The screenplay is the star here!

Rating: Null/10 (7 June 2016)

Finding Nemo is a very special movie for me, as it is the first movie I have ever seen. I believe this is a great film. Not because it is the first movie I have seen, but because of the screenplay.
Marlin is a clownfish in the ocean. He is an overprotective, single father. His only son Nemo is taken by divers, and Marlin embarks on a journey to find his son. During this journey, Marlin learns to battle his own personal fears.
Finding Nemo's screenplay is the star of the movie. The script has a solid storyline, characters, and themes. Let us talk about Marlin. Marlin is the protagonist of the film, despite the fact that Nemo is the title character. We see the drive of the character in the heartbreaking first few minutes. He is overprotective, yes. However, we know that he has suffered the loss of his wife and all his kids (with the exception of Nemo). He only wants to protect his son, but that leads to a flaw. He is so busy thinking about protecting Nemo, he doesn't understand the impact his fear has on Nemo. This isn't protecting Nemo. Now Nemo is taken, and soon, he learns his mistakes, and becomes a perfect dad (at least from the ending we saw. Now Finding Dory will show us how Marlin has progressed). That is the writer's challenge. To create a truthful change in character from opening to ending.
The movie is fun. The movie has its fair share of humor, in balance with drama. In addition to being a comedy-drama, Finding Nemo is an adventure movie. The movie does entertain as an adventure and as a comedy. So, we have entertaining scenes which progress the character's development. Scenes include the encounter with the sharks, the jellyfish escape, and the turtle ride. Each scene helps progress Marlin's character development, while being fun to watch.
This leads us to the whale scene, where Marlin is put to the test. If he doesn't let go of his fear, he will die. If he does let go of his fear, he may die as well, but there is a chance of survival. The actions committed by Marlin and the consequences shape Marlin's growth as a character.
Then we see his growth in the climax, where he must let Nemo go. He is afraid at first, but he learns how to let go, and lets Nemo go, resulting in a happy ending. Nemo shows what he is capable of, and that is a true summary of the events of the film, highlighting the growth of the protagonist.
Nemo has his own parallel story to Marlin's, and that shows us the impact of Marlin's overprotective parenting. Now, the environment he is in encourages him to be braver than he is. This is beneficial as it helps the audience understand the flaw of Marlin's character, and also helps build to the climax. When we see Nemo being brave in the ocean, we know he can do it, as we have seen him do it before. The writer's, however, will make the movie entertaining, and not just show character development. They set up stakes, in the form of Darla. The clock is ticking, and Nemo needs to escape. The stakes are serious, and that is what engages us. What you see here, and throughout Finding Nemo, are layers. There are entertaining surfaces, but peel them off, and you will see rich character development.
Dory is a regal blue tang who suffers from short term memory loss. She is calm, providing a contrast to the fearful Marlin. While providing a lot of laughs, she is a huge part of helping Marlin grow. This is shown best during the whale scene, where the contrast of Dory and Marlin is highlighted. He is scared and cynical about the whale, while Dory is relaxed and optimistic. This allows Marlin to understand his flaws, and see the other side of the coin. He takes a leap of faith, resulting in survival. Dory is a true supporting character. She is a part of the script to help Marlin's grow as a character, while having a distinct voice of her own. She has her flaws. Her optimism lands Marlin and her in trouble, but that helps Marlin.
Truly, it is the well-written screenplay which stands out the most here. The screenplay deservedly won an Oscar nomination. The writers have a flawed protagonist, and develop him through a thoroughly engaging plot. Finding Nemo is my favorite Pixar movie, and truly why I love the movie boils down to the writing.
For a larger view on the writing of Finding Nemo, I suggest you watch this video by Darren Foley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH5jQ2XcNUA, and this video by Darious Britt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM9Ch6Q6Xt0. These two videos are excellent analysis of the Finding Nemo screenplay. I also suggest you watch the movie's director Andrew Stanton's TED Talk about storytelling (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxDwieKpawg) for a better understanding about the Finding Nemo screenplay.