In case you didn't watch it, this superhero movie is about the post-hero years, when normal people began to be afraid of supers, forcing them to hide their superpowers and live a normal life. This doesn't sit well with Bob Parr (a.k.a. Mr. Incredible) because he wants to fulfil his purpose, which is to use his superstrength to help people. So he secretly goes on missions, neglecting his greater purpose which is to be a husband and father to his now-confused family of supers. It ends well, of course, but before they get there, all sorts of dangerous events happened (the plane blowing up tops my list of most horrific scenes for a parent to ever watch on screen!). If you haven't watched this movie, you have to!!!
I loved The Incredibles because of that scene when Helen Parr (a.k.a. Elastigirl) confesses to Edna Mode her fear that Mr. Incredible was having an affair. Here it is:
Helen: Now I'm losing him! What'll I do? What'll I do?
Edna: What are you talking about?
Helen: Huh?
Edna: [shouts] You are Elastigirl! My God... [swats Helen with a newspaper] Pull yourself together! What will you do? Is this a question? You will show him you remember that he is Mr. Incredible, and you will remind him who YOU are. Well, you know where he is. Go, confront the problem. Fight! Win!
I remember watching that scene and feeling so EMPOWERED! It didn't tell a wife to forgive and be long-suffering. It didn't tell her to confront the other woman. It told her to remember WHO SHE IS. I love that so much! I apply that to many times of doubt in my own life. When I think no one's going to hire me anymore, when I torture myself with thoughts that I'm old and Vince may not be attracted to me anymore, when I'm so tired from mommying and think nobody sees me, I slap myself with an imaginary newspaper and think, "Remember who you are!" And I stand up a little straighter and hold my head a little higher.
As moms, we forget that we are a woman first and foremost. We give and give and give that we forget that under all these ratty clothes, cellulite, piles of laundry and chores, and endless service to family, we forget that we are our own person. Never forget who you are and your own power, mamas!
I am so excited to watch the second movie because this time, Elastigirl is a working mom!
I want to see how they treat her status as the breadwinner and how they treat her husband's status as homemaker. As you know, for 5 years, that was Vince and me. We may look like it was an amazing time but we struggled with the perceptions and judgment of people and we also had to confront our own gender biases. Happily, it all worked out!
That's why I really support movies that show a non-traditional family. It's about time working mothers are celebrated (instead of vilified) and caring dads are appreciated (instead of mocked). I'm not saying roles should be reversed, that dads should stay home now. I'm saying that if a family is better off with a mom who works and a dad who's better with the kids, we should embrace that. I'm saying that if a woman earns more than a man, that shouldn't be a big deal. I'm saying that a mother and father should be able to choose what's best for their family instead of us imposing roles on them.
I'm really hoping The Incredibles 2 treats this matter well. For my sons especially who will watch it and maybe see our family reflected on that screen, I hope they will love what they see.
