The One and Only Ivan deals with multiple themes and stories that appeal to kids and adults alike. Released on Disney+ in August 2020, the film is based on the novel of the same name, written by Katherine Applegate. It’s inspired by the true story of Ivan, a gorilla born in central Africa in 1962.

The film stars Sam Rockwell as Ivan, Angelina Jolie as Stella, Danny DeVito as Bob, and Brooklyn Prince as Ruby. It was directed by Thea Sharrock, who is known for also directing the 2016 film Me Before You.

The story follows Ivan, a silverback gorilla who lives in a cage at a shopping mall. He’s been the headliner for years in performances for the public. At the end of every show, he roars and stomps around, making himself seem powerful and fearsome. However, Ivan is only acting and truly has a heart of gold.

He performs along with his friends, the other animals in the mall. Ivan has a particularly special bond with Stella the elephant, who acts as a mother figure to all the circus animals. Ivan’s best friend, though, is a stray dog named Bob, who is the comic relief contrasting the film’s heavy topics.

When fewer and fewer people start coming to the shows, the ringleader — Mack, played by Bryan Cranston — must figure out new ways to make the performances more exciting and unique. He brings in a baby elephant named Ruby. At first, Ivan is wary of her but eventually takes her under his wing and looks after her. They develop a sibling-like bond, which is important to Ivan since he hasn’t seen his real sister since he was put in captivity.

Julia, the daughter of one of the stagehands, has a close relationship with all of the animals, treating them like friends. When Mack gives her money for new crayons, she decides to give her old ones to Ivan. He starts to create abstract drawings that the animals struggle to understand, but Julia can always figure out the meaning. Her constant encouragement inspires him to continue creating artwork. 

Mack notices Ivan’s ability and decides to add it to his act. However, Ivan refuses to draw for the public to see, as he becomes increasingly frustrated with being in captivity.

Ivan has always struggled with remembering his past, since he was so young when he was taken from the wild. However, he’s able to piece together parts of his past, due to Stella’s wisdom and Ruby’s inquisitive nature. After Julia gives Ivan paints, he remembers that as a child, Ivan had the name Mud because he would always play with mud, using it to “paint” on rocks. While drawing may not have been his strong suit, he finds it much easier to create beautiful pieces with paint. 

Ivan remembers Julia telling him that when life gets tough, she likes to draw things the way she wishes they could be. Ivan decides to do the same thing. During a show, he makes a beautiful painting of the wild. Julia understands the meaning behind Ivan’s painting: he’s tired of living in captivity and he wants to be free again. This sparks news headlines and protests; everyone thinks Ivan and his friends should be freed.

While The One and Only Ivan is a heartwarming film for people of all ages, it also deals with heavy topics such as grief and the treatment of animals in captivity. It seems like it should be common sense, but wild animals were meant to stay in the wild. A life in captivity with constant training and performance is unhealthy. Studies show that circus animals are often abused and are prone to issues such as travel sickness and unusual behavior. Circus animals are often confined to enclosures that are much smaller than what they need, leaving them with nothing to do but pace back and forth.

Friendship also plays a major role in the film because it’s one of the few things the animals do have. Julia and the animals know that they can always count on each other. The dynamic between Julia and the animals shows that animals can be true friends that are there to help you when you need them.

I highly recommend watching this film for its impressive visual effects and important themes.