| The Disney movie, The Kid, is a movie that I have | | | | as a kid. He made a career out of it, becoming an |
| watched over and over again for almost ten years | | | | image consultant whose main task, as I see it, was |
| now. It's a family, feel-good movie with a satisfying | | | | to help others look less like a loser and more like |
| ending, but I do not think that that completely | | | | whatever the ideal was in their situation. |
| explains why I adore it. | | | | I have done some image management myself at |
| I think that it speaks to my own philosophy of life | | | | times, so I relate to his need to do it. Speaking of |
| and loss and growth and healing, and sends a positive | | | | things I relate to in the movie, there are several main |
| message about all of those issues. In this series of | | | | themes, as I see it. |
| articles about the movie, I will reflect on what makes | | | | In the beginning, what we see is hiding from the real |
| it special and on what I have learned from watching | | | | you, and when forced to confront a younger version |
| it. | | | | of himself, he does everything he can to go back |
| The Beginning | | | | into hiding. |
| Russell, the main character in the movie, begins the | | | | That second theme, confronting his inner child, |
| story as someone whose life looks good but it | | | | happens physically for him as he meets and is forced |
| quickly becomes apparent that it does not necessarily | | | | to acknowledge the self he was when he was |
| feel good. | | | | younger. |
| As we watch the story develop, it becomes clear | | | | The next theme is remembering his story, and when |
| that Russell is way off course in terms of living his | | | | he firsts meets the younger self, there are several |
| purpose, and the biggest part of his triumph at the | | | | pieces of his past he has willfully forgotten. Part of |
| end is that he moves right into the center of it! | | | | his growth work in the moving is remembering them |
| When he does that everything changes. | | | | again and accepting the pain of those memories. |
| "We did it!" he says to his younger self. | | | | In the next article in this series, we'll take a look at |
| The Loser | | | | those themes in greater detail and explore how they |
| Prior to that transformation, he has built a life around | | | | helped the main character heal. |
| distancing himself from the "loser" he believed he was | | | | |