As is normally the case with Pixar films, characters are the key, and Finding Nemo stars a whole host of classic characters. Our story begins with Marlin and Coral anxiously awaiting the birth of their children. The following sequence is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in Pixar history as we all know that Coral is taken away from Marlin along with most of their children. There is only one child that survives, and due to the request made by Coral, Marlin names him Nemo. Then, he tenderly informs the unborn Nemo, "I promise I will never let anything to happen to you." Thus, the characterization begins. Marlin is portrayed as a worrywart (by the incredible Albert Brooks), constantly looking out for trouble so he can shield Nemo from the world's inevitable dangers. Nemo, on the other hand, is a free spirit, continually searching for adventure and daring to explore. This contrast in character is an excellent set-up for the entire film as both Marlin and Nemo experience tremendous character evolution over the course of the film. For Marlin, he learns to accept that parents cannot protect their children from danger forever. In fact, part of growing up is independently experiencing the world. It is by no means an easy realization to grasp for Marlin, but it is certainly a necessary one. For Nemo, he realizes that Marlin's oftentimes overbearing tendencies are present simply because he loves his child with all of his heart. When he commands Nemo to be safe, it is coming from a heart of love and genuine care. Through these two amazing clownfish, we can learn quite a bit about parenting, protection, and life in general.
The rest of our characters are equally classical. The film's standout is Ellen DeGeneres's Dory. She enters the story early, and she firmly makes her presence known. I'll reveal more of my love for Dory below, but let me just tell you that I think Dory is one of Pixar's greatest characters. Of all the casting choices in Pixar history, bringing in DeGeneres to voice Dory is their best choice yet. Furthermore, the scene-stealing Tank Gang is superb, and once again, the cast shines. Gill (William Dafoe), Bloat (Brad Garrett), Peach (Allison Janney), Gurgle (Austin Pendleton), Bubbles (Stephen Root), Deb/Flo (Vicki Lewis), and Jacques (Joe Ranft) provide sensational comedic relief while also offering some legitimate dramatic moments as well, especially the heart-to-hearts with Gill and Nemo. The rest of the ensemble is essentially featured in glorified cameos, but Pixar somehow makes it work and makes every single character a classical one. Crush (expertly voiced by director Andrew Stanton) is the one hundred and fifty year old sea turtle just about anyone would love to hang out with, as is the adorable Squirt. Our recovering fish addicts, Bruce, Chum, and Anchor, star in one of the film's best sequences from a story and animation standpoint. Then, of course, you have the pelican, Nigel, who is voiced by Geoffrey Rush, and last time I checked, Geoffrey Rush makes everything better,
Pixar has always been able to fully immerse the audience into their film's world, and the greatest example of that just might be with Finding Nemo. Pixar has exquisitely captured the majestic nature of the ocean while not avoiding the obvious dangers as well. We are shown legions of fish from all around that are beautiful and colorful just as much as we are shown such perils like jellyfish, sharks, and trenches ("Swim through it, not over it.). There are some moments in the film that look as if Pixar has seemingly trained fish to talk because the animation is so real and distinct. Additionally, Thomas Newman's score is sublime. Finding Nemo was the first Pixar film not to be scored by Randy Newman, and with a brand new Newman, Pixar found its finest score of their first five films. Every musical note is painstakingly placed at the perfect moment in the story and within the action of the characters. However, the score is never bombastic, oftentimes being completely silent or dimly played during the film's most crucial scenes such as Marlin and Dory's goodbye. That is the mark of a phenomenal score.
You will start to notice a trend developing in my praise of Pixar's films. With the exception of one film (*cough* Cars 2 *cough*), my critiques of the studio's films will be extremely limited to nonexistent. I consider most of Pixar's films to be masterpieces, and Finding Nemo belongs in the conversation for not only Pixar's best film, but animation's best film. Its vibrant characters, lush animation, beautiful score, and powerful messages are the reasons we keep coming back for more. I have watched Finding Nemo more times than I can count, and it still never ceases to amaze me.
Rating: 10/10
Historical Significance: This is one of those stories that if it isn't true, it should be. Director Andrew Stanton reportedly convinced Pixar chief John Lasseter to greenlight the project during an hour-long session in which Stanton used elaborate visuals and a variety of potential character voices. Once his presentation was complete, Stanton asked Lasseter what he thought, to which Lasseter simply replied, "You had me at 'fish.'" His character voices were apparently spot on because Stanton would go on to voice Crush in the film. He never intended to do so as he would usually just provide Crush's lines during production for the rest of the cast and crew and for the film's rough cut. His voice was so well-received during test screenings, though, that he eventually recorded the lines for the final version. Stanton claims that he recorded all of Crush's lines from a couch inside his office. Also, it is worth mentioning that as of 2015, Finding Nemo is the world's bestselling DVD, selling over forty-one million copies.
Behind the Scenes: Pixar animators wanted to completely immerse the audience in this underwater environment, so in order to create the ocean with animation, they immersed themselves into various environments for inspiration and investigation. The production crew visited many aquariums while also taking a few diving sessions off the coast of Hawaii and Monterey. Pixar even used its own twenty-five gallon fish tank for studying (why Pixar has a twenty-five gallon fish tank is beyond me, but I digress.). The result, as you know, is one of Pixar's most beautiful films to date. Furthermore, the filmmakers were concerned about Ellen DeGeneres's ability to perform Dory's dramatic scene towards the end of the film because they had never truly seen DeGeneres in a non-comedic role. One day after recording had ceased, the crew asked DeGeneres to record a trial run of the scene with the intention of telling her to go home and work on it for the next day's recording. However, DeGeneres blew them out of the water (no pun intended). This trial run recording is the recording that was used in the final cut of the film.
Favorite Character: Long before Dory was given her own film with her own incredible backstory, the famous blue tang has long been not only my favorite character from Finding Nemo, but one of my favorite characters ever, Pixar or otherwise. I have always held Robin Williams's performance as Genie in Aladdin as the greatest voice acting of all-time, but Ellen DeGeneres's performance as Dory is a close second in my book. From the moment she makes her debut, Dory is a character for the ages as she constantly makes us laugh while also providing an emotional punch near the film's end. DeGeneres has obviously always had the ability to be hysterical, but what makes Dory such an iconic character is her ability to show Dory's vulnerabilities in the film's dramatic conclusion. Pixar's decision to give Dory short-term memory loss is an ingenious one as it is used to garner big laughs from the audience clearly, but it is also used to be the driving force behind Dory's quest to find a family and a home (and eventually her own film). DeGeneres truly shines in this role she was born to portray. I remember walking out of the theater as an eight year old endlessly quoting Dory's lines, and thirteen years later at age twenty-one, not much has changed whatsoever.
Favorite Scene: I referred to this scene in the previous section briefly. My favorite scene from Finding Nemo is the emotional moment between Marlin and Dory near the end. At this point, it is believed that Nemo is dead, leaving Marlin and Dory with one hopeless journey back home. The problem is that Dory doesn't have a home or a family for that matter. As Marlin thanks Dory for the assistance and begins swimming home, Dory attempts to convince him that they must stay together because when she looks at him, she's home. I mentioned earlier that this cast is one of Pixar's best, and Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres are the film's highlights. This scene is some of the best vocal work you will ever witness. DeGeneres breaks our heart with every word, and Brooks embraces the situation Marlin finds himself in to deliver a heart-wrenching moment of despair and loss for the downtrodden father. In a film filled with so many fantastic comedic sequences ("Just keep swimming"/Nemo's first encounter with the Tank Gang/the scene in the EAC), this emotional moment is the scene I keep returning to as my favorite. Pixar has done it again.Updated Ranking: This is where ranking Pixar films becomes unfair to an extent. You know how much I raved about Toy Story 2, and yet it finds itself at number four out of five!
- Toy Story
- Finding Nemo
- Monsters Inc.
- Toy Story 2
- A Bug's Life
Tomorrow, I'll have not just one review, but two reviews. It's a double dose of the Summer of Magic next with Brother Bear and Home on the Range!
-Cody Fleenor
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