12/29/14

I did NOT know that the night of taking my four-year-old to a kid movie, I’d be writing a grief and loss movie review.

Disney’s Big Hero 6 centers around Hiro, a fourteen-year-old genius who’s already graduated high school, and his big brother, Tadashi, who’s in college… and who tragically dies in a horrible accident. I’m not talking about back story, but after you’ve gotten to know him; in the movie. It was very sad. And very shocking to me.

Also surprising is how well it was handled. But it shouldn’t be something so out of the ordinary. Everyone will suffer profound loss at some point in his/her life.

Baymax (the white Michelin Man/marshmallow-looking robot you may have seen in previews) is a healthcare robot project that big brother Tadashi was working on. When Baymax realizes Hiro is suffering profoundly after losing his brother, he literally downloads into his “brain” How to help someone suffering from loss. And then does those things for Hiro.

First, he wordlessly gave Hiro a big warm hug.

He called Hiro’s friends to support and be with him—even through Hiro’s protests. If whatever he was doing at a given time was helping Hiro feel better, he kept doing it. He scanned Hiro after an exciting “fly-over” of the metropolis, and noticed his adrenaline was elevated—he was happy. So they took another spin.

Where can I get a Baymax—Brookstone?

I want a personal grief assistant to scan me and know what I need. Because much of the time I don’t even know. And I’m certainly not good at saying what I need. My Baymax would know when I need an ear. A shoulder. A stupidfunny movie like “Bridesmaids” or “Superbad.” A chick flick like “Love Actually.” A tear jerker like… well, everything’s a tear jerker. A hot bath. A girls’ night out. A girls’ night in. Chocolate. A Kade story.

Even if your loved one is gone (they never used the word died), he is always with you. When grieving little brother Hiro didn’t want to listen, or hear, or accept that message throughout the movie, it was repeated. It was that important.

He is always with you. He’s always with you.

The movie spoke to the physical aspects of grief. What?! It addressed pain: both kinds. It dealt with anger and revenge. I could relate to being so angry you want to hurt someone. And on the flip side, to gentle souls exemplifying that doing good is what really honors your loved one.

He is always with me. He’s always with me.

I give this sweet (and really very funny!) movie nine out of ten flannels.