“IF” was a movie that I’d passed on seeing for a good few weeks, as I was worried it was going to be one of the kids movies that essentially keeps them busy for a couple of hours, and teaches them about their creativity. It came back into our screen when the kids had broken up from school for the summer, and BOY was I wrong.
This movie is something that any adult can connect with, like any kid can too. As someone with a bit of emotional baggage, it was the kind of movie I probably needed to see rather than wanted to.
Spoilers from here on out folks!
We start the movie with a small montage of old video camera clips from a family; and any adult, In my opinion, could have seen the death of the mother coming. It was good emotional build up to see it happening, rather than it just being a part of the context, as it helps to set the story.
Seeing the father in hospital was unsettling, which is why I think “Bee,” starts to see these imaginary friends around her, as they are able to be a coping mechanism for her; compared to some of the adults who are more concerned about her having fun while she is there.
It captured the almost ‘stuckness’ of being a child so well. Children go through so much in their lives, and being unable to help or even have some input into what is happening is so scary. With all this nervousness and feelings, we move on to the main event, the “Ifs”!
Ryan Reynolds plays a great part of someone who is a cohesive aspect to all these characters, ultimately going along with what they need while being really unsure with all the choices. I do not think someone can play ‘sarcasm’ and ‘unwilling’ like him, so I was glad to see him pretty early on in the movie to anchor us through the next points.
The addition of “Phoebe Waller-Bridge” to the cast was also great, as she really captured the old school vibe that the grandma created her in, however, there was a couple of questions I had about it. Why were there more friends that looked like her in the swimming scene? Did the whole dance class create a friend that looked the same? Maybe this is me thinking too much into it, but it is fascinating to think that if this concept was real, how many friends would look similar, and surely some would be based on real people/characters more often, like we see with “Cal.”
The ’retirement’ home was such a sweet touch, and helped to bring that nostalgia to the movie that me as an adult appreciated. I’m sure may of us have seen places like it; and to see joy and fun in there, alongside the existential questions, was a real comfort.
The friends were all unique, much like the children who created them. One of the best part of the movie for me was reconnecting the friends with their children who are now grown. The friends believed that they were not needed anymore by them and had to move on, but in reality, we always need that support and comfort not matter how old we get.
I think I realized that Cal was not real during the scene with “Steve Carrell’s” Blue character and him reconnecting with his kid. Cal was not acknowledged by anyone else during the movie, which then lead me to believe that he didn’t exist too. However, I don’t think it ‘spoiled’ the ending in any way, and instead just gave me time to consider how this all came to be, and how ultimately the biggest, scariest and saddest moments in our lives are the ones that we need the most support, however that comes.
“Bee’s” speech that she told her dad is something that has stayed with me, even after some weeks have passed. Being a kid is not all fun, and having to move through the world is even scarier when you don’t understand it all, or you have little to no control over what happens in your own life. I can’t remember the exact speech, but she said something along the lines of ‘I’m just a kid’ and I just burst into tears. Life is so scary, and even now as an adult, I still want people to acknowledge all of those feelings, and I suppose that boils down to how we all reacted to stuff when we were young, which if you haven’t guessed by now, mine was to break down and cry.
“IFs” are about that support network and mediation we can have in our own mind, but it is also the thread of life we always have, which is ourselves. Every story that you have has the common thread that you were there and lived it, and by having that bounce back of someone else in your mind, you never can feel alone. I think a lot of people could do with bringing back their own “IFs,” to help tackle the even bigger feelings of anxiety and depression that grow as we get older sometimes. Another person might not know exactly what to say to you, but you always know the positive things you can tell yourself.
The movie was fun, creative, and absolutely heart wrenching. I would recommend it to any person, old or young, who is looking for a movie that can help them explore their past, pick up the good bits, and move on better every day. The explanation on death and anxiety around that is something that is not seen in many movies, and is a great watch for the little people in your life who need reminding they always have someone.
I want to leave on a quote from the movie (one I could find!), from Lewis, the old bear who was wiser than any plush I had ever seen:
Lewis: Nothing you love can ever be forgotten. You can always go back.
Bea: How?
Lewis: Memories. They live forever. Right there in your heart.