4 Things Parents Should Know about Pixar's Elemental

Ember is a feisty young woman with a positive attitude, a drive to succeed and a quick temper that often gets in the way.

When Ember gets angry, she blows up. Literally.

That’s because Ember is literally made of fire and resides with her fiery family in Element City, where the other elemental citizens live. There’s the water citizens. And the land citizens. And the air citizens. These elements often interact – they chat and they say their “hellos” – but they dare not touch.

“Elements don’t mix,” we are told.

Back to Ember: She works for her father in a family-owned store that sells the necessary items you need if you’re made of fire – fire-starter and lighter fluid, for instance.

Unfortunately for Ember, her short fuse can be a problem in customer relations. One day, she wisely walks away from an argument, only to explode (literally) in the basement, causing widespread damage and – aghast – water damage from the sprinklers.

That’s when she bumps into Wade, a member of the water element community who is a city inspector. He’s her polar opposite – patient and empathetic. He also cries … a lot.

Despite their differences, they quickly hit it off.

Can a woman who is made of fire and a man who is composed of water find romance?

The new Pixar/Disney movie Elemental tells the story of Ember, Wade and their families. It stars Leah Lewis as Ember and Mamoudou Athie as Wade.

Here are four things parents should know:

Photo courtesy: ©Disney, used with permission.

1. It's a Flashback to the Pixar Movies of Old

Remember when Pixar movies were released in theaters and always included original content? That Elemental. Since the 2020 pandemic hit, three Pixar films (Soul, Luca and Turning Red) have gone straight to Disney Plus. A fourth movie (Lightyear) debuted in theaters but was a spin-off of a previous film (the Toy Story franchise).

Honestly, the film isn’t among Pixar’s greatest products. It’s slow at times. It’s confusing at times. Even so, it gives us something – originality – that’s becoming rare at the box office. Even before the film even begins we get to enjoy a fun Pixar Short film: Carl’s Date, which spotlights the elderly man from Up.

Elemental is a flashback to the pre-pandemic days when we got to watch box office films with new characters in fantastical worlds instead of the ones we’ve watched a dozen times. (And instead of watching them at home on a small screen.) Kudos to Pixar for that.

Photo courtesy: ©Disney, used with permission.

2. It's all about Loving those Who Look Different

At the beginning of the film, we watch Ember’s parents move to the city and search for a place to rent. They’re turned away by landlords from the air community. They’re also turned away by citizens from the land community. Of course, there seemingly are practical reasons for the shunning – fire can evaporate clouds and burn down trees – but as Ember and Wade later show us, elements can indeed mix.

The plot thickens when Ember’s mother accepts Wade but Ember’s father rejects him, offended by a comment. Her dad even places a picture of Wade above the store counter, reminding employees not to welcome him.

“Fire and water cannot be together,” someone says.

Eventually, Wade and Ember hold hands. Incredibly, both survive. She’s not extinguished. He doesn’t disappear (remember – he’s made of water).

The film urges us to embrace people who look different. It encourages us to love them. It reminds us that we probably have more in common than we think. Elemental is not a Christian movie, but the message nevertheless seems straight out of the Bible.

Photo courtesy: ©Disney, used with permission.

3. It's about Individualism and Following Your Heart

Elemental has a few good lessons, yet it continues the ubiquitous me-centric message found in Disney movies. Ember’s father assumes she will take over the shop once he retires. Ember, though, has no desire to follow in his footsteps. Their different desires clash when Ember meets Wade, who wants her to run away with him.

“You've got an opportunity to do something you want with your life,” he tells her late in the film.

But Ember’s family, she tells Wade, is not a “follow your heart” family.

“Getting to do what you want is a luxury,” she says.

Wade retorts that a “strong” person would walk away from the shop.

“You're just afraid,” he says.

The Bible says something much different. Instead of following our heart – which the Bible calls wicked – we are to follow God. Following Him includes sacrifice. Sometimes, it even includes doing what we don’t want to do. God will then change your heart. How would that message apply to Ember? I don’t know. But it’s the message kids need to hear.

Photo courtesy: ©Disney, used with permission.

4. It Includes a Few Speed Bumps for Families

Elemental is rated PG for some peril, thematic elements and brief language. The language is “pushing the boundaries” stuff, but still noteworthy. Someone tells another person to “get up off your lazy ash.” We hear someone complain about a “fluffin’ leak” – a replacement for the F-word. We also hear “gosh” and “dang.”

Wade jokes that he may do a “little pruning” on the date. (Ember says that won’t happen.) At the end of the film, they kiss.

The film also includes a lesbian couple, continuing Disney’s goal of placing LGBT characters in its plots. (At his home, Wade introduces Ember to his sister and “her girlfriend.”)

Finally, Elemental includes a religious element, when Ember tells Wade how she would “pray to the blue flame.” We also see a couple of brief ceremonies around that flame, with people sitting around a table, trying to determine the future.

Elemental isn’t one of the best animated movies of 2023. Still, Pixar should get lots of credit for trying something new.

Entertainment rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Family-friendly rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Photo courtesy: ©Disney, used with permission.

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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