Our Inner IFs
The inner child we all still foster through our imaginary friends
Okay, so here we are trying the new thing. And I’m really excited to circle back to a film that came out this past summer. IF not only reminded me about everything I loved about being a kid, but it also helped me clarify how important wonder and curiosity are for every human at every age.
Why IF?
Sarah and I first discussed our excitement about IF when we saw previews for it this past spring. The cast looked strong, and the premise looked really fun.
I’ll be honest—I also had a lot of fun reminiscing about my imaginary friends as a child. The earliest I remember was a Wookiee (yes, my love of the Force started very early), but my mom has also told me stories about an imaginary dog I used to take for walks on the end of a shoestring around the house.
And the movie really didn’t disappoint! Ryan Reynolds played another character who is generally displeased with the status quo. The film was full to the brim with creativity and hope. And what can I say? I cried at the end, especially while holding my two-year-old in my lap.
You can view the film now on Paramount Plus.
Psychology 101
Instead of choosing a precise literary lens, I’m going to zoom in on specific character archetypes for some of my lit-thinking on the blog. And for IF, there’s no better fit than to talk about our inner child.
What exactly is an inner child? The term was first used by psychologist Carl Jung in the 1940s, and the theory focuses on how our childhood experiences mold our adult world.
But the movie circles around a protagonist named Bea, who’s arguably still a child herself. So how does this all come together?
Remembering how to play
Bea has already been through a lot in her short life. She’s lost her mother, and her father is now terminally ill—which is why she struggles to participate in the childlike activities she once loved at her grandmother’s house.
But then Bea finds herself in a unique predicament: she can see unhoused imaginary friends (IFs whose inventors have now forgotten them). At first, she thinks her job is to rehouse each imaginary friend with a new child—until she comes to the realization that each adult actually still needs their imaginary friend.
This is the main message of IF. We’re never too old to love and dream and hope the way we did once as children. I especially love the way Kristin Wong puts it in this 2020 New York Times article:
Play requires you to ditch the limiting, binary way we think about our feelings, Mr. Harry added. In other words, we have to let go of the idea that we can’t feel both playful in the moment and anxious about the state of the world. The idea isn’t to ignore your negative feelings but to give yourself permission to feel joy alongside the negativity.
“Think about how kids are excited all the time,” Mr. Harry said. “That’s basically what we’re all trying to get back to.”
The Inner Child & the Classroom
If you’ve listened to Lit Think before, you’ve probably heard me say this: people come in all different sizes, but we all basically need the same things. It floors me constantly how much my two-year-old and my teenage students function the same way.
So please don’t forget to bring that into your classroom. Here are a few easy “inner child” spaces you can carve out for students (and I promise they’ll thank you for it):
Keep coloring supplies readily available. And you can print off free coloring pages from sites like this!
Buy a few cheap games like Checkers, Uno, and Connect 4. Whenever we have 10 minutes left in class now, that’s the first thing I offer to my students.
Especially if you teach high school, bring in children’s literature whenever possible. We are NEVER too old to be read to!
Something I’m currently loving
I know this isn’t the same as me interrupting Sarah a million times as we each get more excited through a podcast recording. But I hope it helped scratch your Lit Think itch a little.
I’ll leave you with something I’m loving but won’t be analyzing any time soon. Elsbeth is the closest thing to a cozy murder mystery I’ve found on TV today. And because it’s filmed in New York City, ever episode has another sneaky Broadway guest star. I highly recommend it!
This has been Alicia, signing off. Keep on lit-thinking people!
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