Kiddy Kubby: Take me to your leader...please

By Liv Dunleavy

Liv Dunleavy / THE GATEPOST

Asst. Arts & Features Editor Have you ever felt like no one gets you? Like you’re on a giant floating rock in a solar system in space, so small compared to the vastness of it all, and there’s no one out there for you? Have you ever felt alone? Deep, huh? Well, Elio Solís, an 11-year-old boy and the main character of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios’ recent film “Elio,” has unfortunately had the same feelings. He also felt alone, unwanted, and different. In typical Pixar fashion, he’s lost his parents in an unknown incident, and is seen as a social outcast. With the loss of his parents, he’s left to the care of his aunt Olga, and she just doesn’t get him. She works as an Air Force major, giving up her dream of becoming an astronaut to take care of her nephew after the loss. It’s mentioned throughout the film, and each time it hurts to watch both Olga and Elio’s reactions. He is relentless in his pursuit of his own abduction after his discovery of a museum’s closed Voyager 1 spacecraft exhibit, where he found out there was a chance of someone, something, out there, and they might want him in a way people on Earth don’t. Within every plot point of this movie, I found myself gravitationally pulled toward my TV, with laughter ripped out of my ribcage, a gasp stolen from my lungs, and tears cascading down my cheek. I’m honestly mad at Pixar for creating a movie this good after “Luca” (my favorite movie). And it doesn’t stop at the stellar script. No, the movie sends my emotions sky-rocketing with out-of-this-world animation. The lighting, character design, set design, and the sound, everything dazzled with these cosmic creative decisions. Pixar did NOT come to play with this movie. I was starstruck. It felt so real in the most unhinged way, because of course I couldn’t compare watching a baby alien being swaddled by its dad alien to a real human experience, but for some reason it was as if I were really there. The number of times I cried thinking, “oh gosh, this hits so close to home” was five too many. There are layers upon layers to this film. The good, the bad, the funny - the horror - I couldn’t fit every feeling I felt watching this movie onto the silly sheets meant to help you find your current emotion. When asked “which one of these is you,” it felt like Elio could see me when he looked at the emotions sheet, shrugged, pointed at the face labelled overwhelmed, and casually said, "I don't know, but I think this one is you.” Cue the camera panning up at what seems to be a crazed woman. The aliens created for this movie are a delight, each of them coming from different planets with their own personality and quirks. They banter in the silliest way and their character design was wonderful. From blob-ulous beings and robot geniuses, to the freaking Universal Users Manual who knows the meaning of life, every character felt like a friend. I kinda wanted to join them too. The movie was particularly interesting because I love astronomy, and the number of references to space terms, be it planets, nebulas, spacecraft, and typical space jargon, was all the more reason for me to geek out about it. They even had an audio clip from Dr. Carl Sagan, one that brought me to tears each time. I found myself going “he said the thing!” whenever Elio mentioned anything space related, and I don’t know if that’s what Pixar was going for with this movie, but if so - you got me! There are many reasons to watch this film. The hilarious communication between humans and aliens plus the space puns are a big one, but, if I took anything away from this movie, and if it's anything I can give to you, it’s that being different does not mean you’re alone. And if you think you’re different, or alone, or both, I kindly ask you to rush to Disney+ and get cozy with some tissues, because you aren’t alone, and neither is Elio. OK, Bye. I love you.