THE BIG ROBOT THAT DID: First is the dumbing down process. Considering Hollywood stories these
days, there isn't much more dumbing down one can do, as Hollywood continues
to make movies based on the premise that half of us are drooling, infantile
idiots. The rest of us, it would seem, are too apathetic to really care,
and readily hand over our cash like automatons whose sole need is to be
entertained even if that entertainment consists of a brief snicker during
a film's two hours.
The big mistake children's movies make is thinking that the world's
youth is far more stupid than it really is. Children's filmmakers should
not be fooled by a toddler's seeming love for Barney. Sure, they get ino
the purple, the goofy voice and the jingly tunes but, as they mature,
they see him for the dark purple Knight of Hell that he is.
Second is the adult consideration. For some bizarre reason (and I blame
Disney) children's movies not only try to cater to children but they also
try to cater to adults. Generally, they do this by tossing in a little
romance for the Moms, a big-breasted, cleavage-baring heroine wearing
practically nothing for the Dads, and some violence that always seems
a might extreme.
I wonder why children's movies can't just be children's movies. Then
I realize that parents are far too selfish to sit through seventy minutes
of something that holds no interest for them simply because it might be
enjoyed by their child. They park the tots in front of Barney so Barney
can babysit. They don't actually watch Barney. If they did, the
television sets would be off and they'd be finding the nearest park. Or
at least switching the channel to Rugrats, shouts of dissension from the
tikes be damned.
The Iron Giant, written and directed by the ex-The Simpson's
executive consultant Brad Bird, and starring the voices of Jennifer Aniston
and Harry Connick, Jr., does not fall into either of these traps, yet
still manages to be a fantastic movie for both adults and kids.
Quick synopsis: a giant thing falls from the heavens and is discovered
by a little boy, Hogarth. Hogarth is fatherless (cliche #1 that is dealt
with well) who has a Mom who is a waitress and barely making ends meet
(cliche #2 that is dealt with well, not to mention Mom is voiced by Aniston,
who does this duty well).
Giant and boy make friends and instead of Giant teaching boy fatherly
lessons, boy teaches Giant worldly lessons - for example, how to deal
with death (touching on what happens after death) and how to make a good
choice for your destiny. Nice adult themes put forth beautifully, understandable
to a kid but intelligent enough to keep the attention of an adult.
Set during the red-scare 1950s where the Giant is feared as a communist
weapon of death, there is a twist to the story that is slightly unexpected
and may be a bit frightening for very young children. (Another parental
warning - there are several curse words that were deliberately included
in order to get a PG rating. The filmmakers felt this movie probably should
not be seen by children under the age of six.) It is hard to say why this
film touched me so much. Perhaps it is because it isn't often that anyone
can effectively deal with spirituality. Perhaps it was that it is refreshing
in this day and age of violence and tragedy that a story teaches the lesson
of free will and the right way to use that gift even when the resources
are at hand to abuse it. Perhaps it was just because Harry Connick, Jr.
has a sexy voice, or that the movie was often hysterically funny, or that
the Giant was absolutely adorable and I will admit to falling in love.
It doesn't matter what it was that touched me. It is just important to
not only note that it touched me but that I also learned from it. At my
age! I actually learned from a kids' movie. Bravo to our Giant and Hogarth
and everyone else involved in this delightful piece of animation that
I would recommend to anyone of any age.
***
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE FOLLOWING MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS OF THE MOVIE:
Brad Bird was at my screening and, after the film, patiently answered
many questions, the majority put forth by the kids in the audience. In
fact, every question I concocted to ask was inquired by a kid before I
could get my mouth open. Smart little nits.
Bird said that the film took two and a half years from first outline
to finish of film. This is half the time a Disney animated film takes.
They made The Iron Giant with half the money as well, because,
as Bird said, the people who worked on the film were young and the film
didn't need to be made "by committee."
Warner Bros. had the rights to Ted Hughes' book, The Iron Man.
Bird adapted it, making many changes, including setting the movie in the
paranoia of the fifties.
Bird wanted to "Set this guy in an atmosphere..." where there was a "suspicion
of anything different..." where "Everything is wholesome [in the 50's]
yet everyone is getting ready to be bombed." This paranoia wasn't in the
book, and Bird had to fight to get it into the film, but it worked beautifully.
The film was created around the premise of "What if a gun had a soul
and didn't want to be a gun." Gorgeous idea and handled well by Bird as
he gave us a struggle with the Giant and Hogarth as they both try to fight
against the core meaning behind the being of the Giant. Quite a valiant
struggle with a dramatic, thoughtful and remarkably sad ending.
Lovell Mahan-Moutaw
IRON GIANT
by Lovell Mahan-Moutaw
I can imagine that making a children's movie isn't easy.