Finding Nemo

Paul; Ruairidh; Tom Keeley

Andrew Stanton Finding Nemo Lee Unkrich2003 (available on DVD and video)

How can you teach children about love, loss and bereavement, about uncertainty, the value of people with disabilities and special needs, about people with short-term memory loss and addictive behaviour? How, in a society gripped by fear and panic about children do you teach them independence and mutual reliance, about how to take risks? Well you could do a lot worse than watching Finding Nemo with your offspring.

Walt Disney, with the shrewd business acumen that has led to the endurance of that corporation have found a gem in Pixar, the company that brought us Toy Story and Monsters Inc. These were stories that, while beautifully animated and filled with action, had at their core truths about friendship and affection but were not afraid to address jealousy and conflict. There are the usual knowing touches and gentle jokes that will go straight over the heads of anyone under the age of 12 years. The fact is that there is a message for parents in the film — that we risk disabling our children by overprotecting them.

Marlin loses his wife and fish eggs in an attack by a barracuda. The one remaining egg hatches into his only son Nemo, whom he coddles and overprotects. Nemo, although clearly close to his father, wants to walk on his own two feet (or swim with his own flippers). In doing so he gets lost and the rest of the story is taken up with Marlin's search for his errant son. Add to the mix the fact the Nemo is disabled (a small right flipper), that he meets sharks keen to shake off addiction to eating fish, and Dory, Marlin's helper in the search, has what seems to be Korsakoff's syndrome, and you have a great story.

It may irk parents that they are sucked into the commercialisation that sees Nemo peaking out from just about every bottle of diluting juice and breakfast cereal in the supermarket (‘Mum, can we have the one with Nemo on it?’). It may also become an expensive prospect as Nemo finds his way onto bedspreads, towels, lunchboxes and T-shirts. But the overt commercialisation of the little fish should not obscure the fact that the little character will be one parents want their little ones emulate — resourceful, friendly, loving, and brave.

The graphics are up to Pixar's usual extremely high standards and the sound and voice work are excellent. Smaller children may find the scenes with Bruce the shark a little scary, so be prepared for time spent on your knee.