Sue Ellen Should Have Done Shadow Work

Day 2 of Shadow Work: The movie ‘Ma’ and the importance of integrating our shadows

As I was working in my shadow work journal, I began to think: “This is so important to do!” I mean, it is always great to reflect on our existence as humans to see what we are doing well, what’s working for us, what’s not and how to make adjustments. However, after watching MA, I realize there are some people who should have done their shadow work a long time ago, and some need a serious counseling session…maybe several!

‘Ma’, the movie

Basically, the movie ‘Ma’ is about a group of teens who want to hang out and party with smokes and alcohol. They try to get a willing adult to buy it for them, but the only one who will, is Sue Ellen.

Sue Ellen comes off as a normal woman, walking her dog by the store. That is, until the main character, a tall girl named “Max” asks Sue Ellen to buy illegal stuff for them. At first Sue Ellen/Ma says, “No”, but then pretty soon she buys the alcohol and cigarettes/weed for the teens and eventually invites them to her home. She figures it is safer to party with her than “out there”.

The teens quickly oblige, but of course the main character Max (it is always the main character, right?) who is observant and see that something is terribly wrong here, but Max goes along with the plan anyway…

Until Ma invites them over again. And again. And again. Drinking with the teens, dancing with them. Allowing them to pass out on her couch from God knows what.

I don’t need to mention how deep the rabbit hole goes with this one and yes, it turns deadly.

The problem with Sue Ellen, is a problem for everyone.

SPOILER ALERT!

Sue Ellen has a BIG problem.

She wants to party with the young kids all the time and sometimes even during the school week, she asks for them to come over. By now as the viewer, you already feel that this is far beyond inappropriate and that something seems a bit “off” about Sue Ellen.

Eventually she snaps at the teens when they no longer want to hang out with her and then that’s when we get snapshots of Sue Ellen’s horrible past.

I never believe things happen by coincidence.

The way we behave now at point B — started at point A.

Even how we react to conflict now, grew from how we managed conflict at point A.

If Sue Ellen would have sat down with a therapist years ago, then she would not have done half the things she does in the present. Even journaling and reflecting on how she felt about herself back then, would have maybe helped a little.

I know there are nuances to this because bullying is an issue portrayed clear as day in the movie and we tend to not have enough compassion for the victims of bullies when they react, but what goes on in the mind of teen bullies? The ones who actually torture and humiliate their victims? Forcing their victims to become these beasts of society?

I see the importance of dealing with past issues before they manifest into something dangerous. Sue Ellen/Ma more than likely never dealt with the hurt and pain she experienced as a young teen and this in turn led to some very dangerous turns later on in life.

We can only change the circumstances within our control, those other circumstances outside of our control (people’s actions, behaviors, thoughts) we are not built to change that.

I am committed to doing the internal work.

Are you?

Thank you for reading!