After finally getting to see "Finding Dory" this week (see my article titled “A Taste of Orlando, Except Not Really” to find out why it took me two tries), I’ve decided to try something new. Disney is one of my favorite companies for a plethora of reasons, and I know I’m not alone. I would like to try to pinpoint some of those specific reasons and highlight them in a few of my articles. For this week I’ll talk about what "Finding Dory" brought to mind. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, stop reading now because there will be spoilers, and you really should go see it when you have a chance. No matter who you are this movie has something to offer.
You see, what I think it is that makes Disney movies so special is that they always seem to capture our most inherent human emotions, and then validate them for us by attaching them to such lovable characters. We watch these characters expose their faults and showcase their good traits, and then we empathize with them because we too have exhibited them in some form or another.
The creatures in Finding Dory are no exception to this trend. Each one has his or her own unique faults that make them so humanly relatable and lovable. Marlin is the somewhat overprotective, anxiety ridden planner whose constant quest for safety adds extra worry to his life and occasional lack of consideration for others. Dory (partly because she’s forgetful) is often impulsive and risky, a trait that sometimes gets her and her friends into dangerous situations. And then there’s Hank, the new addition to the team. He’s an octopus (more specifically “septopus”) who’s had a little too much heartache and would prefer to spend the remainder of his days holed up inside rather than face the open ocean again.
There are others as well that just seem to resonate with us: Dory’s adoring parents who maintain optimism against all odds, the territorial sea lions, the whale shark who can’t see, and the beluga who’s afraid to fail. Everyone who sees this movie has a character they feel like they understand.
Ultimately though, it’s not just understanding that Disney injects into their successful productions. What really brings them a step above is that through their characters and their story lines, they always seem to remind us that despite all our faults and challenges, everything is going to be okay. All we need to do is come to terms with who we are, focus on our strengths, and just keep swimming .
