It may come as a surprise, then, that the family or children's category could offer a slate of enjoyable and entertaining films to watch, and perhaps ponder upon, on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Be cautious, though, because this is not a quality shared by every great family movie, and for the purposes of this article, I will focus exclusively on three: Ratatouille, the Lego Movie and Zootopia.
These three films are distinct from other family pictures and films in other genres. Through the magic of animation, the voices of comedians (Patton Oswalt as Remy, Chris Pratt as Emmet and Jason Bateman as Nick) and adventurous plots, they portray both a meaningful message and plenty of giggles.
Judged solely in terms of providing entertainment, the films perform well. Without using either violence, foul language or nudity, these motion pictures keep adults and children on the verge of hysterics. Among countless pause-worthy moments, a few stand out: the sloth scene in Zootopia and Vitruvius' repeated failure in pronouncing 'Dumbledore' as 'Doubledoor' in the Lego Movie (if these examples don't ring a bell, search them on YouTube).
That anyone can become anything he or she wishes to become,
but not all at once and only with the help of companions
Indeed, Emmet's journey to becoming a master builder in the Lego Movie was supported by subtle encouragement from Wyldstyle, Alfredo's low self-esteem in Ratatouille was reversed through his unusual yet unbreakable bond with Remy, and Judy's friendship with Nick, a con artist, in Zootopia enabled her to navigate the streets to solve a missing-persons case.
Woe to anyone who tries to draw up a direct action plan in real life based on fictitious animation films. The world is much too complicated and imperfect to allow anyone to closely mirror the journeys of our friendly cartoon characters.
A better takeaway involves considering the subtle messages within these family motion pictures as gentle whispers, serving to remind us that how others view our decisions and aspirations in no way, shape or form affects the realisation of those aspirations and dreams. It is within our power to choose and design our journeys in life and to rally with the kind of people who will accept our differences and support us unequivocally.
So, can a rat really become a chef, or a bunny a police officer? Of course not. The point is to inspire the younger generations to be unbounded, foolish and genuine in expressing their hopes and emotions and to defy the expectations of challengers, whether they be the 'haters' or one's own parents.
Who is to say that adults would not also benefit from doing so?
