Peanut Allergy Features Prominently in Plot of Animated Film
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Peanut brittle makes for a menacing foe in last week’s top movie at the box office, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which features peanut allergy as a notable plot point.
An estimated 12 million Americans have a food allergy, including nearly 1.8 million people who have a peanut allergy, a potentially life-threatening condition. Parents of children with food allergies should be aware of this plot development and talk to their children if they plan to see this movie, because younger children in particular might be sensitive to the potentially scary moment when an allergic reaction occurs.
While the filmmakers appear to be informed about peanut allergy, there are some aspects of the way peanut allergy was dealt with in the film that could have been handled more responsibly.
The film, from Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, is about a young inventor named Flint Lockwood who creates a contraption that can turn water into food. He befriends television weather reporter Sam Sparks, who informs him that she is “severely allergic” to peanuts during the beginning of the movie. We appreciate the fact that this character speaks up confidently about her allergy and that other film characters are respectful of her condition.
Chaos ensues when Flint loses control of the device that sends foods raining down on the town, and he and Sam must travel into the sky, where the machine is churning out gigantic pieces of food that stand in their way of saving the town.
During their journey to disarm the machine, shards of peanut brittle stop Sam in her tracks and she says she could go into “anaphylactic shock” if she touches it. However, studies have shown that for the vast majority of people with peanut allergy, the risk of anaphylaxis from skin contact is remote.
In the next few moments, Sam is cut by some peanut brittle and a hive on her arm quickly causes her entire body to swell up. Flint instantly and astutely tells her she must return to his flying car to get an “allergy shot,” and though she tries to insist she should stay to help Flint, another character carries Sam away to take her back to the flying car where a doctor has epinephrine.
While we recognize that this is an animated movie, we should point out that the swelling that Sam experiences (causing her to blow up like a balloon) is exaggerated, and that someone with a peanut allergy should carry their epinephrine with them at all times. Precious seconds ticked by before a doctor administered epinephrine to Sam, at which time she immediately bounced back into action – also an exaggerated result.
For anyone who might not be aware of the proper course of action to take when a severe allergic reaction occurs, it’s important to note that anyone who is administered epinephrine should be taken to the hospital for additional treatment and observation.
The filmmakers attempted to depict peanut allergy correctly. However, we want to ensure everyone gets the correct message. Carry your epinephrine with you at all times if you have a food allergy. When experiencing an allergic reaction, administer epinephrine, and seek medical attention immediately.
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