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What I Learned from Pixar Movies (Part 1)
Pixar movies have taught me a lot growing up and I thought I'd share the big messages I got from some of the best movies.
The list for this post has movies from Toy Story to Ratatouille.
Toy Story (1995)
People Aren't All Good
When you're a kid, you're taught to think there are good people and there are bad people in the world. Toy Story kind of eliminated this in my mind, because the main character, Woody, was a good guy with some faults that are usually categorized as villain traits. At the end of the movie though, I didn't hate Woody and you're not supposed to. Pixar showed me that people aren't all good and they aren't all bad either; people are just people. (Even though they used toys to demonstrate this)
A Bug's Life (1998)
Stick To Your Dreams
Flik is a big thinker and a big dreamer. Even though the colony was all against him, he still went after his dreams and kept thinking big. Because of this, he saved the colony from the grasshoppers because he didn't think small, like an ant is supposed to. This movie showed me that no matter what other people think your potential and capabilities are, they are not the ones who determine what you can actually accomplish. Only you decide what you're capable of and the only way you can do that is by sticking with your dreams and staying true to yourself. Yes, a little colony of bugs taught me such a big lesson.
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Friends Aren't Made in One Place
While Stinky Pete is a bad guy, Woody does meet Jessie and Bullseye and they join Andy's gang of toys by the end. This movie taught me that your friends don't all have to come from just one place; you can have friends from all over and they can meet each other and be friends too. This was especially important for me going into school. I had neighborhood friends who didn't go to the same school as I did, so I had friends from two separate places and with this movie, I became okay with that. And at birthday parties, I didn't feel weird inviting friends from both places because they all still have one thing in common: they liked me! This lesson also carried over into high school and college, where I made friends from different extracurriculars and felt good with my decision to do so because I shouldn't limit who my friends are.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
"Scary" Doesn't Mean Monster
I always thought that if you were afraid of something it had to be something tangible, like spiders, snakes, etc. And of course, Monsters, Inc. showed that "monsters" don't have to be scary; it's just how you interpret it. But the big lesson for me was that there are things out there that are way scarier than any monster or spider. Things like losing your friends or loved ones. This movie reinvented what I considered to be actually scary, and big monsters or creepy things weren't frightening anymore. I became a bit more fearless from my exposure to Mike and Sully (although I am still terrified of spiders).
Finding Nemo (2003)
Get Out of Your Shell
Marlin is a pretty sheltered fish, after seeing his wife and almost all of children die. It's understandable why he is a more cautious fish and overprotective of Nemo after that debacle. The movie then goes to show him going through the five stages of grief and although he is timid clownfish, he is willing to cross the ocean for his son. There are many moments when he wants to turn away from danger, but because he is paired with Dory as his traveling companion, he is forced to face many dangers that actually turn out to be helpful in the end. This movie taught me a lot about how it's okay to get out of your shell and be wild and adventurous; it can have many rewards. I was quite a shy little kid, and although I am still rather introverted, I have come a long way because of what this movie taught me and I've followed the Dorys that have crossed my path.
The Incredibles (2004)
Being Strong Doesn't Mean Having Muscles
This movie talks a lot about Bob's strength and ego and wanting to be good for his family, bringing back the good old days when he was heroic. I always looked up to superheroes as a kid but this family of superheroes taught me a bit more about them as people. Just because you have big muscles doesn't mean you are a strong individual. This was big for me as a kid, because I was never really strong. I hit my growth spurt very early so I was big by comparison to all the other kids, but that quickly faded as everyone else caught up. But what this movie taught me is that you can be strong without muscles too and I feel that is where I am strongest. I may not be able to lift very much, but I have immense emotional strength and that makes me feel incredible.
Cars (2006)
Home Is What You Make It
Lightning McQueen never really had a home, until Radiator Springs welcomed him into theirs. As a kid, you're taught that home is your house where you live. But that really isn't the case. For me, home is where my loved ones are so I have many homes. I have a home wherever my mom is, or wherever my dad is. I feel at home with my boyfriend whenever I'm with him. And I feel at home whenever I have my cat, Jasper. This movie taught me that home isn't just how glamorous a place is or cozy; home is what you want it to be and for me it's where the people I care about are.
Ratatouille (2007)
Who You Are Shouldn't Stop You From You Who Want To Be
A rat becomes chef: that's it, that's the whole movie. But honestly, he faces adversity time and time again in this movie, from humans and his family, telling him he can't be what he longs to be. In the end, he does it anyway, despite being a rat. This movie taught me that I can be what I want to be, no matter what. My dream is to be a director and while that is a feasible dream, there are not many successful women directors out there. But with this movie, I was taught that despite being a woman, I can reach my dreams as long as I fight through the adversity I undoubtedly will face, just like Remy.
Let me know what these movies taught you and what your favorite Pixar film is!
More Pixar movie lessons coming soon...
Happy Living!