{"id":11064,"date":"2023-07-31T03:56:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T10:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/?p=11064"},"modified":"2023-08-01T15:57:21","modified_gmt":"2023-08-01T22:57:21","slug":"the-furry-fortune-absurd-story-with-comedy-and-charm-reminding-us-of-the-importance-of-family-over-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/2023\/the-furry-fortune-absurd-story-with-comedy-and-charm-reminding-us-of-the-importance-of-family-over-money\/","title":{"rendered":"The Furry Fortune * Absurd Story With Comedy And Charm, Reminding Us Of The Importance Of Family Over Money"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/FurryFortuneposter.jpg?resize=102%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11070\" width=\"102\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/FurryFortuneposter.jpg?resize=203%2C300&amp;ssl=1 203w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/FurryFortuneposter.jpg?w=473&amp;ssl=1 473w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 102px) 100vw, 102px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Based on the popular children\u2019s book by Donna Morgan it is about a dog whose fur turns into money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Kyla C. comments, \u201cHave you ever imagined what it would be like to have a dog that sheds money? Welcome to the life of twins Dax (Mason Blomberg) and Zoe Taylor (Juju Journey Brener). An absurd story is executed with comedy and charm, portraying the importance of family over money in the film <em>The Furry Fortune<\/em>.\u201d Valerie R. adds, \u201cWhat I like the most about this film is the brother-sister relationship Zoey and Dax have. I also adore how the actors make their characters look and feel like they are a family. The acting by the child actors is outstanding.\u201d See their full reviews below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Furry Fortune<br>By Kyla C, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 14<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uAKNetv3e_4?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.f.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11065\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.f.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.f.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.f.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Have you ever imagined what it would be like to have a dog that sheds money? Welcome to the life of twins Dax (Mason Blomberg) and Zoe Taylor (Juju Journey Brener). An absurd story is executed with comedy and charm, portraying the importance of family over money in the film <em>The Furry Fortune<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Furry Fortune <\/em>follows Dax and Zoe on their adventures as they start out as bored and neglected children and navigate their way through unexpected events to eventually arrive at a very important realization. Not only does <em>Furry Fortune <\/em>focus on Dax and Zoe\u2019s lives, but it also shows snippets of their parents, Doug (Shane Hartline) and Emily Taylor (Mo Allen), and their next door neighbors, William Kearst\u00a0 (Adam Kulbersh) and Odom Kearst (Mason Wells). The neighbors are willing to do whatever it takes for money, which becomes a problem when the Taylors are forced to hide their windfall from everyone. Will the secret stay a secret, or will the money become a curse rather than a blessing?<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.g.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11066\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.g.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.g.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.g.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The acting in <em>The Furry Fortune <\/em>truly makes so much of a difference. Specifically, Mason Blomberg and Juju Journey Brener, as the twins, emphasize the message of the film. Through their sad and left out expressions, we are able to further relate to the characters and understand the importance of the theme. Their parents are constantly putting work and money over spending time with their kids, and the twins demonstrate the effect it has on them. In addition, the acting performances of Shane Hartline and Mo Allen, as the parents, show what not to do, and how one person\u2019s actions can affect someone so much without them even realizing it. Without these in-depth acting performances, the message wouldn\u2019t be as strong or seem as relevant to viewers\u2019 lives. The comedy throughout provides a nice break from some of the sadder and more serious moments. On top of some jokes and hilarious moments, the film is funny as a whole because of the absurdity of the world they are living in &#8212; a dog that sheds money?\u00a0 How much more ridiculous can a film get? But it is such a fun concept and kept me engaged the entire time.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.j.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11069\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.j.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.j.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.j.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The message of <em>The Furry Fortune <\/em>is that time can make more money, but money can\u2019t make more time. Dax and Zoe think that the more money you have, the happier you will be. They both come to realize that if you spend all of your time chasing money, you lose time that you can\u2019t get back. <em>The Furry Fortune <\/em>emphasizes the importance of putting family first and spending time doing the things you love with the people you love while you can. There is some very mild inappropriate language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give <em>The Furry Fortune <\/em>4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. It releases on video on demand and DVD beginning August 1, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Furry Fortune<br>By Valerie R., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/18R5M1f4zDo?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Furry Fortune<\/em> is a very entertaining film about learning to not take advantage of the things you have. Also it reminds us that family should always come first, especially before money.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.h.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11067\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.h.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.h.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.h.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The story follows young twins, Zoey (Juju Brener) and Dax (Mason Bloomberg), and their dog Nuzzles (Henry) who sheds money from his fur due to a wish Dax made to help their mother (Mo Allen) and father (Shane Heartline) who are struggling with money. They end up with so much money and it gets in the way of their family, plus their neighbors get suspicious of how the Taylor family suddenly has so much money. This makes them obsessed with finding out their secret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What I like the most about this film is the brother-sister relationship Zoey and Dax have. I also adore how the actors make their characters look and feel like they are a family. The acting by the child actors is outstanding. I love how Zoey\u2019s characteristics are mature, sassy, smart and very grown up. Dax characteristics on the other hand are very childish, sweet and kind. The actors show what siblings actually act like &#8212; even when they fight, they still love each other. The neighbors, William Kearst III (Adam Kulbersh) and his son Odom Kearst (Mason Wells), bring humor into the film by their spying on the Taylor family.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.i.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11068\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.i.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.i.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/furryf.i.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>I also really enjoyed the cinematography; the images are steady, in focus, and very clear. Another thing worth mentioning are the set designs &#8212; the Taylor family\u2019s house feels like a nice, clean and cozy home. And, the twin\u2019s treehouse with all its gadgets, pulleys and other crazy stuff that allows people to go in and out of the tree house is outstanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The film\u2019s message is to never take what you have for granted and that family is everything! It also reminds us that money can&#8217;t buy you happiness, so appreciate what you have and always make family a priority. Never let anyone or anything get in the way of family; family always comes first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give <em>The Furry Fortune <\/em>4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, plus adults. It releases on video on demand and DVD beginning August 1, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VhT-mJmV5V0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Based on the popular children\u2019s book by Donna Morgan it is about a dog whose fur turns into money.<\/p>\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Kyla C. comments, \u201cHave you ever imagined what it would be like to have a dog that sheds money? Welcome to the life of twins Dax (Mason Blomberg) and Zoe Taylor (Juju Journey Brener). An absurd story is executed with comedy and charm, portraying the importance of family over money in the film The Furry Fortune.\u201d Valerie R. adds, \u201cWhat I like the most about this film is the brother-sister relationship Zoey and Dax have. I also adore how the actors make their characters look and feel like they are a family. The acting by the child actors is outstanding.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[15,14],"tags":[6815,6799,3113,1783,1926,464,300,6800,1207,6814,6803,1932,5780,6808,6812,5786,6805,6810,6811,6798,6804,6806,6809,1166,602,6801,6807,6813,6802],"class_list":["post-11064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feature-film-reviews","category-film-screenings","tag-adam-kulbersh","tag-apple","tag-apple-tv-2","tag-by-kids-for-kids","tag-cartoons-for-kids","tag-comedy","tag-dog","tag-donna-morgan","tag-family","tag-forgiveness","tag-funny","tag-henry","tag-hocus-pocus-2","tag-honesty","tag-jane","tag-juju-brener","tag-juju-journey-breneer","tag-mason-blomberg","tag-mason-bloomberg","tag-mason-wells","tag-mo-alie-cox","tag-mo-allen","tag-money","tag-movie-reviews","tag-saturday-night-live","tag-shane-heartline","tag-teamwork","tag-the-furry-fortune","tag-twins-movie-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paS5I2-2Ss","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11064"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11073,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11064\/revisions\/11073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}