Finding Nemo

Rating

Director

Andrew Stanton

Screenplay

Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds

Length

100 min.

Starring

Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Austin Pendleton, Stephen Root, Vicki Lewis, Joe Ranft, Geoffrey Rush, Andrew Stanton, Elizabeth Perkins, Nicholas Bird, Barry Humphries, Eric Bana, Bruce Spence, Bill Hunter, Jordy Ranft, Erica Beck, Erik Per Sullivan, John Ratzenberger

MPAA Rating

G

Review

There are millions of fish in the ocean and none of them speak English. However, Pixar animation has brought to the screen a new animated classic featuring some of America’s most talented vocal artists called Finding Nemo about a father who learns to take a chance and a son who learns to accept his father for who he is.

Albert Brooks leads an all star cast of voice-overs as Marlin, a clown fish whose peaceful existence with his mate ends in disaster as he is left alone with as ingle egg from his entire brood. That egg becomes Nemo (Alexander Gould), Marlin’s reason for living and his last tether to his ever-present past. On his first day at school, the friendly manta ray teacher takes the kids to the "Drop Off" better known as the continental shelf. Horrified by the thought, Marlin races off to protect his little Nemo. Nemo, thinking his father is afraid of doing daring things, swims out to a boat in defiance of his father’s impassioned pleadings to the contrary. A pet shop tropical fish collector captures Nemo and takes him off on an adventure into the world of mankind.

Distraught, Marlin immediately swims off to try to follow his son and hopefully rescue him. Sadly, his small body simply can’t keep up with the motor-powered boat. Along the way, he meets a short-term memory-stricken fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) who agrees to help him rescue his son, but often forgets their task as they travel on and encounters schools of mimicking fish, vegetarian sharks and embark on other grand adventures. Meanwhile, Nemo is introduced into a fish tank where he meets the film’s other vocal talents. His aquarium friends include Gill (Willem Dafoe), a depressed fish who consistently tries to escape the tank but has yet to succeed; Bloat (Brad Garrett), a puffer fish who blows up when he gets nervous; Peach (Allison Janney), a starfish who spends most of her time glued to the side of the tank, telling everyone what she sees in the outside world; Deb (Vicki Lewis) who always talks to her sister Flo, which is nothing more than her reflection; and several other interesting characters.

Finding Nemo is a beautiful tale about the love of a father for his son forcing him to grip too tightly to the apron strings, suffocating his child and forcing a rebellion. It’s also the story of a son whose lack of faith in his own father’s bravery fails to believe that his father would even come looking for him when he’s lost. The movie examines the delicate relationship between new found friends on a common mission and the bond that can develop when they come together.

The voice work in this film is fantastic. DeGeneres is mind-blowing in her brilliantly manic way. She defines forgetfulness while creating a character that is extremely memorable. Likewise, Lewis and Janney are simply irresistible. They use the hilarious script effectively creating a bevy of personalities that leap from the screen. The screenplay by director Andrew Stanton along with Bob Peterson and David Reynolds is fantastic. It tells a meaningful story that allows the viewer to feel the emotions alongside its characters as well as give the audience a chance to laugh with everyone else at the ludicrous situations that make life underwater an unusual experience.

Finding Nemo will please audiences of all ages with its raucous spirit and outrageous moments all while portraying the frailties of a relationship so fresh and meaningful. Don’t forget to stay through the credits or you’ll miss some great interactions between the film’s fishy denizens and the scrolling credits.

Review Written

June 11, 2003