Real Talk

How Disney Pixar’s Elemental Tackled Utang na Loob

by Gretchen Gatan Fragada
June 15, 2023

In Disney Pixar’s Elemental, Ember Lumen is a fiery young woman trying to continue her father’s dream because of all his sacrifices for her.

Disney Pixar’s Elemental is now showing in cinemas nationwide. And as expected from the same studio that brought us Inside Out, Elemental is a heartwarming story featuring Ember Lumen, a fiery young woman and an only child who loves her parents very much. Her father and mother, Bernie and Cinder Lumen, are Elemental City immigrants, where elements, Water, Earth, and Air already co-exist. When they first moved into Elemental City, Bernie built his store, the Fireplace, from scratch. And he grooms Ember to take over as soon as she’s ready.

It’s a very familiar story. One that resonates with many Filipinos looking to take over their family businesses or live out their parents’ dreams. However, in the process, they forget or set aside theirs — something that Ember realizes in the middle of the film after she met Wade Ripple, a go-with-the-flow kind of guy who isn’t afraid to show his emotions.

DISCLAIMER: There may be some spoilers of Disney Pixar’s Elemental ahead!

The Filipino concept of utang na loob

Utang na loob (or Gratitude) appears very often in Filipino culture. In fact, psychologist Virgilio Enriquez, the father of Philippine Psychology, noted that this served as one of the core values of Filipino families apart from Companionship (Pakikisama), Shame (Hiya), and Sensitivity (Pakikiramdam). While it’s not always a bad thing, there are times that utang na loob can get toxic. (READ: How Utang na Loob Made Filipino Families Toxic)

And this is especially true for children who feel like they owe their parents their lives after everything their parents have done for them. Ember is a classic example. Her parents left their homeland to start anew in Elemental City and give her a better future. Her father, Bernie, started the Fireplace — a dream that he insisted to run up until he decided that Ember was ready to take over and he could retire. Meanwhile, Ember grew up believing that she had the same dream — until she was presented with an opportunity that made her question it.

“I’ve been trying to fill my father’s shoes but I never once asked what I wanted to do,” is one of Ember’s famous lines from the movie.

Letting our children choose their own paths

Though Bernie never intentionally pressured Ember to continue running the Fireplace, it was Ember’s love and concern for her aging father that stopped her from asking herself what she wanted to do with her life. She was afraid of disappointing him if she chose not to take over the store. And her fear to be open about it is one of the movie’s many conflicts.

There are many other familiar issues that the movie tackles — such as dealing with anger and what it’s trying to tell you. There’s also a lot of inner child healing that happens for Bernie, who left his home without the approval of his own father.

Lots of other characters to love

Aside from another compelling story by Disney Pixar, there are so many new characters to love from Elemental — such as Wade’s mom, Brook Ripple (voiced by Catherine O’Hara), and his boss, Gale Cumulus (voiced by Wendi McLendon-Covey). Be sure to catch Disney Pixar’s Elemental in cinemas nationwide!