The Incredibles (2004) uses superpowers to challenge our assumptions about family roles.
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Transcript provided by Youtube:
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you
00:03
[Music]
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in the incredibles
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each family members superpower
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represents their plates in a traditional
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family dynamic the film uses these
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powers as analogies to ultimately
00:17
challenge our assumptions about
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stereotypical family roles mr.
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incredible the dad has super strength
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which represents his role as head of the
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household and the typically masculine
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idea of being strong for his family
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Elastigirl the mom has the power of
00:32
elasticity which represents her talent
00:35
for being flexible her power corresponds
00:37
to the responsibility often placed on
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mothers to be the linchpin of the family
00:41
holding everyone together violet the
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teenager has the powers of invisibility
00:50
and creating force fields both represent
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her identity as a teen she’s angsty
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creating boundaries between herself and
00:57
those around her and wanting to
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disappear as she’s uncomfortable in her
01:01
own skin – the elementary school-age son
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has SuperSpeed exaggerating the way a
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young boy is full of unlimited and
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unchecked energy and jack-jack the baby
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doesn’t demonstrate his powers until the
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end when it’s revealed that he’s a
01:14
shapeshifter
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this symbolizes a baby’s unlimited
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potential to become anything and anyone
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in his future life at first glance they
01:23
look like a somewhat old-fashioned
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family but before we assume that the
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Incredibles is just perpetuating
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stereotypes or traditions let’s look at
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how the movie also shows the limitations
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of these normative roles each
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character’s superpower presents a life
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conflict that the character only
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resolves through controlling their
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powers mr. incredible strength is a
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crutch for his inability to accept
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emotional turmoil throughout the film
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mr. incredible is unhappy with his life
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of normalcy but he bottles up those
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emotions the result is aggressive
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outbursts that forces family to move
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frequently leading mr. incredible to
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take on blame and sink further into his
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depression when his physical strength is
02:00
restrained he has to confront his
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emotions head-on in the end he comes to
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understand that strength isn’t enough to
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hold his family together without the
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emotional openness that’s normally
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rejected by old
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fashion standards of masculinity you are
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my greatest adventure and I almost
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missed it
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Elastigirl reaches a complimentary
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revelation that she must stop oh is
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stretching herself to meet others needs
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first
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like many mothers whose families
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sometimes demand too much of them she
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finds herself overextended stretched too
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thin so she calls on the family to meet
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her halfway mom bye I’m counting I would
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be something I came counting on you be
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strong
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violet learns to break down her social
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barriers and reach out to others just as
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any teen needs to learn how to negotiate
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her distinct identity and personal
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boundaries while developing mature adult
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communication skills
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– finds he can funnel his energy into
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appropriate outlets instead of pranking
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teachers and being destructive he can
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channel his talent into sports so the
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liability of excessive overactivity
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becomes a strength jack-jack acts as a
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reversal of the theme of self-control
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his growth is found in discovering his
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power as he’s separated from the family
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during the film bolt in his literal
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location and as the only one to seem
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normal by discovering his power he’s
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able to fully connect with his family
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each character grows in a way that
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breaks away from our expectations the
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result reimagines the family unit as an
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evolving dynamic and shows how the
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normal struggles of all phases of life
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challenge even the most incredible among
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us
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you
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This post was previously published on Youtube.
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Photo credit: Screenshot from video