Tip#1150: Benefits of Box-Office Bombs, Part 5 – Dark Phoenix

As I write this I am so aware that I’m feeling fantastic! I recently returned to Midland for Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival on June 8th where it was hot and sunny and filled with good food and good friends! And since it’s spring time I am not feeling any symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD)! I am soaking up every moment of joy and bliss before the fall and winter months return!

This was the same weekend the X-Men film, Dark Phoenix, opened and it was immediately considered a box-office bomb and was absolutely trashed by critics and fans alike. So I was so surprised to have enjoyed it despite overwhelming problems with the story and film. I just happened to feel an emotional connection with the movie that mirrored so much of what I’ve learned about how my repressed childhood emotions resulted in issues or blocks in my adult life and career.

The movie’s themes of childhood traumas, the love of family, emotions that are trapped, repressed or suppressed and finally released are exactly what I experienced for 16 weeks in a day treatment program at a Toronto hospital I recently completed.  It was life changing because the group therapy program showed me that every emotion, even dark emotions like anger, shame or guilt, were so important to feel. And I am so grateful movies allow me to feel when I am numb from episodes of depression or seasonal affective disorder.

Dark Phoenix (2019)

The superhero, action film, Dark Phoenix, is about the X-Men mutant Jean Grey/Phoenix (Sophie Turner) who struggles with her immense, suppressed powers when a cosmic energy source invades her body during a rescue mission in space. This darker chapter of the X-Men series features exciting action scenes and emotional moments of loss and redemption. Returning cast includes James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp and new addition is Jessica Chastain.
See: movie trailer 
Watch now: Amazon Prime

First let me address that there are many problems with the film both in the production, dialogue and the continuity within the X-Men series. And yet once I set those aside I was fully engaged with the movie. Hans Zimmer’s great, moody soundtrack really helped. Part of the reason many fans and critics hated this film is that it doesn’t have the visual grandness and spectacle of recent X-Men movies. But the director and producers designed the movie to strip down to the basics to focus on the characters. Not only do I feel it was a success in this area but also brings the tone full circle to the stripped down feeling of the very first X-Men film of 2000.

The film’s life lessons and messages for me were loud and clear. Jean’s powers were suppressed in childhood following a traumatic family experience and the film explores the painful consequences years later for everyone involved. This is an important reminder for everyone and is the reason why psychotherapy is a key tool for dealing with repressed or suppressed emotions. It's about acknowledging and embracing our dark sides. Jean is a mirror for anyone suffering from trapped emotions and wants to break free.

I also resonated with this movie because of the other X-Men characters who got to express their own dark emotions like rage and anger. Beast, Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Storm got to shine more than any other film in showing off their gifts and powers. Along with Jean, they all mirrored what I’ve learned to do with my repressed emotions growing up. They need to be released and expressed. As Jean says in the end, her emotions don’t make her weak, they make her strong.

Movies can help us all feel our emotions. They can feature characters that we resonate with because of the happiness or pain they are feeling. They can be an inspiration and reminder for us to embrace and express our own dark emotions and no longer bottle them up. They can inspire us to be free of our own self-imposed walls! Find a movie today that inspires this kind of freedom!

Related Tips:
Tip#1087: Connecting with Your Inner Child, Part 8 – Finding Neverland – Peter Pan 2003 
Tip#912: The Power of Emotional Release - Supergirl - Creed
Tip#975: Benefits of Box-Office Bombs, Part 4 – Independence Day Resurgence 

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Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

 

Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Award-winning Illustrator | Movie Blogger | Speaker | Foodie
Discover Movies As Inspirational Learning Tools!
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© Emmanuel Lopez 2019