Childhood neglect reflected in “Opal”

“Opal” is a film by Jack Stauber, a musician, filmmaker and internet personality who made a wide variety of short films with mixed media animation ranging from claymation and live action to 3d polygonal computer-generated images and distorted, brightly colored drawings. Opal was made October 30, 2020, and was featured on Adult Swim, as well as appearing on Stauber’s official YouTube channel.

The film “Opal” focuses on some of the most common forms of child neglect, and attempts to show the impact of immature, destructive and unavailable parents. The film’s main focus is on the perception of the world by the main character, Claire, who believes that her name is Opal, and attempts to immerse herself in a fantasy world created based on her only outlet into the rest of the world, a billboard that lies across the street from her isolated house.

Claire imagines in her fantasy, that she has the family depicted on the billboard, and that she is, in fact, the girl holding a burger on the billboard labeled “Opal’s Burgers, Exit 22 - 9 Miles.” Her false reality about her family does not depict a perfect family but instead shows a family that simply acknowledges Claire and does not take their eyes off of her. The opening scene is almost uncanny because her family members never stop looking straight into the camera. Claire is so deluded that she does not even know the purpose of a burger and simply dances with it to mimic the billboard.

Claire’s fabricated reality offers insight into the kind of life that Claire is going through. Claire’s reaction to the burger is an indicator that she is incredibly malnourished and never gets comfort food of any sort - this is also shown by her slim figure and sharp features. Claire’s fantasy about a family that acknowledges her shows that Claire’s family never simply greets her, and instead ignores her if they are not in need of her. The line in the chorus sung by Claire’s fake family, “your troubles are miles away,” as well as the billboard’s information about how far away Opal’s Burgers is, show how Claire longs to escape her family and find a better life.

Claire cautiously stares at “the house across the street,” which is revealed to be her actual house; her reluctance to return home shows how she views the outside world as an escape from her family. Claire’s family consists of four people, her father, her mother, and her grandfather.

Claire’s father shows signs of narcissism alongside a lack of concern for Claire’s physical state, which can lead to a lack of connection, and low self-esteem. Calire’s father wouldn’t have any time to appreciate his daughter’s developing emotions or her physical appearance. Claire’s father is first observed sitting alone in a room with mirrors strapped to his head, not once looking away from the mirrors to address Claire.

Claire’s father mentions how he is deformed in some way, and now that he has become deformed, he obsesses over his appearance so that “all can savor.” Claire’s father says things like, “I am just a small growing thing,” “God is in my skin,” and “I would actually look really good in that. I am glad I don’t have your ankles though.” Statements that attempt to lift one’s own self-image can actually take the attention off of the one who needs the most of your attention, your children.

Claire’s grandfather has a substance addiction and is disabled. Claire’s grandfather is blind, struggles to recognize Claire, and is reliant on Claire for simple things like access to his cigarettes. Claire’s grandfather attempts to get lost in television despite only being able to hear and is developing respiratory problems from their addiction to cigarettes.

Claire’s grandfather asks “why does it sound so easy to breathe on tv?” and “Claire, is that you? come here, I need you to give me my cigarettes.” The two questions reveal that Claire’s grandfather uses Claire as a tool and cannot take care of Claire if he cannot even take care of himself. It is even revealed that Claire was hiding her grandfather’s cigarettes because she wants him to be healthier, which reinforces that the child would have to adopt a parental role in that relationship.

Claire’s mother is by far the worst of all of Claire’s family, and she is a violent manipulative drunk. Claire’s mother seems to be constantly drunk and tries to restrain Claire as she tells her manipulative statements that would make her look like the good guy. Claire’s mother is revealed to be emotionally dependent on her daughter for therapy, and to have done terrible things in fits of drunken rage.

Claire’s mother says to Opal, “you and I don’t live, Claire, we survive,” “Mamma needs a Mamma’s girl to take good, good care of her,” and “you’re just as helpless as I am, see?” Claire’s mother is a prime example of some of the most recognized forms of child neglect and shows how substances like alcohol can cause trauma to one’s family. It is implied that Claire’s mother even disfigured Claire’s father, which reinforces the bad image.

In the final sequence of Opal, it is revealed that Claire was her father’s mirror, her mother’s pill, and her grandpa’s eyes. Claire was a tool for her family to get what they wanted.

It is far too often that children must be raised by parents that see their children as dispensable tools. Children are at the mercy of their superiors, they do not have very much experience, they are more sensitive, they are physically weak and they depend on their family for food and shelter. A child cannot speak up against injustices in their family lest they be punished. Children should not have to learn to escape the world’s troubles at such a young age; it is the next generation’s job to stop child neglect.