Rocketman - A Lesson About Trauma

Rocketman was not a commercial success at the box office. It was most likely a flop due to the subject matter. The critical lens of what makes a movie "great" is sensationalism. Movies with depth tend to fail. In my opinion, the depth of Rocketman hurt the box office. I am not this movie is what fans wanted, however I found it to be quite a powerful story.
The primary plot is not about Elton's music, it is about his childhood, and the impact it had on his life. It is deeply personal, most likely impacted by Elton John himself, who produced the movie. I never knew much about Elton John going in to watch the movie. I thought it would be about his music, rise to fame, or outlandish costumes. Instead, the story was centered on Elton's early childhood experiences. He had two parents that lacked any type of attachment to their son. The only attachment bonding that existed in his childhood came from his grandmother. Elton's father was cold, and verbally abusive. He never loved his son. His mother could be emotionally unattached, and selfish. This would be the construct of how Elton saw his world.
Rocketman is a great example that abuse does not have to be physical. Parents can be verbally and psychologically abusive. The idea that verbal abuse is less serious than physical abuse is a myth. The movie also clears up is people on the surface can be successful, while living with the torment of abuse. That torment leads to addiction issues and self harm. Elton struggled most of his adult life with the emotional abuse of his childhood.
Another subtle theme is how early childhood experiences impact our choices for adult relationships. Elton was looking for love. Love that he did not have from his parents. His quest to be loved led to abusive relationships. In order for Elton to be successful in love, he had to understand his past. This is a foundation for Trauma Informed Care. Our past impacts the present and the future. A powerful statement from a movie I thought was about the limelight. Instead, it was about the person, and anyone watching this movie with an open mind will be impacted by it's message.