Growing up, watching "Finding Nemo" pretty much a biweekly thing, I never noticed the little things though. I focused on the characters and the story overall. But I never really watched it in-depth and looked for the hidden messages.
Now 19-years-old, I notice these things in movies. Thanks to my sophomore year English teacher, I over analyze just about every movie I watch. At first I was over taken by baby Dory, just like everyone else. But once the movie started going, that's when I began to analyze.
First, the iconic line of Dory; "just keep swimming" means so much more than something that's repeated as she swims. It's supposed to send the message to never give up. Even when the going gets tough, you just have to keep going, or swimming. I love that saying, because as kids you'd just repeat it aimlessly. But now that you're older, it has an actual meaning.
While watching the new movie, I noticed that the editors put a few scenes in about how littering affects wildlife. I feel like not a lot of people understand how much of sea life is affected. So I thought it was pretty cool to see that the creators/directors would include things about sea pollution. Even if 3 year olds don't understand what a wrapper in the ocean truly means, they'll at least remember that a fish can't eat it.
Although it wasn't outright said, this movie actually portrays a lot about bullying. When Marlin tells Dory to "forget about it because that's what she does best" the viewer is immediately feel bad for Dory. Not only does he feel bad, but for the rest of the movie Nemo makes comments. It's amazing that they'd include how bullying should make one feel.
The directors also included a scene that made me fall so much more in love with this movie; Becky. Becky is the bird that does not fit in with the rest. While everyone laughs at her, Marlin doesn't believe in her. Yes, Becky was different from the other birds, but she was the reason they got into the rehabilitation center.
And most importantly; the directors made it known that family is important, and family comes first. Throughout both movies the directors made the main point be that family comes first. Not only did Marlin, but Dory would not give up until they found their family members. Family is so important to me, so I loved that it was a huge part of both movies in this sequel.
Although it's not really a hidden message, I love that one of the characters (Dory) is voiced by a lesbian. I remember a few months back I had seen a post about how some people where aggravated because there was a same sex couple shown in the new movie's previews. And with saying that, I think it is amazing that the directors would include where there are same sex couples. The LGBTQ community is present in every day life, and I think if kids were to see it in a movie it would make them less likely to question couples like these in real life.
Lastly, I am an adult and I still love Finding Nemo just as much as I did when I was younger. Thankfully the second movie is just as amazing as the first.
