In 15 years, Pixar has created not only some of the finest animated motion pictures, but also some of the best films of the last decade and a half. Before the 11th film, Toy Story 3, comes out on June 18, here’s my ranking of Pixar’s first 10 outings.
5. Finding Nemo (2003)
A colorful cast of creatures of the sea full of vibrant voices. A lush tropical setting with danger at every turn. Still, Finding Nemo is a film is full of opposites. A clownfish that isn’t funny. Sharks that view fish as friends, not food. It is often in life that when we see opposites to ourselves, we understand ourselves even better. Had Marlin never met Crush, what kind of father would he be now?
This story speaks to every parent and every kid. From a mother looking for a lost son in a shopping mall to a daughter desperately seeking daddy in a crowded street, the theme of separation and the desperation to reconnect is a universal theme. But what do you do when that separation is forever? Pixar boldly created such an outcome at the start of the film and had the audience hooked for all 100 minutes of this adventure.
Finding Nemo was Pixar’s first true emotional masterpiece, only topped later by Up, which also has a deeply emotional opening ending in an eternal separation. It was the first Pixar filmed that I watched where I cried. That’s a credit to the story, but more so a credit to the fine work of Albert Brooks. Ellen DeGeneres often gets raves for her performance as Dorey, yet to me, Albert Brooks really shines as the star of this film. I sense the desperation in his voice, not only the desperation to find his son but also the desperation to be a good dad. At the end of the film, he finally lets go of the need to be a perfect father, and becomes a better one because of it. I happened to watch this for first time over Father’s Day weekend with my dad. It was perfect
The success of this film was unprecedented at the time and remains so today. Finding Nemo surpassed The Lion King as Disney’s highest grossing animated film, and stands at No. 2 all-time right behind Shrek 2. However, my guess is there will be a new No. 1 by the end of the run of Pixar’s latest release. But I am convinced that without the success of Nemo, we would never have gotten the bold productions of WALL-E and Up. And for that, little clownfish, I thank you.
Previously ranked:
6. Ratatouille (2007)
7. A Bug’s Life (1998)
8. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
9. The Incredibles (2004)
10. Cars (2006)
No comments:
Post a Comment