Even a good movie like Stuart Little can represent perplexing messages: Adoption, Race and Diversity Explored in Stuart Little.

Based on E.B. White’s children’s classic “Stuart Little - the Movie” is quite different from the original story. The most important difference is that in the book Mrs. Little gives birth to Stuart, whereas in the movie the Littles adopt him. I guess the thought of adopting a talking, suit-wearing mouse is less appalling than the notion of giving birth to one.

The film also toys with a very big adoption issues, like “the empty space” many adoptees speak of when they struggle to construct an identity out of life from which pieces are missing (Berk, 1997). Stuart questions his belonging to the Little family. As any adolescent he experiences “curiosity about his roots” (Berk, 1997). And soon he tells his adoptive parents that he would like to...