DIRECTOR'S CUT: Therapist Reacts to THE IRON GIANT
Added 2024-04-01 15:00:17 +0000 UTCHow do you learn to make choices for yourself?
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright react (and cry) to The Iron Giant. They talk about choosing who you want to be and how the movie tackles life and death in a mature and age-appropriate way. Jonathan explains how the giant’s transformation from following programming to making its own choices mirrors our psychological journeys. And Alan talks about the innovative combination of CGI and hand-drawn animation and how animators articulate the giant’s emotions on a robot face.
Comments
I watched it as a 14 year old and it broke me❤
Alexander Khlapov
2024-05-02 14:35:41 +0000 UTCI watched this movie all the time as a kid, but it's been a couple decades. Just bought it so I can watch it again.
Reilly Willoughby
2024-05-01 01:01:59 +0000 UTCThis has always been one of my favorite movies. I remember watching it for the first time on VHS when I was 4 or 5. It's my go to when I've been hurt, so I can cry and also remind myself I can be the bigger person.
Ryan Coert
2024-04-26 15:52:26 +0000 UTCDid anyone else feel a swell of joy when the trailer for MultiVersus had Iron Giant meeting Superman?😭
Kasen Rogers
2024-04-18 19:24:04 +0000 UTCI thought about the whole choice versus no choice. And I thought of something. I think that while we do have choice, in some ways our nature and nurture can either limit or expand the choices that we are aware of. For example. My mother is a classic narcissist and emotionally manipulative and abusive in every way (except physically and sexually thankfully). She pretty much groomed me to be a target for abusers. And I found myself in an abusive relationship as an adult and not once did I see that I had the choice to leave. I had it, for sure, but I didn't see it. I ended up being removed from the situation by external factors. Not by my choice. The thought never occurred to me that I could leave. Cause that was never an option for me as a child. I was definitely trapped. So I carried that viewpoint with me into adulthood and it limited my choices.
Amber Mason
2024-04-18 00:24:22 +0000 UTCAnd this is what I think even the film The Iron Giant was trying to show. That those who are good, who desire peace and nonviolence, but for the sake of the innocent and the circumstances of their time, they make the sacrifice to kill those who would use tools (the Giant, guns, hands, whatever) to hurt others for there own gain/beliefs. That’s a multi-layered and incredible story that CHILDREN can understand. It’s amazing storytelling and beautiful filmmaking.
Hannah Petersen
2024-04-09 18:13:27 +0000 UTCOof I'm so glad I waited to be home to watch this! I was about to start it at work and realized I was surely going to be crying a bit too much so I waited. Now I can cry in the comfort of my home hahahaha! I love to hear all the little behind the scenes stories about the filmmakers. The feeling it gives me is hard to describe, but it's comfort mixed with gratefulness and excitement all at the same time. Maybe a bit of sadness too when I think of it. Thank you yall <3
Marie-Soleil Cha
2024-04-04 03:47:35 +0000 UTCAll dogs go to heaven. 😂
Rebecca McCoy
2024-04-03 22:49:15 +0000 UTC22:30 Diogenes of Sinope may have something to say about that... Philosophy humor, for those who get it.
Bryan Charles Vish
2024-04-03 20:55:39 +0000 UTCPlease do Atlantis!! Love everything yall do.
Rebecca McCoy
2024-04-03 14:52:13 +0000 UTCYou guys are really out here doing the most
jakeydus
2024-04-03 13:56:36 +0000 UTCWe just shot a Speed Racer episode, so it'll be coming in a few months!
Cinema Therapy
2024-04-03 13:56:03 +0000 UTCHow bad is killing for you? Well, the WW2 draft provides an interesting statistic. I believe it was counting just US troops, or possibly all the allied nations, but either way they found that out of these kids, after being indoctrinated and trained to fight and fed the worst horror stories about the Nazis they were going to fight, once they were in the field and in many cases fired upon, 50% refused to fire at the enemy. Even in that spectacularly extreme circumstance, half of the people were not capable of killing. I think that speaks well of us.
Amelie W
2024-04-03 11:32:31 +0000 UTCThat was one of my favorite scenes in Superman. He was begging Zod to stop but he wouldn't listen or change his programming so to save the family he had to kill him. Falling to his knees and screaming was just so gut wrenching. I sometimes wonder what he would've done if Lois hadn't been there.
Woodwind
2024-04-03 11:26:37 +0000 UTCSuch a good movie!!#cryingwithsuperman!
KrissyArtist
2024-04-03 02:59:34 +0000 UTCTo this day, the moment that truly touches my heart the most (while yes, the whole movie touched my heart anyways) was when Hogarth talked to the Giant about death: "I know you feel bad about the deer, but it's not your fault. Things die. It's part of life. It's bad to kill...but it's not bad to die." --- GOSH. 😭 The profound quality of that scene; such honest emotion and wisdom, especially from a child. I miss the animated films that were so unafraid to go deep with dark and difficult themes. I swear kids in the audience are way wiser and more capable of absorbing these things than present day executives give them credit for. *Also fully agree with Alan: this is my personal favorite work of Jen Anniston. I have NEVER heard such conviction in her acting than when she screamed "No! Stop! MY SON IS OUT THERE!" That scene still gives me a chill
Anna H
2024-04-03 02:32:35 +0000 UTCI cried a bucket load when I saw this for the first time , I was an emotional wreck , I’m with you Alan Seawright 🥺☮️💔
☮️🪬Sonar IllusionFox🪬☮️
2024-04-02 23:26:10 +0000 UTCYall should do Isle of Dogs!!!
Zvonimir Aunimus
2024-04-02 23:23:53 +0000 UTCLove this episode, I swear this ending is right up there with Ralph's fall and the Bad Anon affirmation at the end of Wreak It Ralph. It gets me every time.
Arielle Bejar
2024-04-02 21:06:05 +0000 UTCI liked that you guys used that Man of Steel scene to demonstrate how hard it is to kill. The DC universe, despite how dark it can be sometimes, emphasizes the no kill rule with their heroes. So to see Superman kill someone like that was very surprising, especially since it wasn't even an evil version of superman. That scene where he got on his knees and screamed after what he did was so powerful. Henry Cavill is such a good actor, you know.
Brandon Payne
2024-04-02 16:59:57 +0000 UTCI was PRAYING for this to be an episode and y'all went and released it on my birthday 😭 speed racer next year?
jakeydus
2024-04-02 16:45:29 +0000 UTCMe, an asd guy who's always identified with Superman and with the Iron Giant: * weeping * 😭💙😭💙 #cryingwithsuperman
John Kuruc
2024-04-02 16:11:54 +0000 UTC20 seconds in, and I know I'm gonna cry
John Kuruc
2024-04-02 15:33:36 +0000 UTCTHANK YOU for covering this movie!! It's a small thing, but thanks for calling out the WB marketing department on the shameful way they completely did NOT market this movie, at all. It came out when my kids were little, I saw exactly *one* ad for it before it came to theatres. It was in our local theatre for, as I recall, one week. One. week. Which happened to be a week we couldn't arrange to see it. And then it was gone. So we had to wait for it to finally come out on DVD. Seems to me WB has a long track record of picking up/funding great movies that they then (apparently deliberately) tank through not marketing, or marketing incredibly badly.
Katharine Kroeber-Wiley
2024-04-02 14:18:26 +0000 UTCI have to figure out where to watch it
Alice Hoade
2024-04-02 14:11:22 +0000 UTCWhat Alan said. Have a big box of kleenex and enjoy!
Katharine Kroeber-Wiley
2024-04-02 14:09:29 +0000 UTCI heard this from a another channel called filmjoy and I don’t want to take credit for saying this. But just the simple act of learning to understand someone can be the very reason they help you. Case in point in this movie the military fears something and decides to eradicate the iron giant but just by someone going out of their way to show compassion is the very reason they are saved. Just by be understanding and compassionate, those people could one day be the ones saving you. This movie is near and dear to my heart, this was my Bambi movie, this was my movie about empathy, this was the first movie I cried to. Similar to you Alan I cry because I see myself, willing to be a hero when I need to. I love getting help people, knowing I can make their day just a little bit better. Even if it’s just a laugh or a simple smile, I show that I care. I will always say “Be the person that is in the story at the dinner table.” This will always be my favorite animated movie. The message the fun the animation. But I think it is what shaped me to who I am today.
Andrew Kershaw
2024-04-02 06:19:46 +0000 UTCThe score by Michael Kamen indeed does so much of the emotional movement throughout the film, to the point you can visualize the scene without having a reference to attach it to, it’s a masterpiece within itself. I sometimes find myself humming the music when I’m just daydreaming or going about my day The Iron Giant is one of my most favorite films since childhood Watching along with Jonathan and Alan felt as good as watching the film for the first time, it’s also nice to cry alongside Alan and not feeling alone while doing so :') Cinema Therapy heals the heart ❤️
theskurii656
2024-04-02 06:05:22 +0000 UTCIt was. It was such a huge character growth moment if you compare to his early (confused & scared) treatment of her, too. I too adore that show. It’s the reason I got into Cinema Therapy, because of all the therapy sessions and how much some of THAT advice helped me personally. Then I saw the CT “fictional therapists” vid, (and didn’t know at the time that they usually don’t do shows), so I watched it to see if Dr Linda was included…but Jono & Alan sucked me in. I’ve been watching ever since.
Joshua Tygerwolfe Ward
2024-04-02 03:30:23 +0000 UTCGo watch now!!!
Alan Seawright
2024-04-02 02:15:11 +0000 UTCSo I watched this while waiting for a doctors appointment. Then I went home, and I watched the movie. Then I watched this again. The whole thing is just perfectly beautifully done. That said, there is a cynical part of me that, after addressing the movie three times in one day, wonders why he didn't just shoot the missile. It would have undercut the point but yeah... I can't unthink it now. Regardless! I still love the movie. I hadn't watched it since I got into playing music and not just listening to it and am finally appreciating how powerful the score is. I also noticed that you can hear his... Eyelids? Shutters? Whatever, you can hear them click when he blinks.
Tiana Horsey-Daydreamer
2024-04-02 02:00:31 +0000 UTCAlso about the "guns kill" message, the idea of the Iron Giant was "What if a gun, didn't want to be a gun?"
Dylan Mancy
2024-04-02 02:00:00 +0000 UTC*Spoilers* If I remember right, it was Trixie, and she knows Lucifer doesn't tell lies and says as such, and him just not being able to, I really love that show so so much
Dylan Mancy
2024-04-02 01:58:02 +0000 UTCThis movie will always absolutely destroy me. I’m transgender and growing up getting to have this masterpiece helped me through a lot, deciding who you are and defying what others expect or place upon you is something very important to me given who I am. Absolutely loved this episode, thank you guys <3
parker
2024-04-01 20:29:08 +0000 UTCThere’s a moment in the TV show Lucifer where a little girl has just lost her father, and she turns to Lucifer (who never lies) and BEGS him to tell her that her daddy is ok. His response is absolutely heartbreaking, “My dear, sweet child…I can’t.” That is the only moment in all cinema that has hit me as hard as the end of Iron Giant. Ironically, Lucifer is also all about being who you choose to be - no matter if all of history paints you as the villain or even if you’ve done bad things. It doesn’t make you evil. Just because you were created as a weapon, you don’t have to BE one. Thank you for doing this movie. I’m gonna vote for All Dogs Go To Heaven as something else you guys should cover.
Joshua Tygerwolfe Ward
2024-04-01 19:47:29 +0000 UTCOh yeah dude thank you for the good cry fellas
Austin Roberts
2024-04-01 19:39:42 +0000 UTCThis movie was my robot cry-fest before Terminator 2: Judgement Day came to me. 😭
Sean Goettsche
2024-04-01 19:15:04 +0000 UTCAnother great episode to brighten my day.
Valerie Cepero
2024-04-01 18:34:32 +0000 UTCI used to ramble off Hogarth's caffeinated little homework sermon at my buddies in school whenever they called me "hyper". 🤭 Glad we finally get to see Alan and Jono watch the best animated Superman movie. 🦸♀️
Smidge
2024-04-01 17:38:02 +0000 UTCI'm just going to add a Damn you, Alan! I'm like you and cry a lot, too. I was all prepared to suck it up for this one, but I'm also a sympathetic crier. So instead of just tearing up, I lost it when you started crying I love this movie and am so glad you did this. May I suggest you check out Simon Birch? To me, it has so much to say about faith (not necessarily faith in God or religion) and the family you make, with a wonderful cast that includes Oliver Platt and Ashley Judd. But it is a real tear jerker with some content that can be tough to handle.
Donna Bramlett
2024-04-01 17:27:36 +0000 UTCIsn't Titan AE a really similar animation style?
Megan Rizzo
2024-04-01 17:18:44 +0000 UTCThe theme of this episode reminds me of one of my favorite fictional characters; Drizzt Do'urdan, written by R.A. Salvatore. He is born into an evil and cruel culture that is ruled by an evil goddess of chaos. Though he follows along and tries to fit into the role his family house has set for him, his true nature rebels against everything he was taught. He eventually escapes the city of his birth and ventures to the surface world to embrace his goodly nature and to rebel against his Drow heritage.
McLovinPopeIII
2024-04-01 17:15:22 +0000 UTCAs a child I always expected a second movie and thinking about it now… I STILL DO
Angela Moria Monet
2024-04-01 17:12:56 +0000 UTCOh this is one of my favorite movies, thank you so much! (And it's definitely the best movie set in Maine, where I'm from) 💜
Amy Moody
2024-04-01 17:09:50 +0000 UTCYessss!! It’s ok Alan, this film’s definitely had all of us tearing up at some point. Absolutely an underrated classic that I watched so often as a kid.
Emily Snell-Salvaggio
2024-04-01 17:00:54 +0000 UTCThere is such a parallel between brad bird and ted hughes. They both used the Iron Giant/Iron Man to help them work through the loss of someone they loved.
Sammie
2024-04-01 16:54:31 +0000 UTCthank you so much for doing Iron Giant! I definitely needed a good cry on my lunch break today
Tamlyn
2024-04-01 16:40:33 +0000 UTCOkay I've never seen this movie 🎬 but holy shirt 😢
Alice Hoade
2024-04-01 16:15:08 +0000 UTCOmg yess!!!! This movie I have requested so many times, thank you!!
Andrew Kershaw
2024-04-01 15:54:51 +0000 UTCbeautiful and i love the ending we are who we choose to be
Josh Jones
2024-04-01 15:51:51 +0000 UTCEven thinking about this movie makes me tear up 😭
Rhys
2024-04-01 15:46:28 +0000 UTCCould you do something with "KatWatchesHorror" from YT? Maybe the Babadook?
Anders
2024-04-01 15:31:35 +0000 UTCThis was my favorite movie as a kid!!
Holly✌️
2024-04-01 15:09:31 +0000 UTCThere's my boy! Edit: wow, that explosion at 26:26 has a very Titan A.E. look to it. Another favorite
Chris Breezy
2024-04-01 15:04:49 +0000 UTCYup. Gonna cry. Again.
Lauren Frey
2024-04-01 15:02:34 +0000 UTC
