour and overall content of the film was age-inappropriate and not linked to the curriculum,” a spokesperson for the school board said.
Recently, Disney has faced protests from activists and its own staff over what they described as CEO Bob Chapek's slow response in publicly criticizing Florida legislation that opponents dubbed as the “Don't Say Gay” bill.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in late March signed the bill, which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
The moment had been earlier cut from the film but was restored after Pixar employees protested Disney's response to Florida's bill.
Earlier this month, thirteen nations and the Palestinian territory barred the Pixar film from being shown. Nations banning the film include Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates, Disney said.
The film's stars have called the move disappointing.
With files from Phil Tsekouras and The Associated Press.
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