Opinion

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

“We all wanna be the perfect family but who’s perfect, right?”  This is the question that is asked of the audience at the beginning of The Mitchells vs. The Machines, in the voice of one of the main characters, Katie Mitchell.  So what makes a perfect family? There is a saying that FAMILY is an acronym for “Father And Mother I Love You”. In love, we trust and grow. Families can be our strongest armor but also our Achilles' heel. The new animated science-fiction movie from Sony Pictures vividly shows all the ups and downs of family life, and highlights the importance of strong communication and intimate bonding amidst the trend of smart technology. 
 
 
With the rapid development of tech gadgets and increasing popularity of social media in the past few years, we have relied on our laptops and phones a lot subconsciously, treating them as if they were “necessities” in life. We find ourselves addicted to social media as a convenient way to reach out and stay in touch with others. Ironically though, phones have actually become barriers to real relationship bonding, when they were supposed to be useful tools to bring us together. Tight-knit families are no longer as close as they used to be, as most people see online activities as their priority. When it comes to communication in the family, generation gaps have always been one of the greatest challenges, yet teenagers’ excessive focus on social media and growing dependency on gadgets has made their connection with their family members even more distant. 
 
As the main character in the movie The Mitchells vs The Machines, Katie seeks validation from her father to fulfill her dream – to study at film school and work in the industry later on. However, Katie’s father, Rick, is a realistic and critical person. He is very judgmental about Katie’s decisions because deep down he does not want her to get hurt if she fails to make her dreams come true. Katie wants to receive praise for her talent in film making, while Ricky just wants her to spend quality time with the whole family. Sadly, neither of them can meet each other’s needs and they have been arguing for years. 
 
However, when an unexpected global crisis breaks out during their family trip, and all the AI robots are trying to take over the world, they are forced to unite together for survival. The movie is a heartwarming and hilarious tale, offering its own spectacles as this goofy and dysfunctional family comes together in a modern chaos. It is delightful to see how the family members, each with very different personalities, try to see each other’s point of views and make good use of their creativity and wisdom in their battle against the robots. 
 
“Every family has its challenges, from picture day to picky eaters,” Katie’s voice can be heard saying at the beginning of the movie.  To Katie, the Mitchells have always been weird and that is what makes them great. “Families can be hard, but they're so worth fighting for. They might be one of the only things that are.”  Families may not be perfect, and they can often be a bit weird, but perhaps every family’s weirdness is what makes us all unique. And hopefully we can all work hard to be part of a family that is loving and caring, and accepts our imperfections unconditionally.
 
 
 
the Mitchells vs. the Machines
 
Produced | Sony Pictures Animation
Director | Mike Rianda & Jeff Rowe 
voices Abbi Jacobsen, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Conan O’Brien
Music | Mark Mothersbaugh
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