Elemental Ending Explained, What Happens at the End of Elemental?
by Ushapriyanga
Updated Jun 20, 2023
Elemental
Elemental, also known as "Forces of Nature" in some countries, is a romantic comedy-drama computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Peter Sohn and produced by Denise Ream, with a screenplay written by Sohn, John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh. Pete Docter served as the executive producer. The movie is the 27th feature film from Pixar.
Set in a world where nature's elements are anthropomorphic, the story revolves around Ember Lumen, a fire element, and Wade Ripple, a water element. They meet and fall in love after Wade is summoned to fix a plumbing accident at Ember's father's convenience store.
Peter Sohn began working on the project after the release of "The Good Dinosaur" in 2015. He pitched the concept to Pixar, exploring the idea of a connection between fire and water. The film draws inspiration from Sohn's own experiences growing up as the son of immigrants in 1970s New York City. It celebrates the city's cultural diversity. Romantic films like "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967), "Moonstruck" (1987), and "Amélie" (2001) also influenced the story.
To gather inspiration, the team watched point-of-view city tours on YouTube, studying places like Venice and Amsterdam. The animation tools were utilized to create the visual effects and unique appearances of each character, particularly Ember and Wade. Production on the film spanned seven years, with work taking place both in the studio and remotely from the filmmakers' homes.
The original score for Elemental was composed and conducted by Thomas Newman, marking his fourth collaboration with Pixar. The film premiered as the closing film at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 27, 2023, and was released in the United States on June 16 in various formats, including RealD 3D, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema. While the animation received praise, the screenplay was criticized for being underwhelming.
Elemental Ending Explained
In a closed-off space, Wade finds himself surrounded by intense heat. In order to prevent the blue flame from extinguishing, he makes the ultimate sacrifice and evaporates. This heartbreaking event leaves Ember devastated, as she witnesses the loss of her beloved. Initially, Ember believes that she will never have the chance to see Wade again.
However, amidst Ember's profound grief, a remarkable phenomenon occurs. The sight of Ember's sorrowful state triggers a response from the environment. Tears begin to trickle down from the ceiling, adding a touch of poignant beauty to the scene. These tears symbolize the connection between Ember and Wade, representing their enduring love and the hope that they might be reunited.
The tears falling from the ceiling serve as a testament to the emotional power of Ember's love for Wade. They indicate that their bond transcends physical limitations and that their connection persists even in the face of adversity. This poignant moment evokes a sense of hope and suggests that there may be a way for Ember to reunite with Wade, despite the apparent impossibility caused by his evaporation.
The scene's detailed depiction conveys the depth of Ember's grief and the profound impact of Wade's sacrifice. It highlights the emotional journey of the characters and the themes of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. This visually striking moment showcases the film's ability to evoke powerful emotions through its animation and storytelling, leaving a lasting impression on the audience
What Happens at the End of Elemental?
As the heat intensifies in the closed-off space, Wade, the water element, faces a difficult choice. In order to ensure that the blue flame, symbolizing their love, continues to burn, Wade makes a selfless decision. He sacrifices himself and undergoes the process of evaporation.
The act of evaporating means that Wade transitions from a liquid state to a gaseous state, ascending into the air as invisible water vapor. This transformation is a natural phenomenon where heat energy causes water molecules to gain enough kinetic energy to escape their liquid form and rise into the atmosphere.
Wade's decision to evaporate showcases his unwavering dedication to preserving the flame and keeping the connection alive. By becoming vapor, Wade merges with the surrounding air, essentially becoming a part of the atmosphere. In doing so, he ensures that the blue flame remains sustained, as the gaseous form of water continues to contribute to the fiery glow.
The detailed portrayal of Wade's evaporation allows the audience to witness the profound impact of his decision. It illustrates the film's exploration of the complexities of love and the sacrifices that may be necessary to preserve it. Wade's transformation into vapor adds a layer of metaphorical depth, symbolizing the ethereal nature of their relationship and the intangible yet powerful force that binds them together.
Wade Comes Back After Evaporating
The demise of a significant character in Elemental raises concerns about the movie's suitability for children. However, the ending of the film takes a different direction to ensure it doesn't conclude on a somber note. Wade, who had previously evaporated, is brought back to life through a heartwarming realization by Ember.
She discovers that the residual moisture from Wade's evaporation still retains the ability to produce tears. The movie highlights how easily water elements can cry, emphasizing their emotional nature. In a twist of fate, Ember's mourning triggers a tear to form from Wade's remaining moisture.
As Ember grasps the significance of this revelation, she begins to recreate the scenarios that Wade had used during the Crying Game in an attempt to elicit tears from her. This includes reminiscing about butterflies, an elderly person on their deathbed, and passionately expressing her love for Wade.
This emotional moment extends beyond Ember, with her parents joining in and adding their own heartfelt contributions. Ember's mother affirms their compatibility as a couple, rating them as a perfect ten, while her father removes the ban on Wade from The Fireplace. The tears shed during this powerful display of emotions gather in a bucket on the floor, providing enough water to bring Wade back to life.
The rewritten version highlights the transformative power of emotions and the profound impact they have on the story's resolution. It showcases how the genuine expression of love, coupled with a collective outpouring of tears, restores Wade to life.
The scene underscores the theme of emotional connection and the strength found in shared experiences. Ultimately, the ending of the film ensures a more uplifting conclusion, allowing the audience, including children, to find solace in the triumph of love and the resilience of the characters
Elemental Plot
Bernie and Cinder Lumen, both fire elements, face discrimination and struggle to find acceptance after immigrating to Element City. Despite the challenges, they establish a convenience store called the Fireplace, which becomes a gathering place for fire element patrons. Bernie plans to pass on the store to their daughter, Ember, but she must first learn to control her fiery temper.
When Bernie allows Ember to run the shop alone, she becomes overwhelmed by the customers and loses control, accidentally causing a flood by breaking a water pipe. This leads to the arrival of Wade Ripple, a water element health inspector. Though reluctant, Wade is obliged to report the violation to his air element employer, Gale Cumulus, who threatens to shut down the Fireplace. Ember tries to catch up with Wade but arrives too late.
Moved by Ember's situation, Wade takes her to Cyclone Stadium to plead with Gale for leniency. During their conversation, Wade mentions investigating recurrent floods and Gale offers them a chance to prove themselves by finding the source of the problem.
If they succeed in sealing the leak, the violations will be forgiven. While searching the canals, Wade suspects that Ember's temper is linked to a hidden truth she is not ready to accept, but she denies it. Eventually, they discover a hole in a dam that causes flooding and manage to close it using sandbags. Meanwhile, Bernie deals with water leaks throughout the Fireplace.
As Wade and Ember spend more time together, they develop a deeper connection and learn about each other's backgrounds. Wade reveals that the sandbags didn't hold, prompting Ember to use her unique ability to create a stronger seal for the dam. In the meantime, Cinder grows suspicious of Ember's activities and decides to follow her.
Ember visits Wade's family in a luxury apartment and impresses them with her glassmaking skills. She also engages in a heartfelt conversation with Wade, during which he admits his feelings for her, making her cry. Gale approves of Ember's glass seal, saving the Fireplace from closure. However, Ember realizes that she no longer desires to take over the store.
Bernie announces his retirement and plans to pass the Fireplace to Ember. He shares a story from his past, revealing his own struggles and prejudices. Wade takes Ember to Garden Central Station, fulfilling her childhood desire to see Vivisteria flowers. Unexpectedly, the station floods and Ember's safety is secured by an air bubble created by Gale.
Wade guides Ember underwater through the station. During their journey, they discover that they can touch each other without harm and share a romantic dance. However, Ember reminds herself of her duties to the store and her family's bias against water elements, ultimately deciding to leave Wade, leaving him heartbroken.
As Ember prepares to take over the Fireplace, Wade returns and confesses his love for her, unintentionally revealing that she was responsible for the broken pipes. Ember rejects Wade's advances, but Cinder senses his sincerity.
Disappointed, Bernie decides against retiring and denies Ember ownership of the store. Tragically, the new seal on the dam broke, causing the fire district to flood. Ember and Wade find themselves trapped in a room within the Fireplace, and the intense heat causes Wade to evaporate.
After the flood subsides, a grief-stricken Ember admits to Bernie that she doesn't want to run the store and expresses her love for Wade. Ember discovers that Wade's essence has seeped into the stone ceiling and employs the crying game to coax him back into his original form. Ember reciprocates Wade's affection, and they share a heartfelt kiss.
Months later, Ember and Wade, now a couple, depart from Element City so Ember can pursue her passion for glassmaking in a distant location. As Ember boards the ship, she bows to Bernie, who tearfully returns the gesture, symbolizing their mended relationship and mutual understanding.
Elemental Ending Explained-FAQs
As the heat intensifies in the closed-off space, Wade, the water element, faces a difficult choice. In order to ensure that the blue flame, symbolizing their love, continues to burn, Wade makes a selfless decision. He sacrifices himself and undergoes the process of evaporation.
She discovers that the residual moisture from Wade's evaporation still retains the ability to produce tears. The movie highlights how easily water elements can cry, emphasizing their emotional nature. In a twist of fate, Ember's mourning triggers a tear to form from Wade's remaining moisture.
Elemental premiered as the closing film at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 27, 2023, and was released in the United States on June 16, 2023.
Elemental was directed by Peter Sohn
Elemental was produced by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures.
The screenplay for Elemental was written by Peter Sohn, John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh.
Pete Docter served as the executive producer for Elemental.