Written by Charlie Chappell. Photo courtesy of SCAD Savannah Film Festival.
Yesterday at the Trustees Theater, Peter Sohn’s “Elemental” proved that Pixar can always draw a crowd through charming visuals and beautiful storytelling. From the film’s groundbreaking animation to the heart-wrenching story moments that Pixar is known for, “Elemental” left me smiling from ear to ear, and needing tissues.
The film follows the main characters, Ember Lumen (a representation of second-generation immigrants in the U.S.) from Fireland, and Wade Ripple, a city inspector from a long line of artists in the water community. “Elemental” gives the fire and water trope its own unique spin with much deeper levels of storytelling. The story at a glance is simple, but the film will leave you feeling warm inside and in awe of masterful storytelling.
After the showing of the film, the Q&A with director and longtime Pixar employee, Peter Sohn, gave more insight into his process in creating the film, explaining that his personal life had a large impact on the movie. “Whatever’s going on in your life just seeps into the work that you’re doing,” he said. He then expressed the difficult time that he went through while the project was in full swing. “Both of my parents passed away during the making of this film,” he said. “It was a very challenging time.”
Once again, Pixar hits a home run with “Elemental” proving that children’s movies are for adults, too.
