ParaNorman: Breaking the Norm
In ParaNorman,
the beautiful stop-motion animated film created by LAIKA and Focus Features, a
young boy named Norman Babcock possesses an unusual gift. He is able to see and
speak with the dead just as easily as he does with the living
and, although Norman appreciates his abilities, these powers cause him to be
misunderstood by his family and labeled as an outcast in his small New England
town. It turns out, however, that the same spiritual gift that the town has
persecuted Norman for all these years is also the only thing that can save them
from the wrath that they have brought down upon themselves.
This film is an
entrancing visual journey, with each detail slightly askew, and every
eye-catching character dancing gracefully with its fluid surroundings. However,
it is not the stunning visuals that mark the true beauty of this film, but the
extent to which the filmmakers have pushed traditional boundaries of children’s
movies in order to convey an important message to its audience. This film
covers issues of tolerance from all angles showing us not only the ways in
which children bully each other, but also the ways that many narrow-minded
adults force their agenda on anyone that does not conform to their ideas of
normality— including their own children. It also shows the harsh realization of
the hateful crimes that people commit against each other and how easily—and
justifiably—a victim of these crimes can give up and turn into a bully
themselves.
From the start, we
witness the heartbreaking way in which Norman survives each day. We see a young
boy whose school life is made a hell by his confused classmates who choose to
either avoid or assault him, and whose home life is not much better, with a
father and sister embarrassed of him and a mother who feels helpless in fixing
the situation. The only exception to this is a fellow outcast who befriends
Norman and celebrates his gifts, and Norman’s grandmother who loves him
unconditionally, (however, being that she is dead, her opinions and advice are
not really of much help). Norman leads a melancholy existence but is hopeful
that he will one day understand why he has been given such abilities.
Although the element
in the story that makes Norman different from others does not mirror the
differences that usually cause prejudice in our world, we get a clear picture
of what life is like for people who do not fit in with what society’s majority
deems normal. In an attempt to either punish them for being different or in
order to break them down and change them for “the better”, we witness those in
power working hard to deny these people their basic rights, (such as voting,
marrying, or simply being able to walk down the street without being accosted).
However, this film not only carries a message to those that spew intolerance,
but also to the people—and especially the children— who must endure it.
This precious film
sends an important message to children that each person has their own unique
abilities, talents, and ways of being. It teaches kids to cherish their
individuality, not to be ashamed of it or conform to what ignorant people
define as normal. Other people might not always understand the paths that we
are on, and we may not even understand them ourselves, but we all possess gifts
that make each of us more important than we could possibly know. This is what
the film tries to get across.
I was pleased to see a
children’s movie that encourages kids to follow who they are and which outright
addresses many of the issues of the intolerance that prevents them from doing
so. However, I was disappointed (though not surprised) to later read just how
many of those ideas flew right over the heads of the exact audience members at
whom they were being directed.
In a brief spot at the
end of the story, it is made known that one of the characters is gay. This was
enough to make many adults in the theater laugh and cheer, as it noticeably
marked a progressive jump in mainstream children’s animated features, as well as a
small triumph in the gay rights movement. Unfortunately, it was also
enough to spark a controversy among those who do not want this to happen.
Many right-wing parent
groups were appalled by the fact that the filmmakers would not only dare put a
homosexual character in a children’s movie, but also have the nerve to actually
present such a thing as totally normal to the other characters. These parents
advised other families not to let their children see the film, as being made
aware of homosexuality at such an early age could either desensitize their kids
to the "abnormality of homosexuality", or “worse,” make their children gay.
Some parents said that
they did not have a problem with the fact that one of the characters was a
homosexual, but simply did not want to have “that talk” with their kids on the
way home from the show. I wondered just how oblivious these parents were to the fact
that they accurately (and predictably) mirrored the film’s prejudiced mob which
ultimately put themselves, their society, and even their own children at risk.
Apparently, to these
parents, intolerance should only cover subjects that they feel should be
tolerated. And that is exactly the problem. By pretending that there is no other
sexual orientation than heterosexuality or worse, to acknowledge
that homosexuality exists and then to condemn it, these parents are virtually
guaranteeing their children a future of confusion and non-acceptance with the
world around them. Whether they meet other people who are gay in the future
(which they will) or turn out to be gay, themselves (which, just like
heterosexuality, no movie can cause and no type of upbringing can prevent), it
will be a source of shock and bewilderment to them. Why would any parent do
that to their child?
I brought my
five-year-old nephew to see ParaNorman and he thoroughly enjoyed the
film. Although he was a bit scared at times (as it was refreshingly spookier
than what we usually find in children’s movies nowadays), he joined the gang on
the adventure and shared their surprise at each new twist in the story. He was
disgusted by the rage of the ignorant mob of adults and sympathized with the
innocent victims who bore the mental and physical violence of their wrath.
And yes, he caught the
small part about the fact that one of the characters was a homosexual. He
thought it was a cute joke—as it was meant to be. He was not confused by the fact
that there was a gay character, nor was he shocked by the fact that the other
characters did not bat an eyelash at the revelation—and he certainly did not
question his own sexuality on the ride home (which many right-wing parent
groups have raised concerns about).
To be clear, not all
children will be as understanding about this fact— but to be fair, my nephew
was not raised to be a bigot. He is fully aware that the world is made up of an
amazing variety of people. From the beginning, he was taught that just as there
are people who dress differently and listen to different types of music than he
does, there are also people of other races, religions, and sexual orientation
than his own. We do not have to teach him to be okay with this, because he was
never taught not to be okay with it in the first place.
As adults, we look
back on our childhood and wonder how we could have been so cruel to others. As
societies age, they look back at the generations that came before them and wonder
how they could have been so blind—how people could have allowed such injustices
to happen to their fellow man, or worse, could have been a part of it,
themselves. Though these hate groups never seem to realize it at the time and
wholeheartedly believe that what they are doing is for the greater good, you do
not have to be psychically gifted to realize that all they are doing is
perpetuating fear and hatred in the world and ensuring that it will always
remain that way.
As the movie shows,
seldom does society learn from their past mistakes and instead commits the same
horrific acts over and over under different guises, always leading humanity one
step closer to its own destruction. And, although the movie sends a message
that it is never too late to change and to accept others, it also issues a
warning that there is some damage that can never be undone, no matter how badly
you regret it later on. This film asks you to put yourself in the place of
those who have been brutally persecuted for innocently leading their lives— and
it sincerely hopes for a different and better future for your children.
Although the people who could have benefited most from this
message of love and tolerance clearly missed it, with any luck the idea will
resonate with those for whom the film was most intended— the children who may
still have a chance to love and accept others despite their differences, and
most importantly, to love and accept themselves.
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