Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
I don’t think anyone doubted that Pixar’s latest movie, Finding Dory, would do well. However, I don’t think the world was prepared by how well this children’s movie about a constantly swimming fish would do. So far, Finding Dory has made over $500 million and continues to dominate the box office. We’re only in week three of its release.
On a surface level, this success makes sense. Pixar movies always do well, and Finding Dory in particular was destined to be movie gold. It’s the sequel to one of the most beloved Disney and Pixar movies to date, and it stars the chronically delightful Ellen DeGeneres. But this isn’t merely a box office victory; it’s financial domination. Why are Pixar movies surefire wins, for children, parents, adults as well as on critical and financial levels? Why are we so obsessed with this quirky yet beautiful computer animation company? I think the appeal can be summarized into one idea: Pixar is one of the few remaining pop culture staples that is willing to fully embrace emotion.
Television and movies today may pride themselves on being edgy, but when the need for emotion arises, they tend to flee, tails between their legs. Not every show and movie falls into this category. Many take the time to really explore the emotional depth of their characters. Better Call Saul is at its best when Jimmy / James / Saul / Gene is alone, forced to confront how the world sees him versus how he sees himself. Likewise, the best storylines on Orange is the New Black come from the camera’s refusal to look away from the show’s most emotionally charged revelations. The main reason The People vs. O.J. Simpson was so compelling was because the series took great care to let each character’s inner demons play out on screen. But more often than not, these powerful, introspective scenes are soon cut and followed by a more light-hearted moment. Movies and TV today are willing to get emotional for a while, but the second the sentiment is portrayed, the camera quickly turns away.
That’s not the case with Pixar movies. Finding Dory was essentially a deep dive (pun intended) into Dory’s greatest weakness, her past, and the thing she hates most about herself. When Dory forgets who she’s looking for or where to go, which is often, the camera doesn’t turn away. It stays with her, letting the audience take in the full force of her anxiety and desperation. There are parts of this movie that are difficult to watch, but those sad moments make the happy reunions brighter. By far the best and saddest version of this embrace of depressing subject matter followed by a happy conclusion played out in Toy Story 3, aka the hardest you cried in 2010.
I do realize that comparing a children’s movie to an adult drama series is not entirely fair. They’re very different mediums designed for very different audiences. However, our dramas by their very nature are supposed to show the full depth of our emotions. They’re supposed to be difficult and painful and above all else human, especially the critically adored ones. And yet Pixar continues to make more adult audiences cry with its simples stories of friendship and growing older than the most dramatic plots on television.
This audience need for authentic portrayals of emotion isn’t merely limited to Pixar just as Pixar’s success isn’t limited to Finding Dory. There are several modern children’s shows that have devoted adult fan bases — Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and Gravity Falls come to mind. Yes, these shows feature gorgeous animation and fantastic elements, but more than anything else, their popularity has to do with the way they handle emotion. In Steven Universe, every feeling Steven has, whether that may be panic at the disappearance of his favorite ice cream treat or intense sadness at having never known his mother, is treated with weight. These shows validate and care for their characters’ problems, both big and small. That very human and relatable reverence isn’t something you often see in the high-stakes-obsessed world of modern entertainment.
Yes, it is a little weird that one of the most successful films of 2016 so far has been about a sad fish looking for her parents. But when you remember that the last movie that made you weep uncontrollably had the name Pixar attached to it, it’s not that odd.
Photos: Disney, Pixar
