I’ve been following Mark Mayerson for a few years now and he’s always provided me with great insight into things that most other bloggers and animation news sources don’t really touch on. In this case, he’s discussing “Tomorrowland” by Brad Bird. I adore Brad Bird’s work. Like most people I’m completely infatuated with “The Incredibles” and “The Iron Giant” is one of the greatest animated films of all time, in my opinion, but Mayerson here is touching on a sociological insistence to put Brad Bird and Ayn Rand in the same camp. I have not seen “Tomorrowland” but I know Brad Bird’s previous works and I have not read Ayn Rand but I’ve read a lot into objectivism, egoism, eugenics, exceptionalism and consumed media inspired by and criticizing Rand’s works however, I do recognize that there is something tricky about the artistic world and how those who aren’t considered artists may perceive the arts.
Power is derived from some form of talent within objectivism; superiority or bust. Mayerson touches on the notion that the exceptional behavior of The Incredibles and even Remy in “Ratatouille” are simply things that actually benefit society if only they’re given a chance to show their talents. This is a great jumping off point but it’s only half the issue. Ayn Rand herself said that the individual should "exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself." Villains and selfish people convince themselves that what they’re doing is FOR society and FOR others but their actions say the opposite. Bob Parr’s character arc is starting from rational self-interest but it morphs over the course of the film to self-sacrifice to save his family and the city from valuing the individual to valuing the team; in addition to redefining his masculinity so that he could learn to work WITH his wife instead of trying to protect her all the time and so much more. That’s the opposite of Rand’s ilk. However, to an outsider, it appears that Bob wants to exercise his abilities exclusively for his own gain but by the end of the film, it’s not about exercising his power OVER anyone (unlike his shitty little boss voiced by Wallace Shawn at the beginning of the film). Bob just wants to feel comfortable in his own skin without having to hide a part of himself. How many articles are there in existence as of right now that emphasize that your JOB, what makes you money, ISN’T who you ARE? Your job isn’t what brings you true happiness? As a young hero on top of the world, Bob absolutely sees hero-work as the one thing that makes his life worth while but by the end of the film, he realizes that it’s his family and his family’s ability to be free of discrimination by the government that makes him truly happy. Sequel To Be Determined.
Ayn Rand, as a staunch capitalist, saw success not necessarily in a personal definition but mostly fiscal. That means that one’s talents must be profitable. “The Incredibles” furthers this confusion of Rand and Bird because heroes are forced into hiding to protect the pocketbooks of cities and the government; mixing talent and currency at all is going to bring up a flurry of philosophers and artists that have only been controversial. But the government in “The Incredibles” is putting a dollar amount on human life that is simply absurd. Bob Parr’s talent doesn’t MAKE him money, it actually makes him a capitalist’s nightmare; in the popular video game series, “BioShock”, Andrew Ryan calls people like this “parasites”. Brad Bird is an artist completely, not a philosopher who wants all of society to change based on a movement he’s building within his movies. His social commentary focuses on the individual hero, absolutely, but why are these criticisms not the same of Joss Whedon? Or any other superhero films right now? Ayn Rand believes that reason trumps all and the inferior can go shove it while Brad Bird and those like him want everyone to co-exist as equals. Objectivism’s indoctrinated have taken Rand’s words further to believe that it’s appropriate for the “superior” to step and remove themselves from the “inferior” but Brad Bird prefers to keep THOSE people separated from society instead.
“Forget Ayn Rand and look at the animation business.  It's filled with artists who would say that they're not doing their best work or are stuck labouring on projects that they have no great love for.  It's true across the industry, which is why so many artists are involved in side projects that are an escape from the frustration of their day jobs.  Bird has been more successful than most, but he still can't get his chosen projects onto the screen.  The Incredibles and Ratatouille are fantasies where characters overcome obstacles to fully realize their talents.  Unfortunately for Bird and the rest of us, it rarely happens in life.” - Mayerson
I also really like this article from The Atlantic, discussing the confusion further.
Bird has repeatedly denied that there's any political dimension to his work, and there's no reason not to believe him—but it's also clear that his favorite subject matter is the raging passion of a creative genius being constrained. And that's where things get tricky... As a director, Bird might have his quirks, but his works are less eccentric.  Frank Walker and the heroes of Tomorrowland are seeking not to rule the world, as an objectivist might, but merely to have their voices heard as loudly as possible. When Bird won his second Academy Award (for Ratatouille as Best Animated Feature) his charming but impassioned speech said it all. I also want to thank my junior high guidance counselor for a meeting we had where he asked me, “What do you want to do with your life?” And I said, “I want to make movies.” And he said, “What else do you want to do with your life?” And I said, “Make movies.” And he said, “What if you couldn't make movies?” And I said, “I'd have to find a way that I could.” “What if movies didn't exist?” “I'd have to invent them.”
Brad Bird is an artist, not a political philosopher bent on changing the world for his exclusive personal gain. He wants to create and he makes movies about creating so others can be inspired to create and money is nice if it means we get to create.
