“The Incredibles” Lesson Plan

MOVIE SUMMARY

Imagine, if you can, a world where Super Heroes aren’t allowed to use their super powers. What would happen? Who would help others in times of trouble or distress?

“The Incredibles ”follows the life of former Super Heroes, or “Supers,” Bob and Helen Parr, as they attempt to adjust to a normal suburban family life. Due to excessive litigation against Supers, “it is time for their secret identity to become their only identity.” This is particularly difficult for Bob (formerly Mr. Incredible) because of his continued desire to fight the forces of evil. Helen (formerly Elastigirl) struggles to remind Bob that every time he blows his cover, the family’s safety is compromised. The young Incredibles, Dash and Violet, also have super powers, but are implored to keep them hidden.

Through a variety of plot twists and turns, the family discovers their true strength lies within their ability to work together and trust each other. They also help each other realize how special their gifts are.

WEEK ONE - “Every super hero has a secret identity.”

OPENING ACTIVITY

Go around the circle and have everyone share their name and what super power they would want. Have the group work together to give each person a super hero name.

  • What would you work to fix in the world?
  • Leader’s note: If youth have trouble with picking a super power suggest ones such as: invisbility, flying, super strength, teleporation, controlling the weather, change form, reading minds, etc.

DISCUSSION

The movie opens with Mr. Incredible doing multiple good deeds - catching the robber, saving the guy who jumps off the building, stopping the train from crashing. But he’s foiled by Incrediboy, a kid who idolizes him and wants to join him but does not have super powers. Incrediboy says, “You always say be true to yourself but you never say what part of yourself to be true to... not every super hero has powers, you know. You CAN be super without them.”

  • How do you feel about Incrediboy? How do you feel about how Mr. Incredible treats him?
  • Was the treatment justified since Mr. Incredible had more important things to worry about and because Incrediboy was in his way? Was Mr. Incredible too hard on Inrediboy?
  • We don’t live in a world where people secretly have super powers (as far as we know!). Who would you consider a ‘super hero’ in our society? Why? What makes this person a hero in your eyes?
  • Leader’s note: In the movie, the supers are famous and known by everyone. Encourage the students to consider not just celebrities or athletes but every day people who work to make a difference.

After getting rejected by the people they were trying to help, the supers have to assume their ‘secret’ identities. We jump ahead 15 years to find the Incredible family living like ‘normal’ people - working, taking care of kids, going to school.

  • Why were Super Heroes required to stop using their superpowers? Why do you think the people were reacting to them the way they did?
  • Do you ever feel that your efforts to do what’s right aren’t appreciated? Why?
  • Have you ever tried to do the right thing or be helpful and messed up or made a situation worse?
  • Can you describe a time someone wanted to help you and you refused their offer?

SCRIPTURE

Hand out index cards and have students write down a couple of gifts they feel God has given them. Encourage them to think not just of physical things but character qualities, passions and abilities that make them special and help define who they are. Ask a few students to share what they wrote as they feel comfortable.

READ 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; and there are different ministries and the same Lord; and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. A word of wisdom is given by the Spirit to one person, a word of knowledge to another according to the same Spirit, faith to still another by the same Spirit, gifts of healing to another in the one Spirit, performance of miracles to another, prophecy to another, the ability to tell spirits apart to another, different kinds of tongues to another, and the interpretation of the tongues to another. All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person.

  • Have your group go through these verses and list/discuss the spiritual gifts presented. What does each gift mean, and how do people live them out? How are they helpful to us and the community as a whole?
  • Leader’s note: This is a great exercise in biblical interpretation. Allow students to answer freely and encourage their thoughts.
  • What do these verses tell us about how God views people?
  • Leader’s note: He trusts us, we are all different but all valuable for who we are, by working together we can serve with a full set of gifts and talents)
  • Do you think our spiritual gifts are limited to what’s on this list? Do any of these gifts feel like something you might have? What did you guys list on your cards that differs from the list? Could those gifts fit in here somewhere?

DISCUSSION

Dash and Helen have this conversation in the car:

Dash: “You always say do your best but you don’t really mean it!”

Helen: “Right now the world just wants us to fit in, and to fit in, we have to be like everyone else.”

Dash: “But Dad always said our powers make us special!”

Helen: “Everyone is special, Dash.”

Dash: “Which is another way of saying no one is.”

  • What do you think about the idea that everyone is unique? Do you think that’s true?
  • Why is it so important to fit in?
  • Have you ever tried to hide something that makes you special in order to fit in? Ask for examples.
  • What would you say is your ‘secret identity’? (a gift or talent you don’t show often)
  • We learned from the scripture passage that God values us and has gifted us to serve. How do our attitudes about fitting in affect the way we live as people of faith?

WRAP UP

At the end of this section we learn that Mr. Incredible has been sneaking out to do super work but telling his family he’s going bowling. He and Helen get in a fight when he gets home that’s witnessed by the kids.

  • What do you think of Mr. Incredible here? Is he right or wrong to do what he’s doing?
  • How is his behavior affecting the rest of the family?
  • At dinner the kids talk about just wanting to be normal, even though they have abilities most of us would love to have. Why do you think they feel that way?
  • Any other thoughts or takeaways from today’s clip?