Hello and welcome back to Popcorn Perspectives!
After taking some time off after completing my post grad studies, I excited to jump back into the Popcorn Perspectives blog!
In my time off, I’ve watched a lot of movies and series, read a lot about different creatives. I’ve been moved, motivated and inspired by many of the different stories I’ve watched and I cannot wait to share my favourites with you all!
Coming back to Popcorn Perspectives, I knew my first post had to be meaningful and to me there’s no better way to start this next chapter of Popcorn Perspectives than Pixar’s Onward!
So grab the popcorn, dim the lights and get cozy as we take a look at Onward!
Pixar’s 2020 film Onward draws inspiration from it’s director’s real life. Taking the audience on a magical quest with warlock brothers Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt) to bring their dad back to life for Ian’s 16th birthday.
About the film:
Onward follows the Lightfoot brothers as they are tasked with a magical quest left by their late father, to cast a spell to bring him back to life for one day only.
Their father passed away before Ian was born, leaving him with nothing but a tape recording of his voice to remember him by.
While Barley was young when their father past, he has strong vivid memories of their time together. Many of which he would share with Ian to try to help him get to know their father.
For as long as Ian can remember he has always dreamed out what life would like like if his father was still alive. He often thinks about what his father would be like or the type of relationship they would have.
The film follows the pair on their journey to cast a spell to bring their father back to life for one full day, from sunrise to sunset.
In typical Pixar fashion, the casting of the spell doesn’t go as planned. The boys are only able to cast their father’s lower half and must go a quest to bring the rest of his body back before sunset.
Over the course of the quest the brothers bond over their father, as Ian tries to get to know his father without being able to talk to him and Barely relives the memories they had made.
The brothers must work together to overcome the various obstacles that get in their way and their difference to finish the spell to bring their father back.
Brining real life onto the screen:
The film is a beautiful exploration of a burning question many people face: what would you do if you could bring a loved one back?
And that’s exactly what Dan Scanlon, the director and writer of Onward did.
He created Onward, based off his own experience of losing his father at a young age. Like in the film, his father wasn’t one for pictures and was not featured in many family photo albums. However, he did leave a tape recording of his voice.
And just like Ian, Dan grew up listing to the voice on the tape wondering about what his father would be like and what their relationship would be like.
Creating Onwards allowed him to explore his emotions and thoughts of losing his father and growing up without him by his side.
The film followed his questions and curiosity of the age old question, what would you do if you could bring a loved one back?
Exploring the mixed bag of nervousness, the excitement and the confusion one would face. Providing audiences an authentic look into grief and healing.
With the film showcasing that just because someone isn’t physical with you doesn’t mean that their not with.
You can catch his story on the Disney+ series Inside Pixar season 1 episode 5 Inspired Dan Scanlon, Where Idea’s Come From!
My ratings:
Story: 9/10
Onward has a great story that is easily connectable for everyone from children to adults.
Covering the topics of grief and loss of a parent in a manner where children can understand, connect to and learn from.
The film is easily accessible with the surface level of the story being easily digestible for younger audiences. With deeper layers uncovered throughout the film for older audiences to connect too.
Overall, the story Onward is great and can be used as a great resource for audiences of all ages experiencing grief and loss.
Impact: 10/10
Onward, does what Pixar and Disney do best … tug at your heart strings.
Hitting the nail on the head when it comes to tackling the complexities of grief and losing a loved one in a child friendly manner.
The film shows an authentic and provides natural look into the journey of grief and learning that letting go of someone doesn’t mean forgetting them.
Highlighting different ways we can preserve our loved ones legacy, and teaching us that we don’t need to know everything about a person to be connected to them.
Overall, Onward has a strong story and excellent execution. Making the story easy to connect, and making the lessons easy take aways.
Characters: 8/10
Ian:
By far Ian is my favourite character in the film. Watching his confidence grow was the highlight. From becoming a shy teen who was nervous of everything to turning turning down his dream for the sake of his brother, was an absolute delight to watch!
He carried the depth of this film and brought a layer of authenticity to the film and the story.
Barley:
Barley was a typical Chris Pratt character, loveable but can be a bit much at times.
His character brought humour and assisted in bring the deeper topics and layers of the story to light in a child friendly manner.
Final thoughts:
Overall, I really enjoyed Onward and have used it as a comfort film after my own father’s unexpected passing in 2022.
The film taught me not only to cherish the memories we create with our loved ones, but to continue to honour their legacy.
Losing my father was the hardest thing I have ever had to go through. I was constantly thinking about what my life would look like if he was still here.
I would try to image us celebrating all of the milestones he is going to miss, just like Ian. Wondering what my life could’ve looked like if he was still by my side.
Coming back to the film after experiencing the loss of my father brought me a sense of comfort and of pride. It taught me to be grateful for the moments we shared and the memories we created together. While it also taught me although he is not physically with me, he will always be by my side.
Helping me embrace my new life, while also learning how to ensure his legacy lives on.
If you or someone you know has experienced or are experiencing the loss of a loved one, I highly recommend giving Onward a watch!
Thank you for reading!
Thank you for reading my take on Onward! I hope you enjoyed my take on Onward! Stay tuned for more blog posts coming soon and be sure to follow Popcorn Perspectives on Instagram and TikTok!
Have you seen Onward before, if so comment down what did you think? If you haven’t are you planning on adding it your watch list? Comment down below, I’d love to know!
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