As a companion piece to my review of Inside Out (which you can read here), here’s a look back at some of Pixar’s previous films, particularly those that deal emotionally with childhood and/or growing up.
Toy Story series (1995, 1999, 2010)
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| Jessie and Woody in Toy Story 2 |
This series chronicles the relationships between toys and
their owners, as well as the fear of being outgrown and forgotten (much as Bing
Bong experiences in “Inside Out”). Yet, there’s the theme of taking advantage
of the time spent with children while it’s given. Says Woody (in a worthy
proclamation for father figures everywhere), “I can’t stop Andy from growing
up. But I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
a bug’s life (1998)
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| Flik and Dot |
Young ant princess Dot feels held back from doing
impossible things, like trying to fly. Flik, a shunned worker ant in the same
colony, and whom she looks up to, encourages her to think of herself as a
“seed” who just needs some time to grow, and have patience that one day she
will do great things. She even returns the favor later on.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
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| Boo and Sulley |
After a little girl from the human world named Boo stumbles into the
monster world through her bedroom closet, and into the lives of buddies Mike
and Sully, the latter eventually becomes a surrogate father
figure and protector for her as they try to return her to her home. Sully soon learns there are better things in life than
becoming the most popular “scarer” in the world, and chooses humility and
friendship over pride and recognition.
Finding Nemo (2003)
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| Nemo and Marlin |
Marlin the clownfish loses his son Nemo one day and sets
out on a journey to find him. Along the way (and with the help of a forgetful
but lovable fish named Dory), he learns to be a better, less protective,
father, and allows his son to grow and discover life.
The Incredibles (2004)
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| Dash and Violet |
The Par children, Violet and Dash, struggle with keeping
their true identities a secret (e.g., Dash’s speed and Violet’s invisibility
and force fields), as well as angst in being persuaded to try and live “normal” lives.
(Dad Bob Parr, at the same time, has a personal distaste for mediocrity.) Dash desires to be on the track team but is held back by his mother, Helen.
He argues,
“You always say, ‘Do your best,’
but you don’t really mean it. Why can’t I do the best I can do?”
Mom: “Honey, right now, the world just wants us to fit in. And to fit in, we just have to be like everybody else.”
Mom: “Honey, right now, the world just wants us to fit in. And to fit in, we just have to be like everybody else.”
Dash: “But Dad always said our
powers were nothing to be ashamed of. Our powers are what make us special.”
Mom: “Everyone’s special, Dash.”
Dash: “Which is another way of
saying no one is.” (Wow.)
As for Violet:
“What do you know about normal?
What does anyone in this family know about [it]?!? . . . We act normal, mom! I want to be normal!”
When Bob (secretly Mr. Incredible) goes missing, Helen (secretly ElastiGirl) and her
stowaway children set out to get him back. Along the way, Helen learns to really
value her children for their “powers” and their identities.
Up (2009)
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| Russell and Carl |
A young Carl Frederickson and friend Ellie (whom he later
marries) make a promise to go to South America and have amazing adventures. As
they get older, though, life gets the best of them, from insurance payments to infertility and eventually to Ellie’s death. On Carl’s self-quest to South
America, stowaway Boy Scout Russell becomes a surrogate son to him, and he
eventually learns that the greatest adventures are with the ones we love.
Brave (2012)
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| Merida (left) and an unexpected companion |
Princess Merida’s relationship with her stern and
demanding queen mother are put to the test when she defies tradition, changes
her destiny, and soon has to reverse a curse she has brought not only upon her
mother but her entire kingdom as well. Present in this medieval period adventure are themes of not only
mother-daughter relationships, but also of identity, responsibility and, yes,
bravery.
Inside Out (2015)
Riley goes through a rocky stage in life when she and her family move from the Midwest to San Francisco. Internally, Joy and Sadness get sucked out of Headquarters, leaving Anger, Disgust and Fear in charge. As they try to get back, they (and audiences) discover how each of our emotions—even the ones we believe don’t mean anything—play a significant role in our lives, including the fact that happiness isn’t everything.
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
It’ll be another couple of months before this film comes
out. But according to the recent trailer (watch below), we not only get a “what if”
scenario of dinosaurs still living on earth, but also an unlikely friendship
between a young Apatosaurus and a human boy (think a twist on a boy and his
dog), and a glorious portrayal of the relationship between species and nature.
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