Another Pixar film, another lesson.

Rating: 9/10 (8 July 2016)

I was actually a little nervous before entering the cinema, worrying that Pixar might fail to meet my expectation. But the film succeeded in keeping Pixar's long known reputation and gave me another lively lesson with the attracting and touching story. To this, I'm grateful as always.
The film is about Dory looking for her parents this time. She spared great efforts going home despite her problem of short-term memory loss. Through the whole story, we can find that Dory's ability to recall memories is actually linked closely to the other characters around her and their care. For example, when Dory eventually found her parents, she could even tell them her story of helping Marlin find Nemo. On the other hand, when she's alone, Dory forgets everything about herself and others in a couple of minutes. Such a thing occurred when Marlin decided to abandon her in Sydney because he thought Nemo was dead(Finding Nemo 2003). It also occurred when Dory was flushed into the open water with seaweeds where she could do nothing but follow her instinct and swim blindly. That accounts for Dory's friendliness and sadness when others decide to leave her. She needs to be loved. In reality, the willingness to tend others is something that we all need to learn, especially when it comes to the disabled.
There is a sharp contrary in the film about memories. While Dory was trying hard to recall, Hank the octopus would rather forget. That comes down to the question of whether to live in the past tasting every bit of one's experience, trying to find out who you are, or to let go of everything and live on one's own path. To be honest, if you are Dory, would you like to end up living in an aquarium similar to a jail for the rest of your life merely because that's where your parents are? Many films have brought up the question whether one should pay more attention on his/her own path of life or the family, Pixar films included. However, this is such a controversial question that Pixar never answered it straight. In a Pixar film, the conflict between career and family is often neutralized itself at the end of the movie in order not to force the characters to make the difficult choice. Remy's father eventually helped him with the career as a cook, as an example.(Ratatouille 2007) In Finding Dory, the conflict becomes a process. It tells us birds that migrate do leave home to strive for life, but they will finally come back. While her parents are waiting, unchanged. Dory has grown up and become mature. Since the thought of going home sparkled, not only has she been finding her parents,but also she's been Finding Dory, finding who she truly was.
It's fate that Dory as well as Hank and the other fish would be back in the ocean at last. The film tells us that home is not a place to live, a house to stay. It's where our family members are, where we are tied to each other. So no matter how reluctant Hank was, he belonged to the ocean, and that meant he would return to the nature and stay with those who loved him even if they are not related to him. As for Dory, she's home the moment she meet her mom and dad. Instead of the exciting scenes such as an octopus driving a truck, the reunion scenes are the real highlights of every Pixar film and they are emotional enough to make us weep. It was when Boo was home(Monsters,inc. 2001), when Riley was home(Inside Out 2015), when Arlo and Spot were home(The Good Dinosaur 2015)that the real spirit of Pixar was shown.
Same lessons, different ways taught. It can be noticed that a lot of time and conversations are spent to explain the thinking of the movie. Such arrangement might be used to let the majority of the audience understand those deeper meanings, but they surely used up a lot of precious time too. As for myself, I would appreciate it if those conversations and time are saved to make the plot more fluent and the story carry more reflections of the real world. The idea of the film is also conservative, fewer imaginative points are found, and the shadow of Finding Nemo evidently limit the possibility of the film's imaginations. Besides, there are definitely more laughter in the cinema than usual when I was watching. The film is more funny than the previous Pixar films, which I guess was designed to excite more children mainly. I personally consider these subtle changes as a sign that Pixar is trying to change its original ways of telling stories and teaching audience. I can only hope Pixar will find its way.
I watched many films animated by Pixar when I was little, and when I came to the age of 18 half a year ago, I pick those films up again and I found much more meanings in them. Pixar has accompanied my childhood, taught me, and now it has changed my life twice. Pixar films are always suitable for kids and adults alike. The idea of Pixar figuring out a new route somehow frightened me. If Pixar abandons its classical way of filming and eventually switching its attention completely to the new generation, I will be among those who are most unwilling to say goodbye. I wish Pixar can teach the new generation in the same way it taught us, or maybe a real better way.