Things I'll Love Forever: Finding Nemo

The summer after I graduated from high school, I probably saw Finding Nemo about four times in the theater – and there aren’t many movies I’ve watched in the movie theater more than once (The Dark Knight and, strangely enough, the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie are the only others I can think of). The beautiful aquatic sceneries and memorable characters make Finding Nemo one of my favorite movies of all time – and I haven’t watched it in years. Well, until Sunday night, at any rate. Then I remembered all the stuff to like about it.

1 – Finding Nemo has two very strong, very likeable main characters. Marlin is a pretty typical father figure, except his a little more cowardly than fathers are usually depicted. Of course, when your entire family is viciously devoured before your eyes, you’ll probably be a little cautious yourself. Marlin’s terror is pretty much his defining characteristic; however, when Nemo is abducted, Marlin turns that fear into a kind of desperate courage. His devotion to his son is nothing short of impressive.

2 – Of course, just because Marlin is the daring rescuer doesn’t mean Nemo can’t have his moment to shine. Crippled for life by a damaged fin, Nemo should be the helpless. One he meets his personal Yoda, though, Nemo comes into his own, and he actually manages to rescue himself. He’s the Macguffin to Marlin’s story arc, but his own character never gets thrown under the bus. Nemo’s every bit as inspiring and likeable as his father.

3 – Then there’s this chick:


In any other movie, a character like Dory would drive me absolutely insane. She’s obnoxious, gimmicky, and so silly she almost becomes superfluous. And it’s that “almost” that redeems her. She’s got her own story – a lot of it we never actually get to see. Near the end of the movie, when Marlin is about to leave and Dory begs him to stay with her, she delivers this amazing little speech about how he helps her remember things. That hint of tragedy makes her character far more compelling than she should be. I cry EVERY %^#% time.

Also, Ellen DeGeneres SMASHES the role. Dory, who is nearly Finding Nemo’s worst character, becomes the movie’s best, thanks in no small part to the brilliant voice acting.

4 – Almost all of the bit characters are great and memorable in their own way, as well. While the plot feels a bit like it was written with a video-game adaptation in mind (“here’s the shark level, here’s the jellyfish level…”), none of the set-pieces are unnecessary. Every step of the way (so to speak), Marlin learns a bit more about himself and Nemo. The sharks teach him to face his fears, the turtles teach him to trust his son more, and the whale teaches him to trust more. Not a single lesson is wasted. Speaking of which…

5 – Finding Nemo’s story is one of the most tightly-woven narratives I’ve ever encountered. There’s literally no filler. Every scene is significant, and many scenes are actually revisited – at least thematically. Heck, even Dory’s “Just Keep Swimming” song plays a significant role in the climax, when the fish have to escape the trawler’s net. The finale of the movie ties Dory’s optimism, Marlin’s determination, and Nemo’s self-confidence into one REALLY tense moment that serves as a great way to tie up all three storylines effectively and beautifully.

Is Finding Nemo a perfect movie? Maybe. I’m not kidding. It’s a darn fine piece of cinema, and I’ll love it forever.