{"id":9567,"date":"2012-05-31T15:24:00","date_gmt":"2012-05-31T20:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/?p=9567"},"modified":"2012-05-31T15:24:00","modified_gmt":"2012-05-31T20:24:00","slug":"in-pixar-films-true-adventure-is-found-in-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/articles\/topics\/life-issues\/archived-content-life-issues\/in-pixar-films-true-adventure-is-found-in-relationships\/","title":{"rendered":"In Pixar Films, True Adventure Is Found in Relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

I love movies, and I love lists.\u00a0So naturally I love the \u201cBest Movies\u201d lists in newspapers and magazines each December.\u00a0And last month provided a double dip, with \u201cBest Movies\u201d lists for 2009 and<\/em> for the decade of 2000-2009.<\/p>\n

These lists are often widely divergent, reflecting the individual preferences of movie critics.\u00a0But as I read through the lists of favorite movies for the decade, I noticed something interesting:\u00a0Many listed at least one film from Pixar, the studio that has seemingly perfected the art of storytelling through computer animation.<\/p>\n

Finding Nemo<\/em>, for example, was rated the top film of the decade by a critic at the Washington Post<\/em>.\u00a0Entertainment Weekly<\/em> listed Wall-E <\/em>at number five, and the Daily Mail<\/em> in Great Britain had The Incredibles <\/em>at number four.\u00a0Ratatouille<\/em> was ranked number two by one of the critics at atthemovies.com.<\/p>\n

I guess this would make Pixar the Studio of the Decade.\u00a0It certainly is my favorite.\u00a0I can\u2019t think of another group that has put together a string of movies with more quality and creativity during the last 10 years.\u00a0As Chris Vognar of the Dallas Morning News<\/em> (who rated Wall-E<\/em> at number two for the decade) writes, \u201cno one makes movies with more heart, wit and staggeringly perfect execution than the Pixar gang.\u201d<\/p>\n

Appealing both to kids and parents<\/h2>\n

There are so many things I like about Pixar films: the incredible visuals, the focus on quality storytelling, the edgy cultural references, the consistent appeal to adults just as much (if not more) as to children, and the commitment to bringing a sense of wonder into their movies.\u00a0Time and again I would read articles speculating that the next Pixar movie would be a bomb.\u00a0How could they make a good film about monsters \u2026 or a family of superheroes\u2026 or French cooking \u2026\u00a0or a robot on a planet full of trash \u2026 or a lonely and crotchety old man \u2026 and make it appeal to both kids and their parents?\u00a0But the same critics raved when they saw the final films, and each movie was a hit.<\/p>\n

Recently I rewatched all of the Pixar films released in the last decade, and in the process I spotted another secret of the studio\u2019s success: \u00a0These guys understand human connection<\/em>\u2014the\u00a0family relationships and friendships that define us.\u00a0If one message comes through loud and clear in every Pixar movie, it is this:\u00a0Each of us is created not for independence but for interdependence<\/em>.<\/p>\n

For example, at its heart Wall-E<\/em> is about a lonely robot who finds a mate. Cars<\/em> is the story of a conceited race car who learns that he needs the help of others to succeed\u2014and in the process even realizes that true success is different from what he thought.<\/p>\n

In The Incredibles<\/em>, a father longs for adventure and respect, and in the process neglects his wife and children.\u00a0Only when he thinks he has lost them does he realize his folly.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve been a lousy father\u2014blind to what I have, so obsessed with being undervalued that I undervalued all of you,\u201d he admits to his family after discovering they are alive.\u00a0\u201cYou are my greatest adventure.\u00a0And I almost missed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Strongest statement yet<\/h2>\n

Last year\u2019s Pixar film, Up<\/em>, was probably its strongest statement yet on the value of relationships.\u00a0It begins with an extended and emotional sequence about a married couple going through life together.\u00a0In one sense it is depressing:\u00a0Carl and Ellie long for adventure, and then for children, but their hopes and dreams are crushed by infertility, by financial challenges, and finally by Ellie\u2019s death. \u00a0Yet at the same time it celebrates marriage:\u00a0Their love for each other brings deep joy to their lives.<\/p>\n

As the story progresses, Carl clings to memories of Ellie by clinging to their house, even as the neighborhood gives way to modern high-rise buildings.\u00a0He finally leaves on the trip to South America that he and Ellie dreamed about, only to discover a stowaway in a young boy named Russell.\u00a0And by the end of the film Carl realizes that real adventure is found in his relationships.\u00a0As his final note from Ellie says, \u201cThanks for the adventure\u2014now go have a new one!\u201d<\/p>\n

Clear priorities<\/h2>\n

You can tell that the filmmakers at Pixar have families of their own, because their experience is reflected in their stories.\u00a0Just watch the overprotective father in Finding Nemo<\/em>, so afraid to lose his son that he keeps him from experiencing life.\u00a0Or study the portrayal of the toddler \u201cBoo\u201d in Monsters<\/em>, Inc. <\/em>\u00a0Can you think of another movie that has done a better job of capturing the essence of a two-year-old child?<\/p>\n

Or consider the heartbreaking sequence \u201cWhen Somebody Loved Me\u201d in Toy Story 2,<\/em> about a girl growing into adolescence and forgetting about her favorite toy.\u00a0You can feel the ache of parents who can\u2019t believe their children have grown up so quickly.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m glad that the folks at Pixar have their priorities clear.\u00a0\u00a0 Movies will always be about adventure, about self-discovery, about mystery, about the \u201chuman condition.\u201d\u00a0But the heart of life is our family relationships.<\/p>\n

\n

Copyright \u00a9 2010 by FamilyLife. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m glad that the folks at Pixar have their priorities clear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":78946,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"If one message comes through loud and clear in every Pixar movie, it is this:\u00a0Each of us is created not for independence but for 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