Turn of Phrase Blog

Who’s Your Hero?

by Carmen G. Farrell | June 27, 2024

We go to every animated movie that comes to the theatres. That means this month “Inside Out 2”, “The Garfield Movie”, and it means “Despicable Me 4” next month. I love movies in theatres, and while most children grow out of cartoons, I’m okay that Ges (“Jess”), aged 23, probably never will. I like going with him: they’re an insight into his character.

He identifies with heroes who don’t fit in. Buddy the human-sized elf at the North Pole in Will Farrell’s Elf. Nemo and Dory in Finding Nemo. Or characters who communicate differently: Mumble the non-verbal emperor penguin in Happy Feet who can’t sing and therefore can’t attract a mate, or the non-speaking robot Wall-e that decides the fate of humankind. I expect he’ll believe in the mythological beings of childhood his whole life. The Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus.

Imagine how life would be if you always believed in that magic. Imagine if you didn’t conceive concepts like debt. Terrorism?

Ges chooses heroes who embody not fitting in, and kindness, generosity, and bravery. He likes characters who impact the neurotypical around them in generous, positive ways. That’s his life too.

Written by Carmen G. Farrell

An emerging writer and mother of two, Carmen Farrell (she/her) lives in North Vancouver. In her memoir-in-progress, she explores both personal and societal ableism, sharing her experience of raising a son with impairments in a world that devalues disability.

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