When people talk about family friendly movies, usually they involve animated features, bright colors, and talking animals. For 2012, however, pro family movies have involved shipwrecks, tigers, and in the case of The Impossible, tsunamis. Set in the wake of the 2004 Tsunami that destroyed lots of southern Asia, The Impossible tells the true story of a family separated by this tsunami and their attempts to find one another. Pro-family advocates should show this movie to anyone who doubts the importance of family values and how they motivate the human spirit.
The straightforward story starts with a (Spanish in real life, English here) family going on vacation on one of those Asian islands: dad Henry (Ewan McGregor), mom Maria (Naomi Watts), and sons Lucas (Tom Holland), Simon (Oaklee Pendergast), and Thomas (Samuel Joslin). In 20 minutes, we learn that Henry and Maria are traveling but loving parents, Lucas is irritated by Simon’s fears (Maria has similar ones), and Maria was once a doctor. Then we get to the fateful day, where the tsunami plunges into their little resort and divides the family. Lucas and Maria get pulled away by the current away from the resort, resulting in serious injuries for Maria. Henry, Simon, and Thomas end up together, but Henry is compelled to search for Lucas and Maria and has to decide whether to leave his kids in the hands of others.
Let’s get the negatives out of the way before focusing on the (vastly superior) positives. The climax, while satisfying to see, gives the audience the feeling of being a puppet. I groaned at every near-miss of the principals (and there are several), which is supposed to generate suspense. I also found some of the dialogue from survivors trying to help the family members (mainly the kids) to be a little too convenient, when just an ear was probably enough, as well as a drifting floating lantern ceremony. These moments keep the impossible from being great, merely letting it settle into deeply satisfying.
Who knew movies didn’t need CGI to be successful? The tsunami sequence was staged by the special effects and visual effects teams, and wonderfully shot by director Juan Antonio Bayona. The warning sequence takes Jurassic Park’s water sequence and projects the deeply unnerving faces as they look up and see the sky is relatively sunny. There is no time for goodbyes for the family since there was no warning; and once the tsunami hits, the rotating bodies in the water, the water color (especially when punctured), and the debris give the chaos a very realistic feel. Once the tsunami concludes, the wasteland is beautifully panoramed by the cinematographer and masterfully constructed by the set designer. The devastation and wasteland creates a menacing calm when you are alone, and some sheer sadness hearing people call for loved ones. In addition, the hospital shanty towns are sources of chaos and panic. The sets are very real and serve as an additional “cast member” for the Impossible.
While building its story around the central family, The Impossible never forgets that the story is much bigger than them. Sure their story is a positive one, but there are lasting effects of the tsunami for several families. The impossible does a good job balancing good stories with bad ones, and keeps the central story in its proper perspective.
In a disaster like the tsunami, The Impossible would argue that the biggest problem is the enormity of your task to reunite with a loved one. All modes of communication are now severed, and if you were to ever feel alone, this is the time. The Impossible shows this post disaster with distant shouts of “Dad!” or “Sweetheart!”, packed bulletin boards of names, and archaic practices of hospitals. Lucas experiences this the most, since his mother often gets moved into and out of surgery without his knowledge and since no one speaks English, he is left in a panic shouting for his mom. These intimate moments also have high points: a small gesture in the wake of this traumatic event can help lift a person’s spirit. In a world with severed communications, a chance at a phone call, an offer of help, or a simple hug or ear may not be the family member you want, but it does feel like part of a society, which in and of itself has comforts of normalcy.
Back to the central family. The Impossible does a great job of showcasing how a family unit can cause people to do great things. With Henry, Simon, and Thomas, Henry gives Simon the hope that he can rise to the occasion to be a good big brother for Thomas and be brave, despite the fact that he is only 7 or 8 years old. Lucas and Maria’s relationship is much more complicated: Lucas is now in a power position since his mom is really hurt. He has to grapple with the fact that he must be ready to act to get his mom the help she needs. In doing so, he must risk being separated from her and possibly her dying, which is a position he was not ready for. Maria has to come to terms with the fact that she can’t protect Lucas, but she can teach him how to become a man by showing sympathy to a child, a helpless man, or a catatonic woman. Maria’s wisdom and comfort keep Lucas from panicking, and allow him to grow and deal with his situation as the movies goes on.
There is lots of good acting in the Impossible. Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor are both solid in their roles. McGregor gets a more standout moment on the phone, but Watts does a good job in a more helpless position. More importantly, I heard she almost drowned in the tsunami sequence, which shows some serious dedication. However, two of the kids deserve credit. Samuel Joslin as the middle child gets a great moment with Ewan McGregor showing how scared he is and how he must become the brave older brother. He doesn’t get a lot of screen time, but he uses it best he can. The real standout here is Tom Holland playing Lucas. Lucas has to go through many complicated emotions in this movie: power, panic, fear, sadness, enthusiasm. One scene in particular involving name tags where Holland wordlessly looks around the room he is in conveys a power usually only seen in veteran actors. 2012 has been a good year for kid actors, and Holland adds his name to the list.
The 2004 tsunami has been classified as one of the most (if not the most) devastating event in terms of life in Southern Asia. I remember seeing the panorams and wondering how anyone could survive in there and what they must have been going through. Although The Impossible showcases tragedy I could have expected, it also gives me hope that there are people like the central family that can rise to the occasion and help others. The Impossible reminds us that unexpected things always happen, but not all of them are bad, and that the support of a family can cause people to do great things.