The day rumored production for "Finding Dory" was released, fans of "Finding Nemo" were ecstatic. This "sequel" to a movie from teenagers' childhoods was about to make summer 2016 great. It was teenagers who went the midnight premiere of this Pixar movie. Teenagers tweeted, snapchatted, and facebooked about seeing the movie the moment it came out into theaters. Before I got the chance to see Finding Dory, I heard many mixed reviews. Some simply said it was "super cute." Others claimed it wasn't as good as if they'd seen it as a kid. A small group also said it was ""Finding Nemo" all over again." I am here to tell you, without spoilers, that Finding Dory, while including characters from "Finding Nemo," is a stand alone film that is unique and empowering. Pixar continues to produce movies that have positive messages for the young audience they're geared toward.
Throughout the entire movie, important morals and life lessons are presented. Dory struggles with remembering simple facts and events due to her short term memory loss. On her journey, she is constantly running into obstacles due to her lack of memory. However, this does not stop her. She does not allow her disability of sorts keep her from her ultimate goal. She comes up with tricks to help her remember key things and asks for help when she's forgotten. Her perseverance is clearly evident. This underlying, key element to the storyline helps remind the audience, both young and old, that nothing can truly stop you from achieving your dreams, which is important to teach and remember.
In addition to Dory's lack of memory, she is unique in may other ways. Most importantly, is her creativity. Dory is always coming up with outrageous plans to get from one place to another. No idea is too big or too small. This may make her seem quirky to others, but to her, that is just how she thinks: creatively. Even Nemo and Marlin learned that sometimes that is the only answer. Thinking logically may not always get you where you need to be, but thinking creatively can open a world of opportunities. As technology advances, the ingenuity and critical thinking is slowly removed from life. It is important to be creative and have time to think outside of the box because not every path is a straight line. Sometimes you need to get a little curvy.
Dory is also portrayed as a people person. She is someone who makes friends wherever she goes. See that ornery octopus over there? Well she will make him her friend in minutes. No one can say no to her friendly and loving personality. She is open to all people, regardless of their attitude, looks, or background. This is hard to find nowadays in a world filled with discrimination and hurt. It may not seem like a big influence, but kids are so impressionable. I know there are little ones out there saying, "mommy, I want to be like Dory" or "can I get Dory for my birthday?" They soak in everything from their favorite movies, and this one is chalk full of great influence.
The last teaching that stuck with me the most is the importance of friendship. Dory spent most of her life without her parents, so she was left with no concrete family. Marlin and Nemo were her family even if none of them explicitly stated so. Friends become family right before your eyes. It is imperative to remember to love and respect them just as you would your biological family because they are there for you through thick and thin, sometimes even when your "true" family isn't. You need to be careful with your words. You need to be loyal. Holding onto your close friends, your chosen family, is just as important as holding onto your parents.
While it might be just a kid's movie to some, Finding Dory has great lessons to teach people of all ages. If you have yet to see it, I highly recommend heading to your local theater to see it soon! I promise you will not regret it one bit. Definitely not a horrible way to spend $10. Pay attention and see if you can gain as much from this Pixar film as I did. And remember to "just keep swimming." :)
