Valuable messages, concepts captured in Pixar movies

For over two decades, Pixar Animation Studios has created animated movies, both feature films and shorts films, with a variety of characters ranging from monsters to robots to children’s toys. Pixar was founded on Feb. 3, 1986 and has produced movies such as the Toy Story trilogy, Brave, Finding Nemo, WALL-E and, most recently, Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur. Pixar has a history of constructing family-friendly stories with lessons for all ages.

In the book, The Wisdom of Pixar: An Animated Virtue, published June 2, 2010, author Robert Velarde digs deeper into the underlying messages seen throughout Pixar’s films. Ten traits, or virtues, are looked at: identity, justice, friendship, humor, family, courage, adventure, ambition, technology and love. However, this book is an unauthorized and unofficial guide.

We often focus so much on the feelings of love, which are indeed admirable and joyful, but fail to look at love in broader terms. Contrast this consumer-oriented, shallow approach to love with the joyous, mature love that can grow over the course of a lifetime, like that portrayed by Carl and Ellie in Up. –Robert Velarde

Each virtue is a separate chapter, and every chapter begins with explaining the virtue in each movie. Velarde then gives a long definition of the virtue currently being discussed, followed by combining how Pixar uses the virtue throughout each movie. After that, he discussed each virtue in one to three movies used as examples. Lastly, Velarde explains the virtue from a Christian view, and what it means and how it can be applied followed by discussion questions.

The word identity is the first discussed. The story of Sheriff Woody the cowboy is used from the three Toy Story movies. Woody is Andy’s toy, however he realizes that one day Andy will grow up and leave for college. Woody starts to question his life and what he wants to do. He ultimately realizes his identity as a toy and pleasing children. Velarde uses this to parallel the life of a Christian,  that despite hardships and difficulties ones identity is still ultimately in Christ.

The next word is justice, and the movie used to show it is A Bug’s Life. Flik, the main character, is an ant who sets out on a journey to find support to help his colony from the thug Hopper and his band of grasshoppers who oppress the ants. After being beaten by Hopper, Flik stands up to Hopper and says, “Ants are not meant to serve grasshoppers.” This stand shows the rest of the colony to fight for their justice, and in the end they are freed. Velarde relates this to knowing what is right, and fighting for justice.

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“Seeking justice may result in persecution and suffering,” Velarde says. “We are to pursue justice not because it is always easy–it’s usually hard–but because it is right.”

Friendship is showed through Monsters Inc. with Mike Wazowski and Sulley, and also in Finding Nemo, with Marlin and Dory. Both pairs have a strong friendship bond tested throughout their respective movie. In the end, Pixar is able to show us that friends may not be alike, but are often different, each contributing to the friendship with their own uniquities and that we should not seek friendships for our own personal gain.

Skipping through the book you also learn about family though The Incredibles, friendship though Cars, ambition through Ratatouille, and past the other virtues to the end, you come to love. The movie Up portrays love between Carl and Ellie, two childhood friends who grow up and eventually marry each other, face hardships but stay together and eventually we see Ellie die, which takes place all in the first scene.

“We often focus so much on the feelings of love, which are indeed admirable and joyful, but fail to look at love in broader terms,” Velarde says. “Contrast this consumer-oriented, shallow approach to love with the joyous, mature love that can grow over the course of a lifetime, like that portrayed by Carl and Ellie in Up.”

This book gives an amazing overview to different virtues shown through the Pixar movies up to the publish date. However, if you are looking to go especially deep in any of the 10 words, this is not the book to help you do so. It is a very good tool to use in a light study with other people, as it includes discussion questions and notes but not suggested for a deep theological discussions.

Overall, this was a wonderful book that far exceeded my expectations. I thought this book would be more childish, but proved great reading and prompted reflecting over the different traits. I recommend this to any Pixar fan, or even any movie fan in general.

Click here for a list of Pixar’s movies. The Wisdom of Pixar: An Animated Look at Virtue can be bought for around $15.

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This author can be reached via twitter @alexrurik23 or via email Alex Rurik.