It's a 'Jumanji' double feature! If you were of the impression that movie-nerd life coaches wouldn't be able to find deep topics in a pair of rollicking comedy-adventure films, allow this episode to change your mind. We're talking about 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' (2017) and its sequel, 'Jumanji: The Next Level' (2019). These were both Jessica's picks, and since she and Gabi share the same appreciation for unabashed silliness, Gabi was hooked from the get-go. Giving a nod to the 1995 original while forging a very different path, these two new 'Jumanji' films follow four high schoolers into the Jumanji video game, where they occupy the bodies of their very eccentric avatars, and are tasked with saving the world of Jumanji...or else.

There is no shortage of physical comedy and unforgettable one-liners, but beneath the goofy facade of these movies is a story of identity: who you think you are vs. who you think you should be. When life throws you into situations that challenge the ego you have created, do you resist that challenge, or lean into it? Do you see transformation as an endpoint, or a way of being?

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Interested in connecting with Jessica or Gabi? Here's how!

Jessica Heimsoth | Every Thought Captive Coaching
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Gabi Gilliland | Grief Grace Glory
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Our movie for this episode has had a long-standing place on Gabi's top ten list. 'Adventureland' (2009) tells the story of James Brennan's summer following his college graduation, when life throws him a series of curveballs, and he ends up needing to take a job as a games operator at his local amusement park, Adventureland. Set in 1987 (with an amazing soundtrack to boot), we join James on a literal adventure of self-discovery, love, heartbreak, and realization.

For years, Gabi wrote this movie off as the "dumb" one on her favorites list, but our discussion proves that might not be the case! This movie is full of rich ideas, especially about the messiness of human beings and of the human experience as a whole. We talk about the value of looking at others through a lens of tenderness, how much perspective matters when it comes to every experience we have, and more.

Thanks for listening! We'd be so grateful if you could leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

Interested in connecting with Jessica or Gabi? Here's how!

Jessica Heimsoth | Every Thought Captive Coaching
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Gabi Gilliland | Grief Grace Glory
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Instagram

It feels great to be back to talking about movies after a bit of a break, and for this episode, we're taking on Disney's 'Encanto' (2021)! If you have young children like we do, we know there's a decent chance that the songs from this movie are stuck in your head (and who could blame you, because they're AMAZING). 'Encanto' is the story of the magically-gifted Madrigal family who live in a tucked-away village in Colombia. Young Mirabel, the only Madrigal who doesn't have a magical gift of her own (or so she thinks) leads us on an adventure of growth, courage, discovery, and transformation.

We were both drawn to the dichotomy between the concept of a "gift" and a "curse", and the way this plays out through the film. We discuss the importance of the story that we tell, and how much we can learn from the Madrigal family as they confront what is actually holding their family together: Is it their magical gifts? Or is it love? And of course...we talk about Bruno.

Thanks for listening! We'd be so grateful if you could leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

Interested in connecting with Jessica or Gabi? Here's how!

Jessica Heimsoth | Every Thought Captive Coaching
Website
Instagram

Gabi Gilliland | Grief Grace Glory
Website
Instagram