Mediocre Times

"It's hard for many to believe there are extraordinary
things inside themselves as well as others."
Unbreakable (2000)

Points for Reflection

M. Knight's Shyamalan's Unbreakable (2000)

1. Why might Shyamalan capture important scenes obliquely—as a reflection, or shot through a transparent barrier?
2. Does David seem more lively and fun when on the train in the opening than he does at home, or less so?
3. Why might Shyamalan, the screenwriter as well as director, have given Elijah osteogenesis imperfecta?
4. Any thoughts as to why Shyamalan named him “Elijah,” meaning“Yahweh is my God”?
5. How does the pacing action, editing style, color temperature, and sound design of this film compare with that of blockbuster films about superheroes?
6. Does Elijah’s mom encourage him to see unexpected events in life as part of a larger design, or as random?
7. Does Elijah have answers for the inexplicable characteristics of David’s life?
8. What historical precedents does Elijah identify behind the genesis of comic books?
9. According to Elijah, why is it so difficult for folk to recognize extraordinary possibilities within themselves and others?
10. Does Elijah believe that one’s appearance provides a reliable indicator of who they are and who they will become?
11. What does the opening scene on the train reveal about David’s life situation, and his character?
12. After Joseph puts David’s and Audrey’s hands together in the hospital lobby, which of the two pulls out of the hand holding once the boy’s head is turned? What does this suggest?
13. Is Elijah correct in surmising why David stopped playing football?
14. At what point did David begin to question the long-term viability of his marriage?
15. How did Audrey survive the car wreck which nearly killed her when a teenager?
16. Does Elijah’s mom coddle him more than she challenges him?
17. Why might Elijah’s mom dress him in purple, and put the comics she gifts him in purple tissue paper wrapped in a box with purple wrapping paper?
18. Are Joseph and David equally committed to pursuing closeness with one another?
19. Why does Joseph stand up to a bully?
20. What kind of person might remain unaware of their consistently good health all the way into their forties?
21. What happened to David’s high school self in the car wreck?
22. Why doesn’t David like swimming pools?
23. Are David’s powers and vulnerabilities similar to those in Marvel and DC superhero movies?
24. Why does Elijah sell collectible comics and comic art as a profession?
25. Does Elijah consider the superpowers in comics to be wholly fantasy, or to have some anchor in reality?
26. Do you think David makes the right decision about whom to chase down, among all those who brushed against him in the station?
27. Does Shyamalan capture kids in a way that suggests he appreciates them?
    

Unbreakable (2000)
one poster from original film release

Dr. Paul Marchbanks
pmarchba@calpoly.edu