Just some Clade family shenanigans! Strange World is now out on Disney +! Hope y'all can check it out and meet this adorbs fam, their dynamic was super fun to board.❤️
One thing I love Strange World is that there's no "villain" in a sense. Like Encanto, and Turning Red, it's just about families working through their problems with a little danger and spectacle thrown in as a little bonus.
The thing about not wanting to be like your parents only to unknowingly turn out just like them is actually crazy and I love how they did it in the film. Showing that it isn't too late for you to be better is a really cool concept to play with.
It's been noted and joked how Strange World has followed this decade's trend of having generational trauma be the real villain.
However, it's important to note that it in many aspects goes in the opposite direction of Encanto and Turning Red.
The Madrigals unquestioningly following Alama's edicts, as well as Ming upholding the tradition of repressing everything, lead to burdens that they passed down.
In contrast, Searcher from a young age rejects Jaeger's toxic obsession with exploration. However, in not really coming to terms with it, his visceral rejection becomes every bit as toxic. Which not only leads to him having the outlook that "everything related to exploration is bad", instead of "exploration isn't my cup of tea", but trying to force that on Ethan.
Which speaks to the situation where a lot to people who have left really toxic/dangerous upbringings but, because they didn't actually deconstruct things, become just as unpleasant and toxic in the new space they come to.
My whole life, I worked so hard to be the exact opposite of my dad. And, uh, looks like I ended up just like him. I just wanted so badly to build you a legacy you could be proud of. But I might’ve got a little bit caught up in it.
So, this might be extremely obvious, but I'm not sure how much this is talked about outside the midwest so??
Strange World's environmental message is a direct reference to monocrop farming, the use of pesticides, and other farming practices that produce more crops but harm soil and the Earth.
The fact that the entire society relies almost entirely on one crop to sustain it? The fact that the second that crop becomes useless or harms the Earth to a degree we can't ignore anymore, our society is going to have to start anew? The fact that the people in charge actively ignore damage to the environment until their own lives are visibly at risk?
That's all us.
The director, Don Hall, is from Iowa and released an introduction before the movie to Iowa theaters where he talks about how much of Iowa is in the film, and how Searcher is a lot like his dad, an Iowa farmer.
Searcher is the protagonist. He's shown to be a likable guy. And yet, his farming practices are harming the Earth, he's not listening to his son about living harmoniously with nature, and he doesn't become a good guy (imo) until the end where he's destroyed everything he's worked for for the sake of the planet.
This movie is a fantasy but it's directly grounded in concrete parallels to our own world, and I love it
Ethan Clade- The LGBTQ+ Rep We've Been Waiting For
So I just got around to watching Strange World the other day, and it made me UNBELIEVABLY happy.
(Mild spoilers ahead)
I had heard we were going to get a gay character but I was afraid it was going to go one of two ways: It would be something that could easily be brushed aside (not overtly gay, or in a very minor scene with a minor character), or that it would be portrayed in an annoying way (as in, the gay character would be a stereotype or have that be the only part of his personality).
I was very very happy to find out Strange World did none of these things. The gay character in question was Ethan Clade, one of the main protagonists the movie followed. This on its own was huge, as it makes Ethan the first openly gay protagonist in an animated Disney film. Ethan only interacts with his crush (a male character named Diazo) twice throughout the film, and in one scene it is just a short clip. However, it is referenced several times as well. Just after their first scene together, Ethan's father reminisces about his own first crush in reference to his son and Diazo. Ethan can also be seen rehearsing a made-up conversation with Diazo while walking through the forest. Later, he has a conversation with his grandfather, where Diazo is explicitly stated to be Ethan's "sweetheart". In none of these scenes are Ethan's family shocked by his sexuality. They simply accept it as part of him without any dramatic scene of "coming out".
While Ethan's gayness cannot simply be brushed away, it is also NOT the only part of his character. It is only one part of who Ethan is. He does not spend the whole movie focusing on his crush, nor is he a walking stereotype. He is a kid who loves adventure and card games, who cares very deeply about nature and his family, and who wants to find a way for people to peacefully interact with the world around them.
The character of Ethan Clade is a huge step for Disney. I hope more people go watch this movie, and I'd love to see more content about Ethan and Diazo soon.
Some storyboards from #StrangeWorld ! Some of these were cut for time but it was so fun boarding a montage of Searcher & Ethan farming & growing together through the years (& seeing how much papa loves his kiddo)❤️ bringing the Clade family’s realistic dynamic & relationships to life was a challenge and a blast.
Unimaginable things include (but are not limited to): lustful actions, murder, sexy murder, screaming, petting the man so hard that his hair falls out, becoming one with him, etc..
Searcher and Meridian naming their child “Ethan” is really funny at first glance because he’s the only person we know in universe to have a traditional/“normal” name, but it really goes to show how much his parents just wanted to give him a normal life