I had the dubious pleasure of seeing Home at the cinema last week – a DreamWorks film of a story (I think it was a children’s book originally), about an alien race called ‘Boov’ who invade planet Earth, capturing all the humans. Our hero, Tip, manages to avoid capture however, and goes on the run with ‘Oh’ a fugitive and loveable Boov who joins Tip’s forces to track down her beloved mother who was captured and ended up in Australia.
Their journey is peppered with dangers of course, including what seems an inevitable attack by the Boov enemy Gorg. Edging toward the denouement, Tip faces a choice: escaping to apparent safety with Oh on his spaceship, or to stay behind on planet Earth, amongst danger, in the hope of finding her mother. Tip chooses the latter of course – our attachment bonds are so tight they often trump apparent ‘sense’ or desire for safety. This is why we may even return to someone or something that is un-loving or even destructive – such as an abusive partner or alcohol. The pull to be close to someone who cares for us (or near as damn it) can be overwhelming.