6. Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo is one of the first and best examples of how well Pixar can juggle its own ambition. Andrew Stanton’s first feature is a story of friendship, a parable about fatherhood, a coming-of-age tale, and a cracking underwater adventure all rolled into one. Every element is flawlessly realized, with each component differently affecting viewers depending on their age. For kids, Nemo is a wonderful role-model, an imperfect and developing character who learns from his mistakes even without his father to guide him.
For adults, Marlin’s story is crushingly emotional, and beautifully honest. It is natural for any parent to desperately try protecting their children from the dangers of the world, and like Marlin, most will come to the brutal realization that sometimes, they simply cannot. Albert Brooks is brilliant at illustrating the character’s struggles, and Marlin’s arc remains one of the most insightful, nuanced pieces of storytelling in the Pixar canon.
This is only scratching the surface, of course. Is there any Pixar character as lovable as Ellen DeGeneres’ Dory? Are there any Pixar worlds quite as intricate, detailed, and lovely as this film’s underwater landscape? Finding Nemo is simply superior, Pixar’s first true masterpiece and one of the stirring highlights of modern animation.
5. Toy Story 3
The last and best of the Toy Story trilogy, Toy Story 3 is a beautiful, poignant ode not only to these characters and their universe, but to the very children who grew up alongside this incredible series.
I was very young when the original film came out – I cannot, as a matter of fact, remember a time before Woody and Buzz – and the year Toy Story 3 arrived, I myself, like Andy, was preparing to go off to college. Toy Story 3 was, I think, made for people my age, as it is a tale of growing up, moving on, and remembering the past while simultaneously learning to let go.
Like Toy Story 2, it deals prominently with death – the climactic trash disposal scene is a violent reminder that no matter what, the end will come for all eventually – but the overarching message is about maintaining a relevant and fulfilling life, even if it means adapting to a new status quo.
The film is visually lush and inventive, and the new characters are uniformly excellent, but the film’s reflections on the past and ruminations toward the future are what get me most. Toy Story 3 is the ultimate realization of the Toy Story franchise, one of cinema’s greatest sequels and a blinding highlight in Pixar’s canon.
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