They say write what you know. Onward writer-director Dan Scanlon reached into his past and (along with co-writers Jason Headley and Keith Bunin) impeccably captured the landscape of a 16-year-old boy who never got to know his father and all that accompanies that painful hole. But, this is Pixar, so you must have faith that there is also a whole lot of heartwarming sentiment (there is) and that there will eventually be happy tears (there are) to accompany some of those sadder ones.
Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Homecoming) is Ian Lightfoot and as our film commences, it is a big day for the elven teen. He’s turning 16 and his mother, Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and big brother Barley (Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy), could not be more excited for their little man. It’s palpable, particularly for mom Laurel who has been waiting to give her sons a gift from her late husband that has been hidden in the attic since Ian and Barley’s dad passed away when the youngest Lightfoot was merely a baby.
That gift? It’s a wizard’s staff and on the piece of paper that accompanies it, a spell is laid out. If done correctly, the magic brings back their dad for 24 hours. What. A. Present! As you’ve probably seen in the Onward trailer, Ian manages to get the spell to work, but loses control of the staff and the boys have brought back only half their dad, the bottom half! In order to complete the spell, they need a special stone and you know what that means … a quest! Barley and his unicorn adorned van could not be more excited about embarking on a journey with (half) his brought back dad, his little brother and destiny awaiting.
The world of Scanlon’s Onward is one steeped in fantasy, but it’s a fantastical world that has moved on past its magical core. For example, there are unicorns (who now are more attuned to going through garbage than being the magical creatures of lore), ogres (one is even the Lightfoot’s paper boy) and a centaur who is not only this community’s police chief, but also Laurel’s boyfriend, Colt Bronco (Mel Rodriguez). Then, there’s the town Manticore (Octavia Spencer). Barley knows a thing or two about quests and this world that its current inhabitants have long since forgotten about, and keenly is aware that one must turn to a Manticore in order to find this gemstone the boys need to finish their spell. The thing is … our Manticore runs a family style restaurant now and as she explained to Laurel about her instructions to her sons about their journey of discovery, she forgot to mention the perils of the “curse.” So, Manticore and mom hop in her car and head out into the wild in search of two elven boys and half a dad.
First and foremost, all the animation brilliance in the world won’t mean a thing if the story does not resonate. The tale of Onward clicks on all cylinders and does something that is rare in Pixar flicks—it is quite intimate. There are truly only four main characters and a handful of supporting roles. This is firmly a tale about one family and all the magic, the quest, that unfinished spell … it’s all just exists to service and enhance Ian and Barley’s story. Ian is a young man who has spent much of his teenage years and his youth yearning for a father figure he never had. Scanlon and his co-writers have painted a picture that pushes all the right emotional buttons and does something extraordinary in the process. As much as the latest from Disney-Pixar appears to be a pair of brothers seeking to fill a paternal hole in their lives, it is equally a sibling story of the highest order that is especially meaningful for anyone who has ever had a brother. Don’t be surprised if one of the first inklings after leaving the theater is to call your brother(s).
Holland and Pratt have sensational chemistry. Their characters are markedly different and both actors bring them to life in the most uncanny of ways. Considering they know each other from working on two Avengers movies—Holland as Spider-Man and Pratt as Star Lord—their camaraderie is hardly a surprise. But … voice acting is a different beast and screen-connectivity as achieved in a different manner. Scanlon did something with his two leads that most helmers of animated fare do not do, or don’t have the luxury of being able to do. Pratt and Holland recorded their lines together in the booth and it comes through every second they are together on the screen. These are two actors who not only are friendly but clearly share a common appreciation of each other’s craft. That too comes through in the most unspoken of ways and it enriches the Onward journey that we the audience undertake with this clan.
Individually, Pratt shines as a true dreamer of a soul and Holland is every bit the young man who is hardly comfortable and in fact, quite awkward in his own skin. He “puts up” with his brother and his wild ways, but Ian is seeking to forge his own path. It is only after they undertake this “quest” together that the younger brother discovers an affinity for his big bro that he previously had taken for granted. It is as if Scanlon and his cowriters wrote their story with Pratt and Holland in mind. That too is the case with Louis-Dreyfuss. She loses herself so innately in her maternal character that we have to remind ourselves that this is the Veep and Seinfeld star. It is a masterwork of voice acting. Then, there’s Spencer. She just has a ball. One can just imagine the pitch meeting with the Oscar winner where she was told that Scanlon wanted her to play a Manticore and showed her those first rough sketches of the character. The Help actress must have been all over it, judging by how firmly she dove into the character and lost herself in this world.
There are quite a few supporting players who have the tiniest of roles, but in the hands of these pros, they pop right off the screen. Frequent Pixar voice actor, John Ratzenberger (Toy Story movies) voices a “Construction Worker Fenwick,” comedienne Ali Wong dazzles as Officer Gore, while That 70s Show veteran Wilmer Valderrama loses himself in the role of Gaxton, a “college friend” of Barleys.
Scanlon lost his father when he was quite young. He has reported that the filmmaker and his brother had repeatedly discussed how cool it would be to bring him back, even for a day. He saw that the endeavor would mean something quite different to him and his sibling. The writer-director utilized that sibling sentiment. If the entire fantastical Onward world reeks of a grounded reality, it is firmly because that is exactly where it had its genesis. One can feel the longing of a child immersed in reaching for a dream that feels just out of reach.
With actors as lost in their roles as we are in the story itself, the Onward experience is a rich one as only Pixar can deliver. Things do not always work out the way one expects them to, but audiences firmly know (and this film is no different) that the animation house will wrap things up in a manner that befits the rich, three-dimensional characters. The conclusion may not be the bow color and texture one anticipated, but it will absolutely be satisfying—emotionally and entertainingly.
Grade: A-