Annabelle: Creation

Annabelle: Creation is a horror movie in the Conjuring universe and it was pretty good! The main character is a young girl named Janice, who has polio and uses a forearm crutch. I’m glad it didn’t do something like adapt all eight Annabelle books into an 88 minute movie.

The prologue to the prequel of the prequel to The Conjuring depicts a car hitting Annabelle Mullen. Then the movie cuts to a broken doll. I have a screenshot from Annabelle: Creation (1962).

The Mullen’s installed a chairlift on the staircase. I have a screenshot from Annabelle: Creation (1990).

Mr. Mullen says that the chair will only move if the seat belt is secured. That stood out as a blatant Chekov’s Gun. Towards the latter half of the movie, Janice tries to escape a demon and sits on the chairlift, but it won’t move. A few seconds later, she clicks the seat belt in and the lift moves. What a waste of a gun.

Also, when the lift reaches the bottom, she accidentally nudges the control and the chair begins moving up again. Whoops!

Some of the dialogue went one step too far. For example, Janice’s only friend…

It’s really difficult to remember people’s names in this movie. Wikipedia claims that her friend’s name is Linda.

The other orphans ignore Linda. When she bugs them, they ask if she wants to play Hide-and-Seek. Linda goes off to hide. Then, one of the orphans asks “So, are we going to look for her?” 

Janice has to stay inside the house and watch the other girls play outside. She gets bored and explores the house, including one of the Forbidden Rooms. I have a screenshot from Annabelle: Creation (1980).

This movie is valuable to disability advocates because it presents the strongest argument in favor of creating inclusive activities for children. Which answer do you find the most convincing?

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Why should disabled children be included in social activities?

a) Disabled children have a right to be engaged with their peers.

b) Social interaction is vital for children’s mental health.

c) Early integration of disabled children encourages acceptance.

d) It decreases the likelihood that disabled children will explore old houses and accidentally trigger a demonic possession.

Janice sees the Annabelle doll and the typical “she looks away and when she looks back, the doll is in a different position” routine plays out. I have a screenshot from Annabelle: Creation (1963).

Janice throws a sheet over the doll. It stands up and rushes towards her. I have a screenshot from Annabelle: Creation (2017).

The movie lost the atmosphere about halfway through when Annabelle got a CGI face and turned into a demon. The chairlift scene happens and somehow the demon tosses Janice upwards and she gets hurt. She has to use a wheelchair for the rest of the movie. For the most part. But we will get to that.

We will get to that now. At the end of the movie, the demon possesses Janice. She stands up from her wheelchair and walks without a crutch. 

I really hope movies move away from the “disabled person gets cured through faith or medicine” narrative and push the “disabled person gets cured through demonic possession” narrative. It’s so much more interesting! There’s a brilliantly subversive scene in which a priest holds out a crucifix to exorcise the demon from Janice because she is walking.  How amazing is that? Maybe this is a new era in disability horror!

Or maybe it’s just a good but generic horror film. 

The Little Engine Who Could

I was at the Tellin’ Tales writing workshop and a prompt was “A story that has failed me is           .” My first instinct was, of course, Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! People with CP can dress up as the Easter Bunny and kill their abusers with power tools themselves. They don’t need their mothers to do it for them.

Then I remembered another story.

A story that has failed me is The Little Engine That Could. How did the little engine know that he could? Or was it just the narrator assuming that he could? Also, just because the engine could doesn’t mean he should. I feel that these narratives are problematic and harmful to the engine community. What if an engine doesn’t think he can, and he actually can’t? Then the other engines will use The Little Engine That Could to encourage him. Then the engine will fail, the train will crash, and people will die. Does The Little Engine That Could really want all that blood on its hand?

The Little Engine That Could is the most toxic story since Goldilocks. But that’s another discussion.

Nobody has every explained how the ending knew that he could. Did he have a mechanical inspection? Did he already know how the story ends?

My children will never hear that story. I’ve been thinking of a new one.

The Little Engine Who Thinks Other People Should Mind Their Own Business.