P Couples Analysis: Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl

First thoughts right after watching the Movie

My first thoughts right after watching the movie is that their relationship is so genuine and realistic in the positives and negatives. They lose a bit of themselves after starting a family with one another, and we really get to see how couples really are in daily life. A lot of chemistry and love between the two, and they are just intense either way. Pixar is not one for romantic relationships, but they did this a lot better than most other Disney films.

Summary

We start off the film with superhero interviews, where Mr. Incredible mentions how he wants a simple life and to raise a family. This is a contrast to Elastigirl, who does not want to settle down, and wants to keep up with the men, who are on top of their “career games”. It is unclear if they are together or not at this point, but we do know this is a set-up as to how much they will end up changing after the first sequence.

Their first scene together involves Elastigirl sucker-punching a thief to the floor, and the two soon start their cheeky banter. Something about who has the power of defeating the thief, and it all leads to some sort of sexual connotation about him being more flexible (which is another hint of his character arc), while she literally stretches all over his body. He asks her if she’s doing anything, and she replies that she has a previous engagement. Still bewildered, Mr. Incredible whistles as she struts away.

We come to learn that it’s their wedding night, as Helen is not impressed that he’s late; thinking that their last interaction was only playful banter. Bob mentions her needing to be more flexible, while she seriously tells him that he needs to be more than Mr. Incredible if they want their marriage to work. They get married, and then end up skipping 15 years.

Bob gets a call from his wife while he’s at work, and we learn that they officially move in the house; meaning it took Helen 3 years to unpack all of the boxes. He is not enthused about the phone call, as he is at work, and is very nonchalant about everything she’s saying. We see the couple (and their three children) at the dinner table, where he agrees with Dash about her weird faces to Jack Jack. She is not thrilled with Bob reading the newspaper at the table, and his response regarding Dash being in trouble. Bob goes upstairs to read about a missing superhero, while Helen screams about him needing to engage, as she tries to mediate a fight between her two eldest kids.

He leaves to go to “bowling night” with Lucious (Frozone), and arrives home later than usual, since he thinks everyone will be asleep. Helen is waiting for him, and turns around to give him a glare; claiming he was supposed to be home at 11. Bob tries to diffuse her anger, but she sees a small piece of rubble on his sweatshirt. They start arguing about him reliving the glory days of being a superhero, and we learn that they have had to move time and time again because of this. Bob does not like that she wants to pretend the glory days never happened, and the fact that she’s celebrating mediocrity, instead of letting his kids (Dash) be the best they can be. Helen hovers over him, yelling that Dash’s situation is not about him.

Helen overhears Bob in his room talking to someone, which will a leeway for the storyline of a “misunderstood affair”. After the smoke alarm goes off, Helen calmly speaks to him about how she understands that his job is frustrating, and how the glory days were awesome. Bob is about to tell her that he got fired, but then lies, and claims that they are sending him to a conference.

We get a montage of Bob being overly affectionate to Helen (to the point that they’re chasing each other around the house, and consistently groping one another). Things seem more perfect, as he is also getting more involved with his children’s loves, while he is losing weight and completing these missions. Helen even drags him back into the house (we all know to do what) a few times, right as he’s about to leave for work.

The “affair” plotline continues when she finds a piece of white hair (Mirage’s) on one of his outfits, which is immediately followed by a phone call. Bob demands that he will get it, but she overhears the conversation, hearing a woman’s voice. Helen pops up in his little room to ask him who was on the phone, and then proclaims that she loves him so so much to see his response. Bob only repeats that he loves her as well. She finds his old super outfit is stitched up, so she calls Edna Mode, and finds out that Bob has been doing secret missions, instead of going on a conference for work. Helen cries after the revelation, thinking that she let Bob cheat on her, and how she’s losing her husband.

Helen (and her kids) end up tracking him down, and she finds him hugging Mirage, which sets her off. Her first instinct is to punch the other woman, and rants about Bob’s infidelity. He grabs her as she yells at him, and pulls her in for a kiss, claiming that he would never betray a woman like her.

They run after their kids after Mirage tells them that Violet and Dash set off some sort of system, so they leave to run into the jungle. Helen is still yelling at him for not telling her he got fired, while Bob is just thrilled that she’s alive (since he thought for about 12 hours that his entire family was killed). They reunite with their children, and the two proclaim their love for one another. They learn how to function as a balanced family and to be superheroes, where we skip to 3 months later, where Helen has let loose as well, and how to be more flexible.

Final Thoughts

My final thoughts about these two is that they exemplify and execute the pros and cons about marriage, and how you have to EARN to MAINTAIN that happily ever after. Nothing is easy with these two, and they have more responsibility to manage, but they make it all work, which I appreciate.

 

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