Dory: Hey there, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you’ve gotta do?
Marlin: No I don’t wanna know.
Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.
Marlin: Dory, no singing.
Dory: Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho. I love to swim. When you want to swim you want to swim.
Marlin: Now I’m stuck with that song… Now it’s in my head.
Dory: Sorry.
– From “Finding Nemo”
One of the perks of being an avid animation movie fan in a household of toddlers is that one gets to indulge in them more often with a guilt free mind. For weekend movie nights, it’s a tussle between kids’ and parental choice. Last weekend was “Finding Nemo” (2003), the plot centers around Marlin, an overprotective ocellaris clown fish who along with Dory, a regal blue tang search for Nemo, his son who was abducted. Their journey takes them all the way to Sydney Harbour. Along the way, Marlin learns to take risks and comes to terms with Nemo taking care of himself.
“Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes.” Hugh Prather
With it’s classical funny dialogues and realistic as well as artistic animation scenes, for the toddler’s mind it was three hours of joy, music and fun. What went through the adult mind was two central themes of taking life as it comes as well as finding oneself. On a personal front, this animation feature had set the mind thinking. Among the underlying messages and emotional undercurrents, few of the thoughts that were highlighted include taking life as it comes, with risks and all; as well as finding oneself among the responsibilities. Additionally for the parental conscience, it includes guiding the fledglings to find their own call, to watch over them but not to hound or be too over protective in any manner.
“It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.” Lucille Ball
Following the norms of society, culture, tradition and patterns of life; while on the journey we often neglect to take risks and allow for personal growth and betterment. At times, one gets the opportunity to rectify and take the risks to follow the dreams. Over and over again, it may not be so and one follows the set pattern, often falling into a rut and mundane existence. Instead of always living in conformity to the said rules of society; one should take the effort to attempt and risk, to do what one loves and believes in. If one does so in the true and honest manner, “Finding Nemo” would be akin to a quest of finding oneself, their dreams and hopes; not a journey in vain.
“You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching. March to the beat of your own drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in.” Mandy Hale
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