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Totally agree with the marketing being terrible for this movie, because once I finally got to see it, let's just say it's in major competition for favorite MODERN animated movie of all time, alongside Zootopia and Puss in Boots 2! So glad you enjoyed this movie as much as I did 😁
Awesome video I love this movie can you guys do Spider-Man Across the Spider Verse and Josee the Tiger and the Fish please! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
This might be a silly question. Wade had many good traits and a good boyfriend and person(element?) but there were many times when Ember said it wouldn’t work. There was the scene where she said it wouldn’t work and she decided that she would run her father’s shop. So she had ended it and then during the shop ceremony he interrupted and then she told him to leave again. Isn’t Wade crossing big boundary? And or is being taken advantage of because he’s putting more work in to maintaining the relationship especially if Ember keeps pushing him away?
People were saying this was going to be generic and "Pixar's biggest flop", then they actually saw the movie and it turned out to be a great romantic comedy! It’s not subtle with its fire and water metaphor for characters from different cultures falling for each other but it’s very heartfelt and sweet. Such a great time!
Problem was it was not advertised enough, we always got the short ads of them on the train meeting. Only film that suffered more than Elemental did through advertising was Strange World, but this one at least blew up big time when it hit Disney+.
@@gRinchY-op5vrironically it blew up before it even hit Disney plus it only hit plus a week ago but whils it was still in theraters it made a ton of money due to word of talking about it and people going to see it
@@KitsukiiPlays A movie doesn't "need" to be made. Even bad movies are art and can have even some sort of value. Elementals might have its flaws, yet it's made from a very humane place, and people reacted to it as such. As long as some people relate to it and like it, then it earned its right to be made, even if it's not your cup of tea (which is very understandable as well).
Exactly!! She was talking about how angry and embarrassed his dad was, how disappointed she was herself, but Wade just saw straight through it: above all, she was scared.
This was the moment that really sold them for me. ♥ Wade doesn't see young Ember's face in the flashback, he only sees and hears her being angry in the present as she recounts it. And he looks past that to really see her, in a way that even she has trouble doing.
What I realized while watching your video, is the scene with Ember admitting to herself that she doesn’t want the shop, Wade doesn’t say a darn thing! He doesn’t say “so don’t run the shop“ or “ what do you want?“ he just listens. Period. 10/10
I like how he doesn't intrude on her issues by trying to fix the problem for her or make aggressive suggestions on how he thinks she should handle the situation.
The line that got me was when Ember tells her Dad she doesn't want to run the shop, which was his dream. And he says, "That was never the dream, you were the dream".😢❤
I guess that was the point behind him expecting her to run the shop - wasn't so much that the shop was 'dream of our family', it was more than the dream was to see his daughter prosperous, thriving and independent through running the shop so she'll never have to worry about being forced to leave everything she knew behind or about doors slamming in her face.
I loved this movie so much. My favorite part about the Vivisteria scene is how Wade wasn't even focused on the injustice of her not being able to see the flower. He's focused on how she was unsafe in the face of prejudice. I thought that was so beautiful and masterfully done.
@paperboy1116 omg literally. The writing of this movie was phenomenal. Ember was probably used to either having her feelings dismissed or people just sorry she couldn't see the flower. But Wade was concerned for HER. Brilliant.
I will say, despite some of the issues I have with this movie, I really like his response in that scene. I like that it's not "You must have been so upset." Like you said, he wasn't focused on the injustice of her not being allowed to see the flower, but rather how unsafe she must have felt.
@blueflare3848 right. The focus wasn't how disappointed she was to not see the flower, but how unsafe she was. I even wonder if Ember thought of it that way, at least fully. She was so young she probably didn't understand the gravity of what was happening. Or maybe knew she was scared but couldn't figure out why.
It wasn't Ember doing it that got me but her father. Just an instant generational trauma breaking there. It was the active choice to be better than his father.
As the daughter of immigrants, watching this with my boyfriend of a different race, it was interesting seeing where we both cried in the film. Every time Ember talked about being a bad daughter and asking how do you prepay a sacrifice that big, I was sobbing because I have asked myself that question a million times over. When Wade and Ember would fight and he’s trying to understand her and she’s just blowing up at him and saying how different they are, my boyfriend cried because he said he knows what it feels like to be on the other side of that fight, of just trying to understand the girl he loves. Once again, Pixar nailed representing complicated relationships in a meaningful way!!!
Funny thing is that I heard a lot of people tend to viewed Wade and Ember as close friends more than lovers, but personally it's perfectly normal for Lovers to act more like friends because some people just want to express themselves romantically while not changing how they hang out together.
@damonlam9145 exactly,like the saying goes: "Be in a relationship with your best friend." At the end of the day, it'll be just you two experiencing a lot together and SHOULD be one of the people if the one person who you'll be close to. Why be I a relationship where you don't even wanna hangout and do nothing?
@@damonlam9145I'd argue that's how a good (romantic/married) relationship should be. If you don't like each other's company and don't like supporting one another, how can you build a life together? More importantly: why on earth would you want to?
I would like to stress how supportive Ember's dad is, when through the whole movie you are convinced that he probably would not giving his own trauma. No, he is a much bigger man than his father was. And that is all what truly wonderful parents want: their child happiness.
It's so healing that, even if you don't have a dad as supportive as him, you CAN be the supportive dad for your kids. He left on bad terms and his dad didn't reciprocate the salute, but it was beautiful that in the end, her daughter did that for him.
Yes, he's an active part in breaking his family trauma and not putting it onto his daughter. I love how this avoids the Disney trope of the strict father standing in the way. It's leaning into it and you think they're going to go there and then they don't ❤😊
Funny because I heard some people said that Ember's dad was manipulative and pushy (or something between those lines) and didn't apologize to Wade once for what he did. But can you blame him, since Ember never open up to him about what she want and mostly saw her enjoy working at the shop, he assume that's what Ember wants. Plus, he was mistreated for being a fire person and Wade was no expectation and most likely didn't bother to remember him, and later when he saw Ember and Wade together he was slowly giving up his hatred of them.
@@damonlam9145and during the end credits when the art is somewhat simplified and we see Bernie finally retire and relaxes we see him interact, and visit wade's family^^
His support as Ember’s dad also comes in the way he sacrifices his health to support her in running the store. He really takes pride in carrying the weight of the family for as long as it takes for them to be successful in their new homeland. He built the house brick by brick, he handles the many different roles of the family store every day, he protects his family from outsiders trying to ridicule his family and community for being Fireish, and his store really is the crux of community gathering in the Fire Island neighborhood. Ember’s dad carry’s a lot of weight on his shoulders and he’s willing to do that because of his love for his daughter and the way his father’s lack of support really impacted his parenting style. Ember’s dad is the tall barrier between his family and community, and the outside world. I think it’s amazing to see a form of masculine energy, as a protector, on the big screen in that way.
Can we take a moment to appreciate that when Ember plays the crying game instead of wade using her pain and her issues to push her to cry (which is what i initially expected to happen) he opens himself to her and confesses his honest feelings towards her, which in turn causes her to cry because she too feels the same way 😢 ugh SO PERFECT!
I expected the same thing! And was also touched when he didn't. Man's EQ is so high it's off the charts. Was not expecting someone as genuinely tender as he is to show up in a movie like this
yes pls! I was nervous that he would expose her fears to everyone to make her cry but instead he says something sweet to make her happy. geez, that one really got me.
If only...if only being able to open ourselves to others and having the guts to confess our feelings towards others would be enough to change someone or to trigger love for someone we love to ourselves in return...but that's just too easy, and life just doesn't work that way. These movies are too simple. It's just way too much like all black or all white...people are NOT like these characters! It's unbelievably more subtle and complex than that...but no, of course: Every freaking time, in movies like that, they just can't help themselves to make people believe it's just all that easy, to get along and falling in love for each other, that all it takes is just compassion and emotions...I'm sorry, but I'm 35, and I've already gone way too far to buy these bullshit of magical feelings that suppose to fix everything in a blink of an eye! And even by giving us more time, even while letting time pass on, in order to build a decent relationship, even that isn't always enough...and this is the truth, the real one.
@@798jeremy The movies aren't really supposed to fix anything or seem realistic, it's escapism. Of course it's not as easy irl, but I suppose the movies at least show a way to open up to others a little more, kinda like they're telling you to not give up. It may seem as if they're constantly dangling an impossible happily ever after right in front of you, but once you start believing it's possible to have this again you'll hopefully feel different. I'm sorry if life hasn't been kind to you and I wish you all the best. Know you're not alone.
It's nice and beautiful, but it still made me mildly uncomfortable, not for the words, but the fact that something so intimate was said in front of an audience.
SPOILER WARNING! I wish you guys had covered the scene in the end where Ember bows to her father and he bows back. The fact that his father did not return his respect hurt him deeply and she gave him the opportunity to heal that wound by not repeating the trauma behaviour. That scene hit me so hard for such a small detail.
They didn't talk about it because it was supposed to be about ember and wade. But that scene hit me so hard, through similar experiences I ended up crying that scene 😭😭😭😭😭
wade and ember’s relationship has to be the most compassionate yet realistic relationship i have seen in disney. instead of arguing or dismissing ember’s experiences and culture, he says he doesn’t understand but still tries to connect with her like he does with everybody. he doesnt want her to change herself and rather loves ember as she is. i love wade so much. 😭
Funny thing is that I heard a lot of people tend to viewed Wade and Ember as friends more than lovers, but personally it's perfectly normal for Lovers to act more like friends because some people just want to express themselves romantically while not changing how they hang out together.
@@damonlam9145exactly!!! Im my bf best friend and he is mine! We hang out, we go do stuff together and that's good. We are supposed to be friends with out partners, that's the healthy thing to do
Yeah! I am Jewish, and I am dating someone from Puerto Rico, and when we watched it together when he came to visit me in California, it reminded me a bit of us because we both come from very diferent backgrounds and cultures.
Imagine if the movie was about how Ember would never date another fire because she hates herself and her parent's expectations of her. Basically WMAF daddy issues.
I love that Wade doesn't hesitate to comfort Ember during her breakdown at the beach, and reassures her that she's doing her best. Even when she states that she's a mess, he retorts that she's EVEN MORE beautiful, since she's opening up to him, and not bottling up her emotions. May we ALL have a partner like Wade. 😍
One thing that struck me as Wade being really insightful and empathetic when I saw the movie was his response to Ember's story about not being allowed to see the flower when she was little. My mind would have gone to a kid in that situation feeling disappointed, heartbroken, angry, etc. but Wade said "you must have been so _scared."_ A little girl seeing all the other adults being hostile to her and her father, her father getting angry and raising his voice... That could be terrifying to a little kid. I would never have thought of that.
I thought the same thing!! It seemed strange to me he used the word "scared" when I would've said "upset" or "disappointed". It didn't seem like they were in any DANGER for her to be scared. I never thought about it in terms of being treated like you don't belong or are not welcome!
Same here! It hit me the exact same way where his response took me back, but also immediately made sense. I was thinking of it through my current adult perspective, where while I may be scared my immediate response would still have been anger for the obvious prejudice and mistreatment, but in the moment a kid isn't going to see it that way. If it's their first time being exposed to that they're just going to be confused and upset and *terrified.* Very insightful on Wade's part
When I saw this movie I thought of how confused she felt, cause she was just a kid who probably didn’t understand the intricacies of the elemental racism that was prevalent in that moment
Ember is her most open, and able to connect, when she is creating something. She's closed off with Wade's family until she makes the pitcher, she is hiding under her hood until she wants to blow smoke rings for the kids nearby. Even when she is running the shop, her most comfortable is when she is making charcoal, or fixing damaged metal or glass. Wade connects to people through raw empathy, ember connects to people by her creations and how that makes others feel. Which is what ultimately drew themselves to each other. Wades ability to emote freely unrestrained was what ember loved him for, Wade talks about how her light changes everything around her, the light she gives off.
I just realized this is exactly how I open up to people as well, when I'm creating and showing my work! I emphasized with Ember a lot during this movie, but I never made that connection until now. Thank you for pointing that out!
I related a lot to ember and I didn't see it this way also,I genuinely didn't think of dragging other people in when in creating something. But I've always kept that part mostly hidden. It just feels like other people aren't interested in it. Or that it isnt really that impressive. I'm extremely closed off with people until something in animation or art comes up. I thought I was just obsessed so I kinda gave it up, but I might just not be around good people.
When she tells him about the vivisteria and she's angry and he just says "you must have been so scared..." reminded me of my therapist when I tell him things that are absolutely scary but I have resolved them into a funny anecdote or a grievance. Beautifully written.
Tfw you tell a humorous anecdote from your childhood and the response isn't laughter. Or worse "Wow... I'm sorry that happened to you." And you never read the anecdote as trauma before that.
@@AleshaM30 Same as me casually telling people that I'm fine being alone because I've been constantly bullied in school and no one wanted to be friends with me so I'm just used to being alone and it feels weird to have a friend because of it.
@@akiumzeno I know that feeling too. I hope eventually you find people worthy of your trust. I did, but it took a long time to feel ok enough to try. And it's ok to be alone and feel safe until you are ready.
I was so mad people were putting Wade down. As someone who is sensitive and cries often, Wade meant everything to me. I started tearing up when he said, “You must’ve been so scared” when Ember talked about being discriminated as a kid. That’s the kind of validation I wish I’d had as a kid.
My partner is real life Wade. He’s the sweetest, kindest, most caring person I know. He helped me cope with my anger attacks, he’s always there to comfort me, and he helped me overcome my fears of cats and being on Ferris wheels. We met in the dorm we shared, and he… well, he was scared of my “explosive personality”. But time went on and we bonded over interests we shared, we began to talk about our insecurities to each other. Babe, if you’re reading this, thank you for everything. You got my back, and I got yours too. I love you.
my partner is a Wade too! I grew up poor and traumatised and my mom had just died so I was a sad angry emotional wreck when I met him. He accepted me completely and I've been able to heal. We complement each other and have grown to be better versions of us.
@djmutt6566 How physically attractive is he, compared to movie stereotypes? I'm always curious if physicality drew people to each other. Or did he become attractive to you, over time? Thanks!
How physically attractive is he, compared to movie stereotypes? I'm always curious if physicality drew people to each other. Or did he become attractive to you, over time? Thanks!@@mipsan
I feel so validated finally seeing someone like Wade on the big screen. Most examples of positive healthy masculinity are large and stoic, a rock. That's not me. I'm not able to carry the weight of others on my shoulders. I am a skinny guy who sees the struggles everyone around me goes through and just wants to give them a hug they're too afraid and hurt to realize they need, because I'm right there with you.
Wade is a beautiful example of that. His gentle, soothing presence, voice, and empathy really drew me in, which was exactly what Ember needed. This character is a wonderfully written example of a realistic, non-toxic male individual. If you need to cry, cry, my man!
That's so sweet😊 please never change that about yourself. There will ALWAYS be people who appreciate and NEED that. I know from my own experience that it's too hard to feel compassion towards others when you yourself have been feeling hurt... to put it fairly, I didn't want to feel compassion towards others mostly when I didn't get something I wanted out of life. I thought "if I feel so broken and nobody cares about that, why should I care about others?" But that's not a healthy thing to do... first because compassion in a way that you see it can't always be expected of others, and second because sometimes you just don't want to be vulnerable about it... Just desided to share my thoughts all of a sudden
Crying can be a physical release for overflowing emotions, even happiness. So Alan, maybe Pixar makes you cry so much because the beauty makes your happiness overflow (except for the gut wrenching tears). I think you feel emotions very intensely, and the tears are literal overflow. It’s absolutely beautiful.
The first thing I thought when watching this film was "Wade is such a manic pixie dreamboy". He is an incredibly healthy representation of masculinity and I strive to be more like him.
@@aisha02a It refers to "manic pixie dream girl" which is a trope female character that exists only for the purpose to help the protagonist find himself/fulfill his purpose yet lacks own peronality, goal, arc etc.
14:36 I feel like how they animated embers anger and sadness is phenomenal. It’s perfectly depicts how it’s almost easier for some people to be angry than it is to be sad and depressed because *at least* when you’re angry you have a force giving you energy. It’s resentment but it’s igniting your spirit and driving you towards something. Vs when you’re sad, that flame slowly dies, and you shrink into something so small. You lose that motivation and it feels like you’ve failed and there’s nothing worth fighting for anymore. As far as I’ve seen, that burst of anger is always followed by a deep sadness or fear. It’s almost cathartic to see this emotional process animated in this way. I feel so seen. If that makes sense. Well done Pixar. Pay your writers and animated better.
One thing in this movie that I feel is overlooked or even completely misunderstood was Ember's realization that she didn't want to run the shop. I've seen people say that it came way out of left field 'cause Ember showed no sign in the start of the movie that she wanted anything else, but that's the thing: She never ONCE thought of doing anything else. Even though deep down, running the shop is something that scares her and isn't something she wants, Ember feels like its the only option in her life and is quick to turn down or even get offended at any other options, including the one Wade's Mom gave her. That feeling of thinking you're trapped in an endless debt from your parents sacrifices, is something I, and many others can relate to
The counterpoint would be; If they wanted that to be an important plot point they should and could have set it up with a scene or couple of lines explaining this. Set ups and payoffs are an integral part of storytelling for a reason, if something is purposeful then is shown through the stablishing of patterns. In storytelling: If there are no patterns, there is no evidence of it being on purpose.
@@selfiestick1589trust me the evidence is there. I called it before that scene because it was so obvious to me. Maybe they were too subtle for people who can’t relate on a first watch but I don’t know how you would make it more obvious while still being realistic. This isn’t a case where she longs for something else but feels she must suppress it to not let down her family. This is something she has been fed is her life and she has not stopped and questioned it yet. She is feeling that she doesn’t want to run the shop but isn’t thinking it. There is no words she would say before that moment because where are the words supposed to come from if she isn’t thinking them? She says it as soon as it finally clicks. Wade let her see a future outside of what she was told and now she can finally long for something else. The setup is in how she acts about it that seem to contradict her words. I can’t remember many specific examples tho because it has been a minute since I watched it. She says she wants to run the shop but can’t without a surge of emotions she can’t explain. She has low emotional intelligence from her bottling up her feelings for so long because they don’t align with what she thinks she is supposed to feel. That’s why she is so prone to outbursts that seem over dramatic for the things happening there and then. All her reasoning for wanting to run the shop surrounds her family especially her father. He is getting too old and needs to retire, he left his country for this dream, she doesn’t want to let him down, and on and on and on. She never gives a reason why she wants to do this outside of him. She has never thought about a life outside of this one that when she is offered one she is terrified. She makes art but thinks nothing of doing anything with it because that is not what she is supposed to do. But once she if offered something to do with art she is in major conflict. This is the first time she thinks about more than one possible future and when she wants the other one she doesn’t know what to do. Emotions swell up as she is finally forced to be aware there is a conflict between her wants and expectations put on her. As someone who personally relates this comes off as a very realistic portrayal of this experience
@@lindensalter6713 too subtle for a setup imo, but I see your point My problem with setting up arcs with feelings is that they are too vague sometimes, doesn't feel as a proper promise for a character arc But I totally see storytelling aimed only at a subset of the population that can empathize with a specific feeling to be a thing, that actually sounds cool ngl
@@selfiestick1589 yeah but idk how you would make it less subtle without changing the character arc. Like how are they supposed to hint at it more while the character is still in the unaware stage? I didn’t even realize it could be considered subtle because it felt like it was yelling as loud as it could
I feel like it's a huge sign of emotional maturity that Alan not only cries about so many things but that he was able to forge a relationship with another man strong enough that he's comfortable crying around him. Everyone needs a safe space and everyone needs a tribe.
YESSSS. I've been screaming about this movie since the night it premiered. Wade is teh BEST EXAMPLE EVER of an emotionally intelligent character and healthy masculinity
What makes me so mad is that it failed at the box office. They worked on this movie for years! I went and saw it at the theatre four times. I adored how beautiful the animation was and how healthy the relationship was. I vried every time. Gosh, this movie was beautiful to me!
It didn’t fail at the box office actually. Tons of articles were created regarding its box office comeback and it made around 480M worldwide and even Pixar’s president considers it a profitable film.
I think if it had been marketed differently there probably would have been more interest in the beginning. The trailers I've seen weren't very engaging to me but after seeing the clips in this video and understanding what the movie is about I can't wait to watch it
@@lizard3755 I completely agree. I think the advertising absolutely didn't do it justice, in fact I wouldn't have even bothered to see it myself had my sister not convinced me we should at least give it a try. Absolutely LOVED it!
I put this on for my 2 year old but ended up learning that I need to practice more empathy towards my daughter & wife. Pixar being Pixar with this Gem.
@@o82633 That wasn’t the point at all, you completely missed the point. The point was that sometimes your temper tells you something isn’t right, but it should still be controlled, which Ember ended up doing because of Wade. And no, Wade wasn’t a bad person for being emotional. Not at all. A true man is being respectful etc
In the official novel of Elemental, it goes into more depth of Wade relationship with his dad. Wade and his father had a similar relationship as Ember to hers - Wade's father wanted him to choose one career path and focus on it for his life, and would even make sacrifices just to get Wade into sports teams as he himself was a sportsman. But Wade didn't like that because he wanted to explore many fields of interests instead of sticking to one, and this disagreement caused them to fight a lot. Wade's father died before Wade could ever make up to him, and since then, Wade was filled with regret. He became aimless in life and hopped from job to job, struggling to keep each of them. When he meets Ember, he sees himself in her, and knows that although he can't bring his father back to life and reconcile with him, he can help convince Ember to communicate with her dad. Really sweet and it also shows a lot more untapped depth in Wade's character. In the movie, we only see Wade's impact on Ember, but I think Ember's impact on Wade is that he can finally reconcile with himself and come to terms with what he's lost.
One thing I also love in Wade (besides what you beautifully explained) is how he doesn't want Ember to experience the same pain he did. I am refering to each other's relationships with their respective fathers. Wade had a very difficult relationship with his father and he died before they could sort it out, what caused him to be filled with regret over it. With Ember, he can see that she also has issues with her father that she can't bring herself to address and solve, what eventually will lead to regret when the time comes when it will be too late. Wade can see that Ember has the chance to express her true feelings to her father and urges her to do it, because he knows from personal experience how painful it will be the regret of losing that chance.
And he never projects his own issues onto Ember and completely respects her dad (and dads in general, according to his like, first line) even though he didn’t have the best relationship with his own dad. In conclusion, he’s just the general polar opposite of Lily from Princess Diaries and I love it.
After walking a deleted scenes, I feel like the fallout between Wade and his dad might’ve been because Wade is bi. In a deleted scene, he has a crush on a fire guy that him and Ember were helping out. I can understand why they cut it out since it really didn’t add anything to the story, but I feel like maybe Wade being bisexual could’ve been the reason for him and his dad. While we see Wade has a loving supportive family including a non-binary sibling and their partner, we don’t actually know much about his dad in relation to the family. His parents could’ve been divorced and thus one parent being accepting while another parent isn’t is a high possibility why Wade has a good relationship to the other members of his family.
14:33 - I never noticed before until watching this episode, you see actually see Ember when you are looking at Wade, you see her reflection. It’s a clever close up shot where you see both the emotion and reaction on Wade’s face, but also see Ember talking and her emotions at the same time, without it having to be a wide shot to fit in both characters, so you are more focused on both of their facial expressions. It’s a very clever way of utilising the characters unique physical characterisation in this scene.
"instead of being interesting be interested" and "we enjoy stories for the escape of it, but we enjoy the best stories because they teach us to be better people" are amazing quotes Jono was on one this video.
I love that every time Ember is vulnerable and talks about her fears her flame dies down, but the light she emits becomes prismatic ripples around her. It’s like a metaphor for the beauty in vulnerability, and Wade sees the beauty in it.
The point of Elemental is to demonstrait how victims of passive- and micro-aggressive racism can often be left feeling helpless, as these offenses often go unnoticed, ignored, or simply dismissed through plausible deniability. This can often result in minority groups, who have experienced this form of racism, developing their own racial bias against either their own race or the races of others. Then there is Wade's family, who may have stumbled onto some racial biases due to their own ignorance of the Fire culture but ultimately did their best to address their own ignorance. They accomidated Ember and her parents in their home, included her in sharing in their food, culture, & traditions, and do their best to be as openly curious and apologetic in acknowledging their own ignorance. Wade was brought up to be open, inclusive, and empathetic, so he did his best to be mindful by politely trying her culture's food (despite finding his own way to enjoy it), and being respectful of Ember's cultural and personal boundaries. However, Ember grew up to be scared and suspicious of Water people. Not only because of the experiences her parents had with Water while emigrating to the city, but also because-- Water being the first to found the city and the Fire people emigrating last-- Water had a certain level of power within the infrastructure and management of Elemental City that not only did very little to accomidate the needs of Fire people but also seemed to outright neglect them. They clearly possessed the power to destroy the livelihoods of Fire people living in the poorer neighbourhoods. This would make anyone bitter towards the feeling of helplessness, living in a city which doesn't even care if its railway could snuff out the Fire citizens below seems pretty callous. As a result, and in a bit of irony, between the two of them, Ember was the one with the most racial bias and preconcieved notions about who Wade was. She assumed that simply because his family is Water and comes from wealth, Wade was incapable of empathizing with her and what she was going through with her Fire family's traditions. The truth is, it wasn't Wade's Water culture which gave him the ability to see beyond the limitations Ember's traditions placed upon her to focus on what was important. It was his family's traditions and good upbringing! The point of the scene with the mother reading their smoke is meant to demonstrate they were made for each other because Ember has the burning passion which keeps Wade focused and inspires him, while Wade has the flexibility, resourcefulness, and empathy to keep Ember grounded, calm, and adaptable. We overcome racism by teaching our children to have empathy for everyone!
I loved this as an under tone to the movie and when Wade's dad talks about her language skills and she just hits him with sarcasm, he realized it was an idiot comment and they just moved on. His mom is my favorite though.
When my kids encounter people who are super protective of their culture and traditions and are wary of other people, I want them to remember this and have empathy. Understanding. Not just react to feeling rejected or discriminated against with anger, but with compassion for what led to those things.
I finally sat down and watched Elemental the other day and the romance between Wade and Ember just made me so happy. They were so cute together and the fake out scene had me bawling. I didn't think Disney had the balls for that but the longer the scene went on the less sure I got about it.
Exactly how I felt. The scene went on for long enough to make me tense. Would Wade actually survive? Deep inside you know, but some fake out deaths hurt either way. It's the tension that makes it work. Really hard to write well. It was the same with Nimona, she was gone for so long, I started to wonder if she was genuinely gone for good.
This movie both destroyed and validated how I feel as the eldest daughter of an immigrant Asian family 😩😂 Wade being so emotionally positive & understanding the source of Embers anger also made me cry so much.
There's this beautiful metaphor in the movie early on, during the chase scene. Ember sees her reflection on the back of Wade's head in the dark. It was the beginning of her really seeing herself for the first time, through somebody else, in her darkest moments.
One thing that really makes Wade a stand-up guy is that he does something that is so often lost today, which is that he listens. When he and Ember are on the beach, he just sits there a lets her express how she really feels and doesn't interrupt her at all. He sits in silence and just takes in what Ember is saying, rather than feeling like he has to get a word in at that exact moment. Wade understands that what she is going through is more important than anything he has to say. The other thing worth noting is that during the scene when Wade is trying to get Ember to cry, as he begins to finally make that connection with her you literally see the light from her reflecting in Wade's eyes. It's a nice and simple way of signaling that a connection really is building between the two of them.
I watched Elemental in theaters after a bad “situationship,” and Wade and Ember’s relationship was sooo healing. I’m so happy you’re talking about this film!
I just ended a situationship too and I cried so much during this movie, it was very healing and got me all excited for the next romantic chapter of my life
@@lCoolPartnerThat is true and not everyone cries as much as Wade does. It needs to be stated that being friends with someone who wears their emotions on their sleeve and actively listens adds so much to quality of life. It's like they act as an emotional barometer so we know we're loved and important without going too deep. And if you can't find someone like that then try to BE that person to someone. It's worked for me.
My favorite scene in this movie has got to be the bow at the end. She gives her father the bow of utmost respect and he gives it in turn. Something his own father never did for him, he strives to be better parent then what he had. That was the perfect ending.
I like many got very emotional at that part, perfect way to end the film. It was also like a full circle moment. The film began with her parents stepping off the ship for their new life and now it ends with Ember walking on for hers
Another thing I love about the scene with the mom is that it subtly hints how water can create a "reflection". The scene carefully points out how Wade sees Ember as a strong, passionate, and powerful person. He reflects how he sees her in their conversations and shows that Ember can see herself in a different way because Ember kept losing herself as she kept trying to fulfill her father's wishes.😭It's beautiful.
I love that Wade cries so much and when him and Amber play that cry game she says she never cried. Then he is the reason she sheds her first tear and later on when she thinks, that Wade died, she just in full of tears.
This movie is honestly amazing! My mom and I had gotten into a bit of heated fight before we watched the movie and we were slightly upset with each other. With Wade said that “I think my temper is me trying to tell me something” I saw my mom pause out of the corner of my eye and look at me. After that she paused the movie to apologize to me and I did the same! This movie is WAY better than I thought, there’s so many good messages within it
I had a very similar experience when I watched Brave with my family. I had recently quit college, and my mom was very upset with me, woried about my future and what not. We watched together, and cried a lot about how she just wants what it's good for me, even sometimes not understanding my life choices
I loved that they made the boy water and the girl fire because it'd be more typical the other way around. But it's such a great message for boys that it's good and healthy to be vulnerable and tender and that it doesn't make you less of a man when you cry
Among the comparisons between Wade and Alan and mentioning how Wade crying is seen as endearing definitely reminds me of Alan when he tears up: it’s always endearing and wholesome☺️
Watched this with my girls 2 days ago. My teen is now praying for a boyfriend like this. Or partner, if it's a girl. I don't care as long as she's in a healthy relationship.
Wade reminds me of my partner. He's sweet, empathetic, comfortable with his emotions, cries freely, and always talks me through my panicky/nervous episodes. I'm so thankful I found my Wade. 💙
I’m so glad you guys are talking about him, he deserves the love ❤️ I didn’t realize how many likes I had on this post until rewatching, thanks everyone!
Neither he, nor the movie he‘s in deserved any of the hat eIt got. Sure, the movie as a might have been more mediocre than expected, but it‘s still a marvellous topic to explore, and the those visuals,
My wife and I have probably watched Elemental over 20 times now. We saw it in theaters twice. I absolutely love the dynamic between Wade and Ember, and there are so many scenes in this movie that are healing for me. Super glad y'all did an episode on it. I also wanted to say that for the first time in years I've started going to therapy and I probably wouldn't have done that if not for this channel (at least partially). Thank you guys, you've helped me be healthy and happy through one of my favorite mediums, MOVIES!
Hey. As a faceless nobody on the internet who bears no meaning to you, I wanna let you know that I'm proud of you. This channel has been very therapeutic for me too, so I can definitely relate. Remember to always love yourself!
Something that I loved about Wade was that when he doesn't understand why someone felt some way, he just straight up says "I don't understand". He's incredibly honest and he asks to understand something when he doesn't; he doesn't get defensive or confused, he just asks to know. I loved that about him
I get the "inexpressable joy" part. I'm the same, I tear up very easily during scenes that manage to grip your emotions and make you feel so strongly that you're heart is nearly bursting with compassion and companionship. It's truly a wonderful feeling.
This is beautiful. Thank you. One of my beautiful daughters has a "fiery" personality and I'm more like water. We adopted her out of foster care and she used to just explode about everything. It took me some time to realize that she was just processing this in a different way than me and her sister does. We have been working on the emotions behind the anger and i have had to be more vulnerable with her than i would want to be. I have had to show her that she is truly wanted and loved. I was taught that as a parent you have to be brave ( or tough) for your kids and I've realized that the most brave that i can be for them is to be vulnerable to them. It has been hard but so helpful. I'm sorry for the long post but Kids that seem like "hard cases" are usually just hurting. My daughter is a passionate, protective person with a beautiful heart. The "Hard cases" are worth it.
Thank you for sharing. I have done childcare with kids and I totally agree with you, the kids people think are "hard" or "problematic" are usually the sweetest once you make it clear that you are there for them and that you care. It isn't an easy road to get to that point, but it is so so worth it once you do.
The scene at 20:05 I relate to sooooo much, because I don't cry when someone insults me, but when someone either compliments me or reassures me, I'm a wreck.
The scene where the dad bowed back had me crying. I moved to the US two years ago and he has been so supportive of all my life choices, it just reminded me how lucky I am and how greatful I am to have him as a dad. ❤
I just watched Elemental with my family the other day and we all loved Wade. He is the sweetest. The whole movie was actually quite good which I did not expect. Your video was as immaculate as always. This is by far my favourite RU-vid channel.
For me what really struck me about the movie was the themes of love as mutual transformation. Neither changes themselves for the other, but together each of them is changed by the other. That we don't remake ourselves for love, but love itself touches us and changes us in an undeniable way. And it only happens in moments of uncertainty, in moments where they are both open and vulnerable. A really amazing story. Disney really wiffed the marketing on this one.
Pixar trailers never do tbh. Remember the Up trailer had Carl blowing a raspberry instead of the actual plot point he says, “I’ll send you a postcard of Paradise Falls.” Can’t believe it’s taken people this long to realize Pixar doesn’t advertise what their movies are actually about, and they don’t put the plot points in the trailers usally.
@@CinemaTherapyShowoutside the first teaser and the initial poster that came out a year before the movie the marketing was the worst I’ve seen from Disney
Agree! I miss the Pixar trailers they used to do, where it was less random scenes from the movie and more a small scene involving the characters and what they do that isn't in the movie but encapsulates who they are and piques our interest. Monsters Inc specifically comes to mind. I feel like that would have worked better for Elemental.
I had no interest in Elemental because of the "opposites attract 😮" trope from the teaser trailer. So pleasantly surprised by the movie!! The story of Ember being a first generation kid and her relationship with her dad, the romance between her and Wade. It's truly 😚👌🏼 chefs kiss
i'm a sucker for elemental magic stuff and the trailers were so bad they killed any interest i had in the film too and i almost didn't bother to give it a chance (though i loved it when i did). the marketing just didn't accurately portray what the movie was about at all
What I liked most about this movie is the depiction of Ember's father. He's so supportive and compassionate at the end. Not all of us experienced that growing up and its really awesome to see those kinds of parents in movies like this. Their bow at the end of the film gets me going every time 😭
My boyfriend and I went to watch this. I’ve been through many toxic relationships and ended up a lot like ember with problems at communication and expressing my emotions. My current boyfriend is so much like wade it’s crazy. He’s said things that wade has said word for word to me and its helped me become a much better partner in our relationship. I loved this film more than I thought would :))
I haven't connected to a character in a long time like I have to Wade. I'm a very sensitive guy and cry at everything really easily, good or bad. I'm not very manly in the macho sense and people can't grasp that it's not something I strive for. It doesn't make me a lesser man or a lesser partner. I honestly feel like it makes me a much better person and partner. To see him not played as a joke is really sweet.
My father is emotional and strong. It’s hard to find a man that can be that vulnerable. That is his strength and like wade he connects with everyone so easily and is so Gregarious. I wish I could be more like him.
@@calviv1 @calviv1 It's awesome that you have such a good role model ❤ My dad is also like that, but he has a calm about him that I just don't have. I admire it and strive for it, but at the same time I have to remember that my hyperactivity is a part if me too. I think that striving to be like him is super, but just don't be to hard on yourself, you are your own person to! ❤
I knew I had picked the right partner when I watched Elemental and realized my boyfriend is literally Wade and I’m from a very emotionally unavailable family so he was exactly what I needed 💕
I just watched this movie yesterday on Disney+ with my little girls. This had me wishing I was as much a Wade for my wife and kids as Wade was. I clearly need to work on this.
A huge reason to why I cry easily at beautiful scenes is because of its representation, and as you said Alan, the joy of that. The absolute joy of seeing empathy and healthy love represented and displayed for millions of people to see and learn from melts my heart. The facts that creators care to teach these values is such a reminder that people are decent and loving at the core, and that's the world I want to live in.
In terms of those little Pixar nuggets of hidden meaning Alan was talking about - the fact Ember's passion was glass-blowing, and 'tempered' glass having another meaning besides temper/anger was such great symbolism for how 'temper' isn't always a negative. Made the connection when Gale says "You used glass to mend the dam?! Tempered glass! :)"
I saw this movie in Korean this summer and it was great. Lots of theaters in Seoul were sold out when this movie came out, and after seeing it I’m surprised why a lot of Americans said it was bad or it was going to be bad?!?! I actually really liked it.
The marketing, at least in America, was really bland and boring. They really did make it look like the movie was just "Zootopia? But elements." Which made a lot of people write it off before it even came out.
I didn’t particularly like this film, but even I was like “YES! Show that men can be emotional.” As a guy who used to cry very easily it was nice to see that.
Just to hate, I guess. Even though in the end, the movie ended being a box office success worldwide. (Though maybe barely) But it’s definitely not a flop anymore.
Mostly marketing. They definitely didn't market it well. Plus Hating on Disney/Pixar movies for some unknown reason has become a cool thing to do idk why tho...
Calling something a flop doesn't mean it's a bad movie! There are plenty of films we see as Classics now that had really poor box office returns. Sometimes it takes time for people to really appreciate something.
It started off slow, but it eventually made a huge comeback at the box office. It has now made $489 million worldwide and is now Pixar’s highest grossing post pandemic film. It is a gem of a film, and we need more original content
My parents too sacrificed so much to move to this country with all of us. The moment when the dad says “you were always the dream” breaks me every time. Especially now as I have daughters of my own, I get it.
I watched Elemental a year after going through an incredibly difficult, harmful relationship. I spent the last year in therapy and am learning to open myself to love again, but I find so much relatability in Ember. Wade, and his relationship with her, was such a healing experience for me to watch. I cried and felt hopeful about love for the first time in a long time after finishing the movie.
This movie is an animators dream!!!!!! The texture, the colors THE DETAILS! the way amber glows brighter when doing glass, the way her steps light when they hit the ground, the way his body lights brighter when breathing, like actual fire! The way wade is a constant current of water which later plays on the "touching" Scene. The way the frames per second changed when they danced! UGHHHHHHH
When I watch this movie for the first time, I got to the part where Ember is talking about her and her dad being turned away and his only focus was “you must have been so scared” and said out loud, at home alone, “oh cinema therapy is gonna be all over that” Ps-“the shop wasn’t the dream, YOU were always the dream” gets me every single time.
My husband is my Wade. While I didn't have a flaring temper like Ember did, instead, my emotional vulnerability showed up in the form of me crying, sometimes seemingly out of nowhere, or over the "smallest things" (what I realized later was that it was because I had been taught to squash down my feelings, so they just built up). But my husband was my first true "safe person", the one around whom I could express myself openly without fear of being told to "calm down" or told that I'm "too sensitive". And just like with Ember and Wade, that in turn taught me how to process my emotions in a much healthier way, and it's thanks to that that I've started to actually become better at voicing what I'm feeling.
When Wade says: "I love it when you're light does that..." in the scene when they're in the furnace is so beautiful. Because without him, those reflections wouldn't be possible, her light reflects off of him, and they become something beautiful together 😭😭😭😭😭 Also, as an immigrant daughter this movie hits way too hard! "You were the dream" MAKES ME CRY LIKE A BABY.
22:05 I love how her flame seems to calm down, and then briefly flickers blue/purple again as she unloads. I think it is just so well done and shows us exactly how her emotions are "pinging" around back and forth
Pixar is just magic... They really have some of the greatest people working there, to be honest. Pixar has such a deep understanding of emotions, how we as people work, relationships... This breaks me also everytime. Alan, you are not alone in crying...
I love that the guy is the emotional one while the girl is the fiery/angry one because its often women being more stereotypically emotional while anger us thought of as a more masculine trait but they switched it in this which is nice
This is the first movie I've seen that felt so relatable it became a tad uncomfortable. My wife has a temper and she came from a very strict family that was opposed to us getting married; she wanted to become a doctor but she had so much burden and zero compassion/support from her family that she broke down constantly. I tried to cheer her up and that gave her the strength to pursue her own dreams and us getting married. When Ember and Wade argue about how not everyone can have the luxury of pursuing their dreams we looked at each other; we're sure we had that conversation word for word. After we saw the movie she was talking about how much she liked Wade because of things she saw in me, and how I liked Ember because of thing it reminds me of her; her talents, how crafty she is with handmade stuff, her knowledge in medicine, and how independent/persistent she is. I felt so called out with Wade's awe at how Ember did things as that's how I feel with her as well. Eventually, things with her family got better because most of their issues with her marrying me were out of prejudice coming from a dysfunctional family; now they see her being happier than ever so they're more understanding of her.
I'm surprised you didn't include the epic date they had! Further showed what a great guy Wade was! I also loved how Wade's mom was supportive of what Ember could do.
"Elemental" is truly one if the best animated movie experiences I've had recently, I love this movie, it's touching and beautifully made. And Wade is amazing, I'm happy we finally get to see more male characters like him ♥️
Coming from immigrant parents, I think a lot of us, especially eldest daughters can understand where Ember is coming from. It's so hard when what you want in life isn't what they exactly envisioned. And I think a lot of us feel like we owe our parents everything and more, and we just can't ever do enough. I can't even begin to start with how I've heard the line "and this is how you repay us". The overprotectiveness and "helicoptering" is totally true too, especially considering what they may have experienced in the past themselves. I absolutely sobbed watching this movie, and it's really nice seeing a character that I can see my experiences in.
9:37 I love the way she asks ‘how do you draw people in like that. You can connect with a whole crowd, I can’t even connect with one person’ cuz i think that frustration connects with a lot of people, specifically anyone with mental illnesses like autism or something like that. I appreciate what you say about being interested, not trying to be interesting, but sometimes it can feel extremely frustrating that however eager you are to connect to people, or interested in what they say, you still stand in ur own way and aren’t able to express that interest in a way that people can pick up on. Idk I can absolutely relate to that anger at yourself for not being able to connect with people, because you can’t blame anyone but urself and look to any inadequacies in yourself to explain it.
The thing about "not trying to be interestING but interestED" is actually so beautiful to me, and this hit me really hard. I've struggled with making connections for YEARS, and even with the things that I've learned I still struggle a little. I can tell sometimes that when I interject with personal stories (that are relevant to what someone said) people are off put by it. But I've balanced it by just listening, because sometimes that's all people want.
Absolutely. I had an 'isolated' childhood for a number of reasons - not bad, just not very socialized. I still struggle, reminding myself to shut up and listen...or ask questions, but it still feels so 'creaky', like a stiff muscle or a sports injury I have to watch when playing ball. Conversational silences with most people feel super awkward, and I have to stop myself from telling an amusing anecdote to break my awkwardness. Yeah, people laugh at my monologues, but that's what they are - monologues. I so much prefer connection, and that requires a centeredness I'm still working on, one conversation at a time. I love this channel for introducing me to tools that help me in that journey. Rock on, @cinematherapy
Elemental is the first movie to have ever made me cry. Every time there was a heartfelt moment between Ember and Wade I had tears in my eyes. Elemental has been cemented as one of my favorite movies.
