Unbreakable Movie Analysis

People who feel as if they do not fit into society may make decisions based on trying to fit in. This idea means that they are not focused on actually knowing their place in the world and discovering their own sense of purpose. In the film, Unbreakable, the character of Elijah feels as if he does not fit into many aspects of life and this leads him to cause mayhem in order to find purpose with the result being unhappiness. Another character, David, chooses to embrace who he is rather than trying to fit in and this leads to him knowing his purpose, and as a result he becomes happy. In my own personal life, I have usually felt like I do fit in, and I have been able to find purpose and joy through giving back to the disadvantaged.  Therefore, if an individual fits in and has a sense of their place in the word, they are more likely to be happy because they are able to pursue their purpose and meaning in life and make good decisions.

Most of the time, people find it hard to fit in, whether at their school, their work, or just in their everyday life.  For some people, it is only a temporary situation, but for others it can seem like a long-term reality. For Elijah, in the film, it is the long-term feeling of being left out which leaves a big impact on his life and ultimately causes him to feel melancholy. Because Elijah is born with osteogenesis imperfecta, right from birth he is an individual who does not naturally belong in various settings.  For example, as a child, he is prevented from playing like other children his age because he fears that he will get hurt. The children at his school call him Mr. Glass because he is not able to participate in physical activities, and this causes him to feel excluded and isolated (21:32-58). Furthermore, Elijah does not settle down in a number of ways, including in the work he does and in his social life. Therefore, he continues to jump from one thing to another, unable to find what really makes him happy. Initially, he owns a comic store but he cannot identify superheroes. He researches invincible people, yet he is chronically ill and fragile. These demonstrate that he goes out of his way to fit in even though, in reality, it is not realistic for him to be able to do so. He does not have any meaningful underlying purpose or place in the world because what he desires is not fitting for who he actually is. Eventually, Elijah commits crimes in order to fit in and find someone like him, but he continues to feel alone in the world. He keeps committing more and more crimes, such as bombing attacks, but these crimes do not offer him a sense of fitting in. Lastly, Elijah turns out to be the villain of the film. When he shakes David’s hand, David has a vision and finds out that Elijah was the one who was responsible for the train crash and for other bombing attacks (1:38:50). This leads to Elijah being admitted to a mental institution. Thus, Elijah never does find the place where he fits in, which causes him to make bad decisions, cause mayhem and be unhappy. Elijah’s lack of sense of belonging and purpose ultimately leads to his downfall.

In the film, the character of David is the exact opposite of Elijah because he finds his sense of belonging when he saves people, and he discovers happiness. David chooses to ignore his place in the world because he does not want to risk losing the love of his life. Initially, he does not accept who he is so he cannot feel like he belongs. When he is in college, he chooses not to pursue his football career because the girl he likes thinks that football is too violent.  Therefore, David gives up somewhere where he fits in order to satisfy another person. He eventually marries Audrey, but he becomes increasingly unhappy. He does not fit in in the relationship, which is demonstrated when he tries to cheat on his wife in the beginning of the film. Although, in the beginning, it seems as if David will not salvage his marriage, he experiences a near death experience in a train crash and this causes Audrey and him to realize what really matters to him. Instead of questioning how well he fits his marriage, when his wife asks to fix their relationship he chooses to take her out on a date (1:07:49).  It shows his greater efforts to find his place in the relationship. He now begins to demonstrate more happiness because he feels his relationship is more purposeful. Additionally, when Elijah pushes David to discover the truth about the extraordinary abilities David really holds, David ends up finding himself.  He now knows he cannot get hurt, and eventually he accepts his powers. This is best demonstrated when Elijah asks David whether the sadness remains and the answer was no (1:38:26-30).  This means that David finds his true self and where he fits in. Finally, David finds his purpose in helping and saving others. This is shown after Elijah tells him to “go where people are”.  When David touches a man’s hand in a substation, he receives a vision and realizes that the man has kidnapped two girls and they are in danger. David decides to follow the man in order to save the two girls (1:25:30). This shows that David now better knows his abilities and has found purpose. He is driven to help and he is able to save the girls. As a result of his personal growth, he ultimately is able to save his own marriage. By accepting who he is, David fits in within his own self and this ultimately allows him to save his marriage and other people. This gives him happiness and purpose to live and make the right decisions in his life. 

Similarly to David, I have found meaning and purpose in helping other people. Not only have I found my place in the world, but I’ve become happier, too. I think what made me realize that I love helping others is the pastor at a soup kitchen my family and I went to. This Pastor  found his meaning in helping other people and transferred that love he had for others to everyone around him. He was the one that inspired the good in me. Furthermore, the inspiration of seeing the pastor helping the homeless, gave me the courage to start volunteering. It made me feel good, gave me a sense of purpose and fulfillment; later on my sister and I held a Christmas dinner for the homeless. With that, it gave me purpose and helped me recognize that I want to become a forensic psychologist to understand why people become how they are. I also want to help them and let individuals know that they are not alone. As a result, I found out what makes me happy and helping the homeless also made me realize my place and purpose in the world, just like David’s character. 

Overall, knowing your place in the world is essential for finding purpose and happiness in one's life. This is evident through David's life and in my own. We both found where we belong, which showed us our meaning in life. Although Elijah never had the same ending, I think it was good to see the result of his choices and how he went to such lengths to find where he fits in. For every action, there is a reaction and for every reaction there are consequences. How much are we willing to sacrifice our true selves in order to fit in?