"Elemental" - More Than Just a Cute Pixar Flick? My Thoughts...

Okay, so I finally saw "Elemental" and I gotta say, it definitely tugged at the heartstrings! Priya here, your friendly neighborhood global cinema enthusiast, and while it's not exactly Kurosawa, I think there's some interesting stuff going on beneath the surface of this Pixar film. I've been turning this idea of mine over in my head, and I am curious if others share it. I think "Elemental" is not just about tolerance (although, obviously yes, it is!), but about the immigrant experience, and specifically, the sacrifices parents make for their children in a new country. Think about it: Ember's parents leave Fireland to give her a better life, even though they clearly miss their home. They're so focused on building a future for her that they're practically obsessed with her taking over the family shop. It feels very familiar to stories I've heard from friends whose parents immigrated. And Ember, she's torn. She feels this huge responsibility to repay her parents, but she also has her own dreams. The leaky-pipe disaster scene, when she loses her temper and floods the basement and then breaks down, felt so raw to me. It really crystallized this pressure, the suffocating expectation that maybe other immigrant children feel. I think the film is saying that the best thing you can pass onto your children is the ability to live their own lives, do what they want, and the world will work out. Then there's Wade, who is supportive and encouraging. I think he represents the opportunities that can arise in a new land. In the big picture, elemental city is just a new land to the fire people, and the air, water, and land are people that are already there, which the fire people are now intermingling with. He shows Ember that she can explore beyond her parents' expectations and find her own path. The ending, with Ember travelling to study glass blowing, is her finally choosing herself, and her parents, though hesitant, ultimately understand and support her. This is very powerful because in the old world the parents are more controlling, but Ember helped open their minds, and now they are more open allowing her to open doors to a new world for her and them. I'm not saying it's the most groundbreaking movie ever, and maybe I'm overthinking things (I am an international film geek, after all!), but "Elemental" really resonated with me on that level. What do you guys think? Did anyone else pick up on this, or am I completely off base here? I'd love to hear your perspectives! Also, the animation during the water scenes? Breathtaking!