Mister Rogers-esque in its direct but delicate handling of difficult topics for a young audience.

Like “Babe” and “Homeward Bound” before it, the film treats its younger audience with the respect and maturity they deserve.

The result may just be the most tonally surprising feature of the year so far, a rare, unabashedly earnest PG-rated film that has enchanted audiences with the deceptively simple power of well-deployed tropes.

A combination that, at first glance, seems outlandish, but has ultimately turned out to be one of the most heartwarming, intelligent, funny, and moving films of the year so far.