They say what happens on the big screen is overly exaggerated and far different from what actual life is, that whatever we see, hear, feel and interpret is nothing but a tiny world of fictionality seasoned with spikes of excitement and feel-good emotions. But what they don’t mention is how significant an impact this tiny world of fiction has on our so-called game of life, and therefore I will try my utmost best to bring this reel life a little closer to our real life.
Everyone has different reasons to watch a film, the most common being for entertainment. Other reasons may include a way to pass time, or to go on a date or to just marvel at a proper piece of dedicated art. But let me tell you the one reason that does not compel anyone to watch a film; and that reason is to learn something. Yes, that’s right, you can even learn from watching a 90 minute fictional piece of art meant purely for profits and entertainment, that took around 3 years, with 300 workers, working 365 days and 13 hours a day, yes, movies like humans, are based around morals and have values to offer. The countless drawing panels, innumerable camera shots, unfathomable pixels in motion that make up an animated feature film; not only leaves you just a sense of satisfaction or dissatisfaction, but also with meaning and purpose and a basic but crucial life lesson.
Allow me to support this yet baseless argument/statement with some of my personal favorite animation feature films along with the lessons they have offered to me personally.
1. Shrek – Never judge yourself by your own cover
We all know the saying “never judge a book by its cover” and is probably etched in our memories forever but did you ever think that the “book”, doesn’t only apply to books in general but to people and even, in some cases to ourselves. We all know Shrek, the big ugly green ogre who eats pickled eyes for breakfast, baked bunny ears for lunch and roasted rat tails for dinner. Oh, how much he loves his mud showers! But if you were to notice keenly, you would realize there is a hidden message in the Oscar winning film, and that message is of self-worth. There is a moment when Shrek is reminded of the monster, he is both inside and outside and just like him, I too harbor monsters of my own and I too have unleashed a few, if not all, now and then. I believe this applies to other people as well, we all have our monsters we are constantly battling with knowingly or unknowingly, and these monsters do put us down to absolute rock bottom and make us feel lesser than even trash on the road. But what we sometimes don’t realize, is that we ourselves have the courage to get back up and say “no” not only to the world but to our own faces, “no! I am better than this!” and “no! I will improve!” , are just the few of the things we can say to ourselves, just like how Shrek did and well he got the princess in the end, now that I cannot promise for you but I can certainly promise this, you would feel like a princess or a prince yourself. Sure, having that push from a friend is nothing but beneficial just like how Shrek had his from his best friend Donkey, but sometimes you can be your best friend. So do yourself this favor, don’t judge yourself by your own cover, instead embrace yourself and love others.
2. Toy Story – it’s not about you but it is you
I’m going to come straight to the point for this one, this film, in my opinion is the best film ever made, simply because it has such deep meanings and learnings to offer and I relate with them on a very personal level. I see so much of myself in sheriff woody, it’s almost hilarious to think about it, a loyal caring and passionate guy, with the constant urge to impress and take every task on himself for others’ sake, to be that one and only unique guy, to stand out and be all about “I, me and myself” in every possible situation, to be the best and probably come out as the worst. But when tragedy strikes, and you start to lose the most important thing in your life- for woody it was Andy, for me it was my family, you suddenly realize the bubble you were in, and that reality is a place you just woke up into from a deep slumber filled with honey-sweet dreams. You suddenly realize, you are not the most important, you never were to begin with and you probably never will be but what you don’t realize is that, even when it’s not you, it is you. When burdened with what seems to be the most crucial problem in your life, I can say from personal experience, that you yourself can overcome it but the way to go about it is not alone, but accepting the fact that you’re not alone and embracing the people around you and pushing on with them, and just like how woody realized, that Andy needed not just him but all his toys together and that woody is responsible for this one purpose, you too will realize that it is not about you but it is you.
3. Cars – All that glitters is not gold, but you are greater than gold
Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon that causes people to see patterns in a random stimulus. This often leads to people assigning human characteristics to objects. Usually this is simplified to people seeing faces in objects where there isn't one. But the animators of the legendary film cars, went a little ahead and gave cars actual faces. But the movie is so much more than just cars with faces, so much more than an arrogant, over ambitious, over confident, neon red car with a huge lightning symbol on its side, the film is in my opinion about self-discovery and realisation of the fact that what you thought was glitter, is not gold, the real gem is you yourself, which is far more valuable than any gold in the world. This discovery, and the journey of realisation doesn’t just arrive to you one fine day when you wake up, no, you have to work for it, just how McQueen did, re-constructing a patch of road with his tar spewing bestie. Along his journey he found other cars who brought to light the true meaning of life and showed him what actual beauty is, and just like that I believe, through honest hard work and effort, at the end of the road, one will definitely come across this discovery of whatever true beauty is to them, and till then one can only enjoy or rather one should truly embark on this journey of realisation until final discovery and eternal rest.
These were the top three learnings, and my all time top 3 animated movies that I’ve had the privilege to watch and enjoy and learn from and now I’ve had the added privilege to share it with you all, thank you for taking out a bit of time and taking a sneak peek into my tiny corner of the world, I hope you find at least one of these learnings relatable if not all.
Hope you had a great time reading this article and see you in the next article of Pixels In Motion!
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