I like to think I’m adventurous…I’m not typically afraid of new experiences, whether it be food, fashion, or travel. As I sat and watched DreamWorks’ latest film The Croods, I immediately found myself identifying with Eep, the curious and audacious teen who wants to explore the exciting world outside her family’s cave. The story follows the Crood family as they journey away from the security of their cave towards a brand new world filled with exciting, unexpected adventures. When their home is destroyed by an earthquake, everything the Crood family knows about survival is questioned and they are forced to band together, forever changing their outlook on life.
One of my favorite scenes in the film happens one evening after the Crood family has finished successfully hunting and sharing their first meal in the new world. Guy, the caveboy Eep meets when she ventures outside of her cave, tells the Croods a story that I feel very much sums up the heart of the film.
…once upon a time, there was a beautiful tiger. She lived in a cave with the rest of her family. Her father and mother told her, “You may go anywhere you want, but never go near the cliff, for you could fall.”
But when no one was looking, she would go near the cliff, for the closer she came to the edge, the more she could hear, the more she could see, and the more she could feel.
Finally she stood at the very edge, and she saw a light.
She leaned to touch it, and slipped.
And she flew.
As Guy tells the story, the Crood family listens, in awe, curious about the place where the beautiful tiger flew. Tomorrow…it’s “a place with more suns in the sky than you can count…a place not like today, or yesterday…a place where things are better,” Guy explains. Guy is instrumental in changing the Crood family’s perspective on life and I found this particular scene to be incredibly inspirational and moving.
During my time at DreamWorks Animation, I learned so much about the making of The Croods. We delved into the characters and the beautiful story worlds that were created to give the film depth and beauty. But at the heart of this film is its story. The idea of the project was conceptualized nine years ago, and according to director Kirk DeMicco, was to be a stop motion film, smaller in scope and focused simply on one village. Change is quite common in the film industry and while the film became much larger, the premise of the caveman remained and The Croods evolved!
Change is the prevailing theme of the film, and according to DeMicco, relevant for children as well as adults…”nobody likes it, everyone is afraid of it.” “The cavemen were a perfect metaphor because you strip away everything else, and all they have to talk about is life and what it means (DeMicco).” As the filmmakers continued to flesh out the story, they thought about the different types of change they could explore with this family. The story explores two different types of fears: the fear of losing touch with your children as they get older and become adults and the fear of seeing your family change.
Despite the fact that the Crood family is on this journey together, each character evolves in their own unique way. While I found myself identifying with Eep and her vivacious spirit, it was Grug that evoked the most emotion out of me. Grug carries the weight of the world (his family) on his shoulder, and what’s unique about his character is the fact that “he has his heart in the right place for every frame of the film (DeMicco).” Perhaps the most poignant scene in the film is when Grug is standing at the end of the cliff, throwing his family into the unknown…taking a risk. Every parent tries to prepare for that day when they “launch” (physically and metaphorically) their children into the world. It’s an unavoidable risk and incredibly bittersweet, and as a parent, all we can really do is prepare them (and ourselves) for that day.
The Croods are not your typical family…but their story is one that audiences, young and old, will cherish. See DreamWorks’ latest 3D film this Friday, March 22nd, 2013.
You can keep up to date with the film via the following social media channels:
Like The Croods on Facebook
Follow @DWAnimation on Twitter #TheCroods
Re-pin DIY tutorials, printables, and more from The Croods on Pinterest.
No compensation was received for this post. I attended a media day, and the content obtained via interviews facilitated the writing of this post.
Images: DreamWorks
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