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Contents © 2004
by Jim Holman.
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TALK ABOUT MOVIES
December 2004
THE INCREDIBLES
Directed by Brad Bird. Starring Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter (voices). 115 minutes, 2004, Color, USA, English. Now in theaters.
Matthew: Bob Parr -- Mr. Incredible -- can't be the superhero he is. He's locked into a desk job. His wife is proud of him for laying himself down so the kids can have stability, but he's still miserable.
Ernie: He's completely detached from his role as head of the family. When the kids are fighting, his wife says, "Are you going to take a role here?"
Matthew: But even though he's trapped in a bureaucracy, he's still a hero. He helps his clients find their way through the red tape to get their insurance claims approved. He's a hero without the glamour.
Ernie: Unlike Syndrome -- it's all in the trappings for him.
Matthew: He kills real heroes so he can play at being one, and get the glory.
Ernie: Getting back to the family -- it's not until he thinks they're dead that he realizes that his wife and children are his "greatest adventure." He realizes that the family has primacy.
Matthew: And once he confesses his failings and resumes his role within the family, everything starts to work properly. He starts leading; the family starts working together as a unit. Violet comes out of her shell — what made her embarrassed and different now makes her cool.
Ernie: During the big battle scene, they all function as parts of a whole, succeeding as a family where he couldn't succeed on his own.