5ÊlifeÊlessonsÊ fromÊPixarÊmovies

Pixar Þlms are a great guidebook on triumph of the human spirit.

P ixar hasnÕt been Pixar these days. Our beloved animation studio seems to have succumbed to HollywoodÕs franchise black hole, relying on sequels ( Cars 2, Monsters University, and the forthcoming Finding Dory) instead of continuing its tradition of making original, innovative animated Þlms. But studios do need to make money, right? With the exception of the poorly received Cars franchise (at least, critically speaking, the two Þlms occupy bottom rung of the Pixar roster), every Pixar Þlm deserves another turn on the big screen, granted the story doesnÕt hinge solely on the need to extend the life of the franchise. Case in point, Toy Story. PixarÕs Þrst feature Þlm came to a full circle in 2010Õs Toy Story 3, where Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang contemplated their mortality while their owner Andy moved on to more grown-up things, something inherent in every toy-owner story like Winnie the Pooh, and Calvin and Hobbes.

ItÕs themes like these that make Pixar Þlms transcend the lighthearted fare usually associated with animated Þlms. While Disney classics like Peter Pan, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid thrum with the substance of fairy tales and happy endings, Pixar deals with more immediate concerns and issues that haunt both children and adults, while maintaining PG ratings.

Here are a few life lessons Pixar has taught us, 14 Þlms into their dazzling Þlmography.

GrowingÊpains

Toy Story may have a funhouse approach with its hoards of toys and patented characters (even Studio GhibliÕs Totoro made an appearance in the third Þlm), but it told an eerily familiar story about shedding our innocence amidst the gnawing demands of the grown-up world. It reminded us how itÕs like to let go of the things weÕve held dear, how itÕs like to reluctantly turn our back on the things that weÕve kept close as the stronghold of our childhood dreams. ItÕs never this easy when youÕve grown up, but when youÕre a kid playing with your worn- down (but cherished) toy, the world is a much better place to live in.

ComingÊhome

The threat of the world looms large in Þlms like Finding Nemo, a story of a grand quest thatÕs built on familial values. Overprotective dad loses his son and crosses the ocean, which turns the Þlm into a great adventure underneath the sea, boasting visuals that still make it the most dazzling of all Pixar Þlms. Mostly, the Þlm centers on parental fears and wildlife conservation but along the way, we discover how our memories are anchored on emotions; that recollection is made more signiÞcant by the feelings we deeply associate with the faces and voices that come along with it. DoryÕs amnesiac blue tang recognizes this fact when she Þnds home in with Marlin despite all the bumps theyÕve encountered along the way.

ScareÊfactor

In MonsterÕs University, we encounter PixarÕs Þrst death-metal mom (possibly a natural step after BraveÕs Merida). A mousy stay-athome mom, who wears rollers and wiggles her butt when she does the laundry, Þnds raging death metal as her ÒtunesÓ of choice while waiting in the car. Much of what MonsterÕs Inc., as well as A BugÕs Life mines on is this deceptive nature of appearances. In both Þlms, a gang of misÞts bonds together to overturn expectations and uncover truths that are kept away from them by societyÕs expectations. Monster University reveals this best in a gripping moment when Mike and Sulley set up a terrifying trap to scare a room full of adults, proving that fear comes in a form we usually dismiss as harmless.

LoveÊwillÊkeepÊusÊalive

UpÕs prologue still remains an unparalleled triumph in animated storytelling. Carl and EllieÕs relationship, one that is built on a wide-eyed sense of adventure, brims with the purest evocation of love. Their relationship is an idyllic version of a life that we all aspire to: a good house to come home to and a loving husband/ wife that never gives up on you. Even after EllieÕs death, Carl recognizes that she will live on, not in the picture frames or the album that they both made, but in his attempt to spend the rest of his days with the insatiable sense of adventure that brought them together in the Þrst place.

StoriesÊareÊking

ÒLegends are lessons. They ring with truths,Ó Queen Elinor tells stubborn Merida after a bedtime story is told for the nth time. Pixar understands the lasting grip of a good narrative. Folk tales, urban legends, and fables are necessary realities distilled at their most vivid form. Much like these Þlms of talking Þshes, rats who can put up Þve-star restaurants, and lonely robots, we live with these stories because they are essential in understanding the world through a wider lens.

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