Jack and the cuckoo clock heart rant

If you have watched the movie you can keep reading lol. but i wouldnt recommend to keep reading if u havent read the book or movie as there will be HEAVY spoilers for both, if youre planning to watch it or read it. Pls do so though, it's very entertaining. 

I really love the movie and book, but ofc there is a ton of flaws when it comes to it, like every other movie or book. 

So for context( in case you havent read the book or watched the movie and youre still reading), Jack is a kid who was born on the coldest day on earth. His heart froze and an inventor called Miss Madeleine(who is also a midwife) replaces his frozen heart with a cuckoo clock one(as the name suggests). In the books, it is mentioned that Jack's mom is a sex worker though the reason she left Jack in Madeleine's care is not mentioned(if i remember correctly). But in the books she wholeheartedly believes Jack will have a way better life with Madeleine. Now, Madeleine owns an orphanage in the book while she doesnt in the movie. His only company in the movie are three adults who live under the care of Madeleine(as she built inventions to help with their disabilities, such as making a prosthetic leg for one of them). This is important so pls keep that in mind. 

In the books, Jack has to see the kids be taken in by adults, as he still stays in the orphanage. He believes(and is right) that the adults think of him as some freak of nature bc of his cuckoo clock. Madeleine however seems happy abt Jack staying, as her dream always had been to have a child to call her own(as shes infertile). This is also a fact on the movie!

However, he's basically isolated from any outside interaction besides the adults. Which isn't healthy. A kid his age has to at least somewhat interact with others, or else his mental development and social skills could literally plummet. Adults aren't enough company for a kid, cause he would feel the need to act mature at a very young age(as someone who had to interact with grown ass adults on the daily from my stepdad's side). That causes them to become childish when they're around their teenager years or adult ones. This is also very important to note.

With no outside interactions and/or friends around his age, plus being isolated and staying inside on the daily, he finally gets the chance to go outside on his 12th birthday(or around said age cant remember lol). However there is three important rules that Madeleine asks him to follow.

"1. Never touch the hands of your heart.

2. Keep your temper under control. 

3. Never fall in love."

The last one is the most important according to her, as it could literally kill him. However, he isnt in any way interested in love. Which makes sense. He hasn't interacted with any other kids, nor has met any girl, of course hes not gonna know of the concept of love. Plus, he's 12. Kids his age can get crushes, but it is too far fetched to believe he can "fall in love" at that age. At most he can love platonically, but romantically is a too big concept for kids. Doesnt mean it cant happen ig, but again, very rarely lol(also he was literally isolated he cannot understand feelings all that well😭).

When they visit the town, he meets Miss Acacia played by Olivia Ruiz. fun fact, if im right, Olivia was dating the director, Matias Malzieu, when the movie was made. Propably why shes playing in it as the character's love interest(who was played by Matias Malzieu). Now, Jack "falls in love at first sight with her". Which is not propaganda im falling for. 

They have this whole singing sequence in the movie, some other stuff happens, and he decides to look for her again. After one meeting mind you. 

He then discovers she goes to the local school, and begs Madeleine to let him enroll. At the end he goes, but ends up getting tormented by this guy(Joe, who in the movie is Acacia's ex, dunno abt the book though) throughout the following years. Acacia had apparently ran away the day before Jack arrived at the school, but he still holds the hope of seeing her. One day, he discovers Acacia now works on a circus in Andalucia. However, he gets into a fight with Joe and accidentally pokes his eye out with the cuckoo clock, though maybe he just poked the eye itself, i cant remember if he did poke the eye out.

The police goes up the hill where Madeleine lives to get Jack, but she forces Jack to run away and meet with a clockmaker(as his heart was malfunctioning). 

Some other stuff happens, he meets Acacia again, blah blah blah. Now in the books, they start dating somewhere around a year after, which fair ig. But in the movies, they spend like some days together, decide to date and then run away. Like hey, maybe try to interact with each other a bit more...? I feel like it was too soon, but in all fairness, they did had to rush it as it is a movie with limited amount of time. Plus animation takes a TON of time. 

However, some stuff happens in the book in which Joe comes back, and Acacia becomes like crazy famous thanks to her voice(as shes a singer and a flamenco dancer, forgot to mention that mb). So Jack becomes jealous, and starts accusing Acacia of cheating with NO proof mind you. She was literally only being nice to Joe, plus Jack hadnt told her of all the things he went through thanks to him. 

They have this big argument, and they break up. I was personally kinda happy abt it cause their relationship was toxic as hell in my opinion. They were around 15, 16? and all they ever did when hanging out, more than half of the time, was do THAT(not mentioning what that much cause yk, restrictions and such). And Jack deadass got mad at Acacia for not wanting to have sex ONE day. 

Personally, I dont believe Acacia needed any love interests, nor Jack, cause she had dated Joe when she was 12(he was around 17), and Jack had no experience with relationships or feelings. His only advisor was some 30 year old something who had a ton of lovers. Not exactly the best advisor when it comes to love ig. 

Jack gets into an accident or smth, and ends up in a coma. When he wakes up, he discovers Acacia married Joe only to then divorce him, so he decides to persue her. AGAIN. He gets mad when she doesn't like him anymore, which shes very valid for. For all she cared he was dead, so ofc she was going to lose feelings. Mind u, it's been probably more than 10 years cause Jack is around 30 when he wakes up. He becomes enraged with the idea, so either he ends up dying or lives miserably. Again, it's been a while since i read the book i MAY be wrong lol.

In the movie, Jack ends up running back home after Acacia believes the lies Joe says abt Jack, and ends up discovering Madeleine is dead(he realizes that in the book somewhere after waking up from the coma or before when he started dating Acacia). With a basically broken heart he stays sat under the snow, until Acacia arrives with the key to his heart(cause he had given it to her and he needed it to survive). Though Jack refuses it and dies in her arms after sharing their first kiss. 

Tbh i do prefer the movie's ending as it is more "romantic" than the book. Especially since in the movie, Jack is less of an asshole than book Jack( i cannot feel any empathy for book Jack i swear). 

My biggest problem with the book is probably the fact it completely brushes off the fact Joe pursues her when hes a grown ass adult and shes around 16(maybe shes older cant remember but still-). The movie isnt completely innocent, as again, she was like 12 maybe 13 when dating Joe, and he was around 17. And in the movies he was more older, and pursued her again when she was 16. 

Now Jack may be more excused as again, he was basically groomed by Madeleine(his heart was literally working well, she just lied to him to keep him to herself in the book), isolated, and tormented through most of his teen years. But it just pisses me off a bit that the fandom brushes all the toxic behavior, dubs down the relationship between Acacia and Jack as "doomed", and labels the movie and book as a love story. Though the author himself does the same so i guess theyre not much at fault. 

The movie is more of a "doomed" love story than the book in my opinion, but i still find it rushed. I may be looking a bit too much into it, but I feel like thinking inside the box that the author gives you, and not look deeper into the actions and feelings of the characters and also completely ignoring the abusive behaviors and toxic relationships they show is basically why media literacy is dead. 

Though the good sides of the book is its amazing and descriptive writing(i read it in two days, thats just how good it is) and the movie has amazing animation and soundtrack(the author and director belongs to a band so ofc it would be peak). The vibes it mostly gives it's probably steampunk and a bit gothic? idk i personally see it as such. It is my favorite movie lol.