Year: 2015
Duration: 94 min
Director: Tim Johnson
Writers: Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember
Starring: Rihanna, Jim Parsons, Jennifer Lopez, Steve Martin

By Zofia Wijaszka

“Home” is a Dreamworks film directed by Tim Johnson. When it came out in 2015, I didn’t think I would end up loving it as much as I did. It wasn’t a massive success overall, but still, it touches the viewers with its story about family, bond, and what home truly means. Colourful aliens, Boovs, are led by Captain Smek (Steve Martin) to the Earth. They are on the run from a dangerous enemy, Gorg. Amongst them is Oh (Jim Parsons) – clumsy Boov, who always unintentionally welcomes troubles wherever he is.

After separating from his people, Oh meets an extraordinary friend, Gratuity “Tip” Tucci (Rihanna). Although at first reluctant, Tip gives him a chance and a beautiful friendship forms between them. Oh promises to help Tip in finding her mom, Lucy (Jennifer Lopez). However, sometimes, like in a real-life, not everything goes as planned.

The central theme of “Home” is trust. An alien and a girl have to trust each other to get things done and save Tip’s mom. Said motive is interwoven between all scenes, whether literally or figuratively only. It’s hard for Tip to lay hope in her new friend after his family invaded the Earth and teleported people to one designated, unknown place. But the girl decided to give Oh a chance. Throughout the film, they have ups and downs in regards to the issue of trust. I believe that it adequately reflects real life.

Alongside the theme mentioned above, there is also the subject of invasion and body autonomy (in a way). Body autonomy is a very critical issue, which “Home” explores throughout the plot. Though Boovs are colorful and silly, they are in the wrong in the first part of the film. They overrun the Earth, destroy peoples’ homes, and essentially kidnap them. Thankfully, they all realize their mistake, Oh included. Admitting the mistake is a difficult thing to do. At times, it can feel humiliating. Through the prism of Boovs, “Home” illustrates a good example in the context of that subject and teaches the youngest viewers about life values in a creative yet easy way.

“The central theme of “Home” is trust. An alien and a girl have to trust each other to get things done and save Tip’s mom…Throughout the film, they have ups and downs in regards to the issue of trust. I believe that it adequately reflects real life.”

While the lessons in the film are the most important for kids, we also have to appreciate the creative way of creating Boovs. Screenwriters, Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember, did such an excellent job creating Oh’s vocabulary. “I know when the other Boovs said, “Oh!” they were not happy to see me. The truth is, among the Boov, I do not fit in. I fit-out.” As you can see, his grammar isn’t proper; on the contrary – it’s all over the place, but that’s what makes his character unique.

Additionally, his words are always full of emotions, good and bad (he also changes his color depending on the mood). Tip, on the other hand, is more of a quiet, scruffy type. The girl’s behaviour can be justified, though. Her focus is to find her mom, no matter what. As the plot advances, their bond is mightier, but then, the creators teach another lesson – the destructive power that lies posses. Multiple lies that Oh has told Tip begin to resurface as they get closer to the final destination. It will be up to Tip to either forgive him or never speak to him again.

“Through the prism of Boovs, “Home” illustrates a good example in the context of that subject and teaches the youngest viewers about life values in a natural way.”

The plot of “Home” goes a long way in regards to the plot, the characters, and the fantastic soundtrack where we can find the songs by Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, or Charli XCX. What deserves standing ovation is graphics. Let’s take the character of Tip. In different scenes, we can perceive the smooth, fluid motion of her beautiful, curly hair, and even notice every single strand. I was in complete awe of Tip’s character when it comes to character design, which was thoroughly flawless.

As mentioned above, “Home” didn’t charm the audience in a way I would believe it could have. But the many life lessons and the incredible friendship of Tip and Oh was enough for it to become one of my ultimate favorite animated films of all time. What was the most beautiful to me was the title and its magical meaning. The film will ultimately remind us that the home is what you make of it. Its members are the once who genuinely love you and support you in the hardest moments of your life, even if they don’t share your blood.