FILMS X JENI’S: Elemental
Another Pixar movie falling in line with Inside Out, Soul and many more abstract concepts.
Disney has increasingly woven more and more progressive and complex concepts into their films; while not everyone is a fan of that, it’s something I can get behind when the circumstances are right. To be able to sit down to watch a movie that I know will provide that safe, feel good energy and then walk away with the added bonus of having gotten real life messages - not many can deliver this in the way Disney does. Because they strip things down to the basics for a child’s understanding, Disney is able to create metaphors and parallels that are easily digestible for any viewer open to the ideas.
On the surface, this is a movie of vibrant colors, witty humor and fast-paced energy. It centers around a classic girl-meets-boy forbidden love story, and if that’s all you’re looking to get out of it then that’s basically where it ends. But for all the people looking for more, it’s a story about different cultures, immigration, family, prejudices, interracial love - all of this told through trees, air, fire and water. It has so many beautiful and honest parallels to the world we see around us and shows the power of breaking the norm and seeing people for who they truly are. And who knew how many amazing opportunities there were for element-related jokes?
This movie definitely falls in line with the more abstract concept Pixar movies like Inside Out, Soul, Turning Red, etc. I have varying tastes on all of those ranging from comfort movie to something I really don’t care to watch again, and Elemental definitely falls on the comfort movie end of the spectrum. That being said, I bring this up to acknowledge the fact that this may not be a movie for everyone. Post the triumph of Coco, many of Pixar’s releases have been very controversial because they can feel overly-preachy and convoluted. In short, they contain a clear agenda and don’t have the natural heart that accompanied the talking toys and lost fish of their olden days. It’s been hard for them to find that one-size-fits-all movie, and I wouldn’t necessarily call this one the exception; however, it is my opinion that this is one of the greater releases of Pixar’s recent years and it’s at least worth a try from everyone. Perhaps it was just the circumstances under which I first saw this film or what I needed to hear at the time, but it really spoke to my heart and is one I’ll be glad to return to.
Would I watch it again? I already did.
Tear level: for all you empaths out there, many tears on the first time watch.
Watch when: you want one of the abstract concept Disney movies
Soundtrack/score: it’s Thomas Newman - duh. And a lot of respect for the way culture was sprinkled in through the musical style (specifically Middle-Eastern influences)
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The Jeni’s Pairing
There are two ways this could go in my mind, so I’m sharing both with you.
Option #1: I’m naturally going to need a flavor for every element. We’ll be housing them in a bowl with a waffle cone because it feels like the perfect little world for them to all come together. Addressing in the order of their arrival to Element City, we’re starting with Supermoon for water. Its marshmallow flavoring is soft and comforting, just like the element. Next we’re scooping in Cream Puff for air (I feel like that’s pretty obvious). Then we’re adding Pistachio Macaron; containing notes of honey, almond and (most importantly) pistachio, it’s a flavor inspired by products of the land, for land. Finally, we’re topping it off with Mexican Hot Chocolate because as the “the definition of sweet heat,” it’s a flavor with heart and a spicy side, just like its element.
Option #2: Inspired purely by Ember & Wade. With a waffle cone base, we’re having a double scoop of Pluto Bleu. “Electric orange with a bolt of blue,” this one-of-a-kind flavor perfectly encapsulates the love between our fire and water characters and the beauty that can be created by blending two different worlds.
Inspired by two classics marshmallow flavors: super familiar fluffy vanilla marshmallows, and colorful, almost floral, dehydrated cereal marshmallows. Jeni crafted Supermoon so that the pure scent and flavor of these marshmallows, not their textures, shines through.
An ode to one of Jeni’s all-time favorite desserts: the giant German cream puff. It took months to perfect the unique, candy-like, single-note vanilla that complements the rich egg custard. A delicate sprinkle of sea salt mimics Bavarian-style cream. And a heavy hand of soft pastry flakes lends the flavor and texture of a mega cream puff. This ice cream immediately tops our most popular list every time we release it and is a personal favorite of Jeni's.
A feast for the senses.
Jeni has always been told this flavor tastes like a perfect, pistachio green French macaron cookie. Freshly ground, roasted pistachios infuse the milk and cream with toasty nuttiness. A little honey for mystical, meringue-like texture. A touch of almond extract makes every other ingredient pop. Pistachio Macaron is an unrivaled thing of beauty.
The definition of sweet heat.
Deeply milky, almost bouncy chocolate ice cream. Vietnamese cinnamon, the red-hot kind. And a subtle burning flame of cayenne on the finish. This is the flavor that forever changed Jeni's life. The reason she quit art school and started making ice cream. It’s had many names over the years (most recently Queen City Cayenne), but this is its original, inspired by the classic beverage. Whatever we call our spicy chocolate, it’s still as beautiful as ever.
Pluto Bleu is more a feeling than an actual flavor, really. Think of a blue raspberry slushie—except fruitier, less sweet, more tart, actually refreshing. Then imagine an orange push-pop that’s been working out—the orange flavor is stronger with a deeper citrusy pop. Now, picture the two swirled together, and you drinking them out of a pineapple, in the shade, under a palm tree.
