Helen Parr (The Incredibles)

Helen Parr (née Truax),[1][2] also known as Elastigirl or Mrs. Incredible, is a fictional character who appears in Pixar's animated superhero film The Incredibles (2004) and its sequel Incredibles 2 (2018). Voiced by actress Holly Hunter, the character is a superhero who possesses superhuman elasticity, granting her the ability to stretch any part of her body to great proportions. Helen is introduced in the first film as an accomplished superheroine forced into retirement with her husband Bob (Mr. Incredible) after superheroes are outlawed.

Helen Parr Elastigirl
The Incredibles character
Helen Parr / Elastigirl as seen in Incredibles 2
First appearance	The Incredibles (2004)
Last appearance	Incredibles 2 (2018)
Created by	Brad Bird
Voiced by	Holly Hunter (films, Disney Infinity series) E. G. Daily (video game) Ally Johnson (Lego The Incredibles)
In-universe information
Full name	Helen Parr (née Truax)
Alias	Elastigirl Mrs. Incredible
Species	Superhuman
Occupation	Superhero
Spouse	Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible)
Children	Violet Parr (daughter) Dash Parr (older son) Jack-Jack Parr (younger son)
Abilities	Elasticity , Master hand-to-hand combatant , Expert spy , Shapeshifting

Development

Creation and casting

Screenwriter and director Brad Bird conceived Helen as a modern mom who "has to stretch in hundreds of different ways each day."[3] Helen is voiced by American actress Holly Hunter.[3] Bird considered Hunter "one of the finest actresses in the world", capable of playing a "sensitive" character who also has "a very sturdy center".[3][4] Hunter, who had never voiced an animated character before, saw the role as an exciting opportunity to expand her repertoire. She was also drawn to the film by its unique and "unconventional story about family and human dynamics".[3]

Characterization

According to Hunter, Helen has "total fearlessness" as a superhero, but also "a very strong, protective instinct" when it comes to her children, and an "innate desire to save others".[5]

Regarding the choice to make Helen the star of Incredibles 2, Bird insisted that it was unrelated with the #MeToo movement, and was instead a choice that came naturally with how the writers wanted to progress the story.[6]

Animation

The Incredibles was the first Pixar film with an all-human cast,[7] which posed significant challenges for the technical crew.[3] The muscular movements of Helen was a particularly difficult subject, as the character needs to be able to stretch, bend and fold into various shapes.[3] Character supervisor Bill Wise stated that Helen's was likely the most complex rig Pixar had ever done to that point. A specific program was written so that she could twist and turn as needed.[3] The original animation system had become obsolete by Incredibles 2 and as a result all characters, including Helen, were rebuilt using a new tool box. Her expanded role in the sequel meant additional work but also new opportunities for the animators. The tentacle rigs for Hank in Finding Dory were used as inspiration in order for Helen to stretch "much beyond what she did in the first film".[8]

Powers and abilities

Elastigirl's primary superpower is elasticity, which allows her to stretch various parts of her body to many different sizes. This ability can extend to shapeshifting, as she can use elasticity to change her form and density, as when she morphed into a boat and a parachute. She can achieve superhuman levels of strength, durability, and agility using her elasticity powers. Her only weakness is extremely cold air. Upon being captured by Evelyn in Incredibles 2, the villain warns her not to try stretching, or "...your bones will crack like a twig!" In addition to her powers, Elastigirl is a capable pilot, operative, and tactician, as well as an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant.

In order to determine the Parr family's superpowers, Bird drew inspiration from the roles of typical nuclear family members.[9] Helen's powers mirror society's expectations of a mother, who according to Bird is "always juggling a million things and pulled in a million directions".[10]

Appearances

In The Incredibles (2004), Helen is seen as Elastigirl in the time before superheroes are banned. She married Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) and starts a family: Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack. She gives up her vigilante job to become a housewife while her husband worked. When Bob starts to act sneakily, Helen suspects an affair and confronts him. Later, when she discovered her husband is in trouble, she pilots a jet to rescue him, accompanied by Violet and Dash.

In Incredibles 2 (2018), the main plot of the film involves Helen becoming the face of a campaign to make superheroes legal again by giving them good public relations through successful missions that don't cause collateral damage to the city. Although she ends up becoming Evelyn's victim, she is then rescued by her children, with Helen finally learning of Jack-Jack's first of 17 superhuman abilities. Following that was a showdown on a plane between Elastigirl and Evelyn which resulted in a humiliating defeat, and almost death for Evelyn

Critical reception

Rolling Stone ranked Helen the 14th "Best Pixar Movie Character", the second highest Incredibles character behind Edna Mode.[11]

Syfy Wire praised the sequel for making its hero a "kickass mom".[12]

Upon the release of Incredibles 2, there was some discourse surrounding the sexualization of Helen's character. Hundreds of fans on social media described the character as "thicc", a slang term referring to having large buttocks combined with a narrow waist,[13] while The New Yorker likened the character to Anastasia Steele from Fifty Shades of Grey.[14]

IndieWire ranked Hunter's work as Helen the third best performance in Pixar films, complimenting her "dizzying range" which "goes from sexy superhero to harassed, end-of-her-tether mom, to wife crushed by seeming infidelity, to back-in-the-game ass-kicker on a dime."[15]

References

1. Lorch, Mark, ed. (2017). Secret Science of Superheroes. United Kingdom: Royal Society of Chemistry. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-78262-487-5 – via Google Books.
2. Friday, Wednesday Lee (June 18, 2016). "15 Female Pixar Characters Who Deserve a Feature Film". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 27, 2019. Young Helen Truax, AKA Elastigirl
3. "The Incredibles: Movie Production Information". The Entertainment Magazine. 2005. pp. 3–6. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
4. Lee, Michael J. (October 17, 2004). "Brad Bird". RadioFree.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
5. Dunn, Gemma (July 18, 2018). "Life as an animated heroine: 'Leave saving the world up to the men? I don't think so'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
6. Puentes, Patricia (June 23, 2018). "From Elastigirl to Edna, how Incredibles 2 women kick butt". CNET. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
7. Cormier, Roger (November 5, 2015). "17 Super Facts About The Incredibles". Mental Floss. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
8. Desowitz, Bill (June 20, 2018). "'Incredibles 2': Pixar Improved its Toolbox to Meet the Superhero Demands of Brad Bird's Sequel". IndieWire. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
9. Goodman, Carl (January 9, 2005). "A Pinewood Dialogue with Brad Bird". Moving Image Source. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
10. "'Incredibles' creator eyes superheroes' home lives". The Washington Times. October 22, 2004. Archived from the original on February 17, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
11. Adams, Sam; Bramesco, Charles; Grierson, Tim; Murray, Noel; Tobias, Scott; Wilkinson, Alissa (November 18, 2020). "25 Best Pixar Movie Characters". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
12. Fleenor, S.E. (June 25, 2018). "Elastigirl finally gets the respect she's due in Incredibles 2". Syfy. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
13. Mallenbaum, Carly. "'Incredibles 2' star Elastigirl is 'thicc': Why that's a good thing". USA TODAY. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
14. Bond, Nick. "Veteran film critic mocked for bizarre 'horny' Incredibles 2 review". news.com.au. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
15. Lyttelton, Oliver (November 24, 2015). "The 30 Best Voice Performances In Pixar Movies". IndieWire. Retrieved May 3, 2018.