Nemo
Pixar Week Tuesday: Finding Nemo
(Note that the following article includes plot spoilers. You have been warned.)
Finding Nemo is a beautiful film, any way you look at it. If you'd like to just settle down and zone out to all the pretty colors, you'll get that. If you'd like to watch a moving story about a man and his missing son, and their ultimate reunion, you'll get that. And if you want to indulge in a little introspective as either a child or a parent, you'll... well, you get the idea.
Nemo is in the tradition of Great Quest stories that have been told since the dawn of time. Interestingly, it's also the only Pixar film so far to follow the odd Disney tradition of killing off at least one parent of a major character either before or during the film. (Did Walt have some kind of grudge, or what?) Additionally, it's also one of only a few children's films that has a main child character who has an actual physical disability - and the main point of the story isn't about them trying to fit in with the 'regular folks'.
In fact, this is probably the best film I have ever seen featuring a physically challenged character that doesn't coddle anyone on either side of the equation. Even the one character who does have an issue - his father, Marlin - is not so much concerned about Nemo's disability, but more concerned that the ocean is a mean and nasty place for any fish. I would posit that Marlin's personality would have found some other reason to keep Nemo close to home, and the 'lucky fin' is simply an excuse.
With Finding Nemo, Pixar nearly overloaded the movie with meaning. And yet, none of it feels shoved down your throat. There is a narrative similarity to Toy Story 2 in the plot - namely, someone is stolen away by someone who doesn't realize they are actually participating in a kidnapping. The difference between them is that while Buzz knows where to find Woody (the conflict is not how to rescue him but rather whether he wants to be rescued at all), Marlin must discover the location of Nemo before planning any sort of rescue. Marlin's conflict is the hopelessness of the situation. Obviously, since this is technically a movie for children, we know it's all going to work out in the end - Marlin will somehow reunite with Nemo. The journey itself is the story, and that is the strength of the narrative.
Now, while Marlin's journey is the bulk of the story, the titular Nemo has his own journey to travel. Not only must he somehow overcome the loss of his father and home, but he needs to overcome his own feelings of inadequacy brought on by the way his well-meaning father has protected him. Obviously, Gil's plan to escape is an attractive one, but what Nemo needed to do was to show he could do a job only he was suited to do. It's tempting to tie it back to his fin, but Gil clearly demonstrates that it's irrelevant - you can do anything you think you can do. By the time Nemo finds a way to escape, he has found the confidence he has been searching for, which serves him well in the next hurdle.
Back to Marlin. I found it rather easy to relate to Marlin as a father. Many of the lessons that get passed along through this movie are through Marlin's experiences with the various sea life he encounters, especially Dory. Dory is an interesting foil - while mostly there as comic relief to offset the surly and depressed Marlin, she has some insights into life that are all the more keen thanks to the source.
So what lessons do we have here? Perhaps the most blatant and important one is to let go and trust other people. Dory clearly states the lesson while in the mouth of the whale, but it is communicated throughout the movie. Marlin is constantly trying to part ways with Dory because he doesn't realize the help she is providing, but he finally learns that he can't make this journey alone. It is not coincidence that as soon as he "gets" the message, his physical journey to Australia has nearly completed.
We also clearly have a message of perseverance - again, clearly stated by Dory in her impromptu song, "Just Keep Swimming". Throughout the story, it is clear that giving up is not an option. Even if it looks hard or impossible, you can muscle through - whether it's a sea of jellyfish or escaping the tank.
Beyond that, there are lessons of peer pressure ("I'm gonna touch the butt!"), racism (the sharks), teaching your children to survive the real world, and the responsibilities of leadership (Gil and stop-the-filter plan).
But all in all, this is a fun movie. I've seen it a number of times, and each time there is something new I take away from it. Sometimes it's a lesson, sometimes it's a laugh. And sometimes, I just like watching the pretty fishies.
I rate Finding Nemo as my second favorite Pixar film.
As an aside, I forgot to mention the weight loss progress yesterday. I dropped another pound and a half, bringing the total to 11.5 pounds lost. We're planning on changing the weigh-in day to Friday, and I think that will work better. Under the Weight Watchers plan, you get a fixed set of points you can use at your discretion each week. They don't roll over, so as you get to the end of the week, you sort of feel entitled to the extra points and burn them on the day before weigh-in. This is a little tougher to avoid when the last day is a weekend - the opportunity for some guiltless spending is higher. By switching it to Friday, we can still have a nice meal or a special event (like movie popcorn) by using the bonus points, but we aren't bulking up for the weigh-in.
Link of the moment: Take your own journey through the skies with the Fly Guy.
(Note that the following article includes plot spoilers. You have been warned.)
Finding Nemo is a beautiful film, any way you look at it. If you'd like to just settle down and zone out to all the pretty colors, you'll get that. If you'd like to watch a moving story about a man and his missing son, and their ultimate reunion, you'll get that. And if you want to indulge in a little introspective as either a child or a parent, you'll... well, you get the idea.
Nemo is in the tradition of Great Quest stories that have been told since the dawn of time. Interestingly, it's also the only Pixar film so far to follow the odd Disney tradition of killing off at least one parent of a major character either before or during the film. (Did Walt have some kind of grudge, or what?) Additionally, it's also one of only a few children's films that has a main child character who has an actual physical disability - and the main point of the story isn't about them trying to fit in with the 'regular folks'.
In fact, this is probably the best film I have ever seen featuring a physically challenged character that doesn't coddle anyone on either side of the equation. Even the one character who does have an issue - his father, Marlin - is not so much concerned about Nemo's disability, but more concerned that the ocean is a mean and nasty place for any fish. I would posit that Marlin's personality would have found some other reason to keep Nemo close to home, and the 'lucky fin' is simply an excuse.
With Finding Nemo, Pixar nearly overloaded the movie with meaning. And yet, none of it feels shoved down your throat. There is a narrative similarity to Toy Story 2 in the plot - namely, someone is stolen away by someone who doesn't realize they are actually participating in a kidnapping. The difference between them is that while Buzz knows where to find Woody (the conflict is not how to rescue him but rather whether he wants to be rescued at all), Marlin must discover the location of Nemo before planning any sort of rescue. Marlin's conflict is the hopelessness of the situation. Obviously, since this is technically a movie for children, we know it's all going to work out in the end - Marlin will somehow reunite with Nemo. The journey itself is the story, and that is the strength of the narrative.
Now, while Marlin's journey is the bulk of the story, the titular Nemo has his own journey to travel. Not only must he somehow overcome the loss of his father and home, but he needs to overcome his own feelings of inadequacy brought on by the way his well-meaning father has protected him. Obviously, Gil's plan to escape is an attractive one, but what Nemo needed to do was to show he could do a job only he was suited to do. It's tempting to tie it back to his fin, but Gil clearly demonstrates that it's irrelevant - you can do anything you think you can do. By the time Nemo finds a way to escape, he has found the confidence he has been searching for, which serves him well in the next hurdle.
Back to Marlin. I found it rather easy to relate to Marlin as a father. Many of the lessons that get passed along through this movie are through Marlin's experiences with the various sea life he encounters, especially Dory. Dory is an interesting foil - while mostly there as comic relief to offset the surly and depressed Marlin, she has some insights into life that are all the more keen thanks to the source.
So what lessons do we have here? Perhaps the most blatant and important one is to let go and trust other people. Dory clearly states the lesson while in the mouth of the whale, but it is communicated throughout the movie. Marlin is constantly trying to part ways with Dory because he doesn't realize the help she is providing, but he finally learns that he can't make this journey alone. It is not coincidence that as soon as he "gets" the message, his physical journey to Australia has nearly completed.
We also clearly have a message of perseverance - again, clearly stated by Dory in her impromptu song, "Just Keep Swimming". Throughout the story, it is clear that giving up is not an option. Even if it looks hard or impossible, you can muscle through - whether it's a sea of jellyfish or escaping the tank.
Beyond that, there are lessons of peer pressure ("I'm gonna touch the butt!"), racism (the sharks), teaching your children to survive the real world, and the responsibilities of leadership (Gil and stop-the-filter plan).
But all in all, this is a fun movie. I've seen it a number of times, and each time there is something new I take away from it. Sometimes it's a lesson, sometimes it's a laugh. And sometimes, I just like watching the pretty fishies.
I rate Finding Nemo as my second favorite Pixar film.
As an aside, I forgot to mention the weight loss progress yesterday. I dropped another pound and a half, bringing the total to 11.5 pounds lost. We're planning on changing the weigh-in day to Friday, and I think that will work better. Under the Weight Watchers plan, you get a fixed set of points you can use at your discretion each week. They don't roll over, so as you get to the end of the week, you sort of feel entitled to the extra points and burn them on the day before weigh-in. This is a little tougher to avoid when the last day is a weekend - the opportunity for some guiltless spending is higher. By switching it to Friday, we can still have a nice meal or a special event (like movie popcorn) by using the bonus points, but we aren't bulking up for the weigh-in.
Link of the moment: Take your own journey through the skies with the Fly Guy.
posted by Kojubat at
10:10
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