Nostalgia in Four Films

Part I
Toy Story is somewhat of a base-line for nostalgic representation in Pixar films. Within
this movie every member of the audience is transported back to their childhood. We are
overcome with the memories made with different toys in imaginary worlds. Even though the
exact group of toys or experiences shown in the film may not line up with our own experience,
the mere subject of a child playing with his toys starts to incite the different feelings associated
with nostalgia. There is the longing of this simpler time where playing with ones toys was the
primary focus of having fun. A time before life got all the more complicated as we grew up and
had to focus on other things, slowly transitioning from a playful kid into a functioning student
and later an adult. The reason Toy Story stands out though is because of the toys being alive and
living in a complex world where they are dealing with ageing in a different manner than Andy
their owner. And as a viewer paying close attention to the relationships between Andy and the
toys, the toys and each other, and the toys with the environment and other people, this cute
childs film becomes more of a commentary on growing up and the nostalgia associated with
childhood.
In the first scene with the opening credits, we see Andy playing with his toys. He doesnt
seem to care that they are all inherently different, instead he uses his imagination to set a scene
where he can have a classic duel between the sheriff and a robber. Of course the Sheriff woody
comes into the scene with the sun on his shoulders, spewing catch phrasesand at the same time
the song Youve Got a Friend in Me starts playing. No matter the improbable obstacle, Woody
finds a way to save the day, ending with a moment of dialogue between Andy and his toyYou
saved the day again Woody to which he responded, Youre my favorite deputyshowing us a
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touching moment between the two. Going beyond the general nostalgia induced by the act of
playing in an imaginary world with toys, we begin to see the underpinnings of cultural nostalgia.
A cowboy, the sheriffWoody is the stand in for the old west, and stands in also for the old
ways. He calls town hall meetings and acts as the leader of the toys. He seems to be in total
control of the toy box, until the birthday party.
At this point we must think about all of the implications of a birthday. New toys for one.
Another year older, so perhaps more time off the clock for the toys to be played with at all. On
the same note, Andy is growing, we know that while the toys dont really age they just get older,
Andy does age, and we know that maybe not this year, but at some point in the ensuing years he
will outgrow his toys. The toys are visibly scared of this event, and take all precautions to guard
against any negative outcome associated with new toys coming in and Andy getting older.
Woody has been through quite a few of these events (birthdays and Christmas) and seems to
have a more level head about the whole thing compared to the other, seemingly more replaceable
toys. But then Buzz Lightyear is brought out, Andys newest toy, and one that truly rivals Woody.
In fact, Buzz comes in a spaceship box, and when that ship lands on the bed, Woody is tossed to
the side, and actually off the bed. And after the kids leave, and the toys are introduced to their
newest member we see just how different Woody and Buzz are. And the toys know it too, casting
questions to Woodys place in the pecking order of toys with this new addition. Buzz is another
figure similar to Woody, and carries a similar presence with him as he interacts with the other
toys. Buzz is an astronaut, spy, and soldier all rolled into one. He is both new in the actual sense
that he is the newest toy, but also he symbolizes a new world. A slightly more complicated,
complex new world. Where the focus isnt on the past and where we have been, but on the future
and where we could go. While he symbolizes the end of the way of toy life that Woody has
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grown to love and rule over, he also symbolizes the end of toy life for Andy in a way. Maybe this
isnt the end, but it is the beginning of that end, and for the first time in his life, Woody realizes
that if he can be replaced then all toys can be replaced, putting a lot more weight on his words
Its not how much we are played with, its that were here when Andy needs us. While fighting
this changing atmosphere, Woody tries to assert that Buzz is in fact just another toy, just like
everyone else. In doing so, they get into a bit of an argument resulting in Buzz flying around the
room in dramatic fashion, seemingly proving Woody wrong, and asserting himself as the new top
toy. After this we see the changes, and how Woody is being cast aside for Buzz. The whole room
changes, what once was decorated like the old west, giving Woody his own setting to be in turns
into a spacey, galactic setting designed for buzz. Andy actually declares Buzz the winner when
playing with both toys.
So, Woody is out and Buzz is in. Out with the old and in with the new. Woody in a lot of
ways represents old America, and older notions of childhood. Woody himself is a stuffed doll
with a pull string and made out of felt or some sort of cloth. He also is in a position to point out
how ridiculous Buzz is because of all his experience with toys and what toys are. Woody is
actually self-aware of the fact that he is a toy, that he is only a thing for the entertainment of
Andy. Buzz on the other hand seems to not know that he is just a toy. He is high-tech, he is a
brand, and he is real, with a mission and important things to do. He is made of plastic, and lights,
and has buttons for his catch phrases. He has all sorts of features that make him a cooler, more
interactive toy than woody is. And in the middle of these differences is that core outlook which
the two differ on. What is a toy? Does it have its own life, its own meaning? Does it stand alone
as an entity, or is it just a toy? Would my Woody be different from your Woody? How are they
the same? Our protagonists in this film stand on opposite sides of the very same coin. What these
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two characters realize throughout the film, and what the audience can see is that toys really do
have more meaning than simply being toys. They carry all of the memories of childhood and
imagination. At the same time, they are toys. They have no purpose in the world other than to be
a childs plaything. Well, they are also used to make money, or can be collected, but for the
purpose of this movie and its message they are a quintessential symbol for childhood. Toys allow
the child to escape the real world and go have fun. For adults watching this movie they become
an avenue back to childhood where they can assess childish things from an adult point of view.
But this movie does even more than shift the perspective on toys, it does so on children as
well. When Andy and his family go to Pizza Planet, Woody and Buzz find their way there as
well, after some fighting and fundamental disagreement. This restaurant is basically a Chuck E.
Cheeses. They serve pizza, they have a bunch of arcade games and play structures. It is similar
to a warzone for toys. With so much going on, and so many people, toys can be easily left behind
or forgotten, especially if there are other kids there who want to take these toys. When thinking
about this place I think it is necessary to look at it from three perspectives, the parents, the kids,
and the toys. The parents will see this scene and immediately remember any sort of experience
that they have had with a place like this. It will almost definitely involve their kids. If it is their
child, they might remember how their kid was at seven years old for example, and it is a narrow
window to a time that will never come back. And in the movie we see the mom somewhat
impatiently herding her kids along while they look for games to play. This is probably a
somewhat stressful environment to find yourself in as a parent, with a lot of people, a lot of
activities, and kids (including your own) running around from one activity to the next. For the
kids they get to have all sorts of fun. It is like a different world, but they remain leashed to a
parent. In the movie the kids are tugging and asking mom about doing all of these things, and
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they cant really focus on anything but the fun of the place. For kids viewing this scene they will
both remember going to a place like this and mark it as significant, or they will long for this type
of experience. Both options invoke the sense of nostalgia. Either nostalgia for that one or few
times they ever got to do this as a kid, or another kind of nostalgia for the expected outcome of
going to a place like this. For the toys it is a nightmare. This is the worst kind of place to be as a
toy. Like I said earlier it is like a warzone. Couple the sheer amount of people and activity with
the fact that they cannot be seen moving around, it is a difficult environment for them to navigate
and ultimately reach their owner in.
Of course, Buzz, still negligent of the fact that he is a toy, runs for the space ship, which
happens to be a claw machine. And Woody, who has been growing up in a manner of speaking
since he realized he might not be the favorite anymore, goes after him because he knows that
Andy needs Buzz too (and also to cover his own back with the other toys who know he has a
problem with Buzz). Here we get perhaps the most culturally nostalgic moment of the entire
film. Buzz Lightyear finds himself on a planet full of little green men. It is a page pulled right
out of classic science-fiction. But turning the tables since it was typically envisioned that these
little green men would find us on our planet, not us on theirs. But cultural nostalgia aside the boy
from next door, Sid, comes to the claw machine and ends up picking up Buzz and Woody. Until
this moment the only things we see of Sid are the way he treats his toys in the back yard and
what Andys toys say about him. Aesthetically, Sid wears a Punisher shirtwhich simply looks
like a skull shirt to a child. But the Punisher fits Sids personality well! As a kid I always thought
Sid was a terrible person. That Sid was someone who was just the bad guy, but that thought
changes when seeing the movie later in life.

Sid is a kid. Hes a little older than Andy, probably a pre-teen or early teenager, it is never
really said. He was old enough to be by himself at pizza planet (at least while playing). He is a
kid who plays with his toys differently. He takes Woodys view to heart, and thinks of his toys as
just toys. Something to play with, and whatever makes those toys fun is what he does. That
might be taking them apart, and mixing them together. That might be making a rocket man with
fireworks. He uses his imagination just as much if not more than Andy, but just doesnt view his
toys as things that surpass fun. His idea of fun is different. He also likes tools and fireworks.
Because he is a bit older his play is a bit older as well. Sid has more fun putting himself in the
scenario of whatever his imaginary play is, than he does with the toys themselves. But Sid isnt
just a misunderstood good kid. He does have qualities that are mean, and they correctly mark
him as a bad guy in the film. He takes his little sisters toy and does surgery on it, and he is
destructive. Sid being a little abnormal in our eyes is reflected in the abnormalities of his toys.
While Andy would play cops and robbers with his toys, Sid creates a whole scenario and begins
interrogating Woody like he would in a spy movie.
Buzz eventually sees a commercial for Buzz Lightyear on a TV set while he is in Sids
house. At this he finally makes the connection that Woody was trying to show him earlier on. We
finally get to see who Buzz really is, if he isnt this mythical Buzz Lightyear who he thought he
was. One more time he tries to fly. As he goes for it we hear the song I Will Go Sailing No
More and he falls out of the sky, breaking his arm off. He actually goes a bit crazy. This is
reminiscent of psychological issues surrounding personality disorder and the way people are
perceived when they have a different sense of self and world-view from the norm. Soon after this
fall in sanity, Buzz is found by Sid and taped to a Rocket. He will be blown up the next day.
Woody on the other hand will likely be torn apart in due time. On the other side of the fence,
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Andy is spending his last night in that house, and is sad because he cant find Woody or Buzz.
He holds onto his Woody hat, showing that even with how cool Buzz is, Woody is still very
important to him. The whole scene reminds me of losing something as a child, and how big of a
deal it is when you really liked that thing, the hopeless, Ill never find it, and in the absence of
the thing you realize just how much you liked it. It is around this time in the film that Woody and
Buzz finally talk things out. They come to terms with the fact that they are both toys, but Woody
also shows us that he has learned that they are more than toys. They are Andys toys, and the
mean more than plastic and cloth.
At the end of the film the toys scare Sid to death, and likely contribute to some real
mental health issues that developed after seeing his toys come to life. After this epic reveal, there
is an even more epic car chase. In the realm of nostalgia I see a couple things in the ending that
really stand out. In one moment during the car chase, when hope seems to have run out, with
Buzz, Woody, and the RC car left behind, we hear the song Hakuna Matata. That extremely
famous song from The Lion King. It means no worries! What a wonderful phrase! This is the
indicator that everything will be okay, but also restates the sentiment of the older movie.
Moreover, it is a shout out to the older art style, as opposed to the 3-D animation. At the same
time there is a bit of a vibe like TV killed the radio star since the song is on the radio in a car.
And sure enough, for the most part, 3-D animated movies have replaced the old 2-D art style of
the older Disney movies. This tells moment is both a throwback and a look forward. And to the
perceptive viewer who picks up on what is happening in this moment, I think some nostalgic
feelings for the past in childrens movies will come through. The other thing I notice is the aspect
of finding things when and where you least expect them. Andy had already looked through the
car and didnt find his toys because they werent there. But at the end of the movie finds them in
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the car, and mom just says I told you so. As a child it is such a weird thing to look in a place
several times and then after looking everywhere else finding that toy, or book, or whatever it may
be in that first searched place.

Part II
The film Up takes a different approach to nostalgia. Our two main characters Carl and
Russel are each searching for something. For Russel, he is looking for that experience that he
expects to be nostalgic. Russel is looking for that categorically nostalgic moment, such as his dad
pinning the last wilderness explorer badge on his sash. Carl, on the other hand, has lived life
almost all the way through. In fact the audience is shown in fast forward fashion just how Carl
makes his way through life. From the time he is a child and meets his eventual wife until she dies
and he is left all alone in their house, we see all of those moments that we think of in a nostalgic
way. All of these events had nostalgic scripting, like the wedding day, fixing up the first house,
visiting their favorite picnic spot, finding out that they couldnt have kids, all of these are major
life moments that people expect to remember for the rest of their lives. But that last one I
mentioned, that is the one that leaves a hole in Carls experience. Because he and Ellie (his wife)
could never have kids, he never had the memories and nostalgic moments associated with kids or
grandkids. So really, both of our main characters are searching for their own respective nostalgic
moments. When thinking about this film I want to explore the risks and hazards emotionally of
nostalgia, what are the positive and negative consequences?

The movie starts off in an old movie theater. I can tell its old because of the scratchy
black and white film, and the news reel that shows off exotic places and new technology. They
do a great job of foreshadowing here by setting up the eventual story with this news about the
explorer Charles Muntz, whom Carl idolizes as a hero. He wants to be an explorer as well, and
go on grand adventures. After the short introduction Carl is running through his neighborhood
dressed up like the famous explorer, but soon enough runs by a house where he can hear another
person shouting about the Spirit of Adventure (Muntzs blimp) and other explorer like things. So
he tentatively walks up to the house, and inside he finds a nice young girl about the same age as
him who is just as crazy (probably more so) about exploring as Carl is. Her name is Ellie, and
lets Carl join her club. It is clear from the look on Carls face that he is love-struck when he
finds her. And after a dramatic sequence of events he falls through the floor of the clubhouse and
is rushed to the hospital. But later that night, Ellie tosses a pebble at his window and gives him
back the balloon that he was trying to get earlier when he fell. But the real meat of the encounter
is when she shows him her adventure book. This is her most prized secret, and she shares it with
Carl. Cue stream of events that carry the audience through the life that Carl and Ellie built
together. We see the love story grow, and bloom, and it is truly beautiful. All the while there are
no actual words spoken, which I think points out an important aspect of memory, and also
nostalgia. This aspect is that of faulty memory. Maybe you remember walking into your first
house with your spouse, but do you remember what you said? Exactly? Well I think the director
of the film is trying to convey this to the audience, and I think it has a root in nostalgia because
that is part of what hurts about nostalgia. You can remember almost everything, but the aspect of
misremembering, or missing some details is bothersome. It is another piece of the bittersweet
puzzle. And as the couple ages, time and again we see that their dreams never quite come true,

but the love that they share keeps them happy. But in the end, Carl ends up in the same chapel he
was married in mourning for his wife.
So after this opening where we are exposed to most of the typical nostalgic moments that
a lot of people expect to happen, Carl wakes up alone. As he goes through the daily motions of
getting out of bed and ready for the day the song Carmen is playing, from the famous opera of
the same name. It is familiar as we saw it before when Ellie was alive, but different because he is
now alone, and older. We begin to see how some things change, and some things stay the same
with age. Then like a hammer to the head, we are taken away from the beauty of Carls life and
find that his house is smack dab in the middle of a new construction development. The modern
world has passed him by, and they are constantly trying to buy him out of his house, failing to
realize the house isnt valuable because of the money he could gain, but because of the life he
made there. Across the street from his house (which used to be situated in a small neighborhood)
are a sushi shop, and a tanning salon, giving even more impression that he is an old man in a
young world (never mind the fact that the neighborhood has turned into a bustling city). Couple
all of these signs of a young world with the brochure for a retirement home he receives in the
mail, and the point is made very clear that Carl is too old, and he needs to go. His house, his
clothes, and his life in general seem to be out of date. Just then we meet the other protagonist in
the film, Russell.
Russell is a Wilderness Explorer! He is a member of a Boy Scout type group that goes
camping, and they earn different badges for different activities and deeds. This should invoke a
sense of nostalgia for Carl when he sees Russell, but instead, he seems upset that anybody, let
alone a kid is on his doorstep. So when Russell asks if he can help Carl with something so he can
fulfill his duty to receive his assisting the elderly badge, Carl plays a little joke on him. He sends
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him on a snipe hunt, which is an old fashioned saying for an impossible task. I have personally
heard the snipe hunt joke before, and it got me, just like it did Russell. But Carl ultimately finds
himself in legal trouble soon after this light-hearted joke (albeit one to get Russell away from
him and his house) when the construction workers bump his mailboxa precious item he has
had since early on in his marriage when he and Ellie painted it together. This moment reminds
me of when an older man loses control of a vehicle when and has his license taken away. But
instead of it being his right to drive it turned out to be his right to live in his house. So before he
is forced out, Carl calls on his old job of being a balloon man at the zoo to blow up thousands of
balloons and release them out of the chimney and windows of his house, to lift off in his own
spirit of adventure in search of Paradise Falls. From here on out the main story of the film
begins.
In amazing fashion, just as Carl is to be taken away to the retirement home, he flys away
in his house. It is an image that combines both his and Ellies childhood memories. Carl ran
around with a blue balloon (with The Spirit of Adventure written on it) as a child, and Ellie
played in an old house as her own Spirit of Adventure. Each had one half of the equation, and
when the balloons pour out of the house, it lifts off, and with the help of some engineering Carl
is able to steer it. Of course Russell finds himself under the house as it takes off because he really
wanted to help the elderly, and had decided for some reason that Carl was the one who he needed
to help. It is fairly smooth sailing for a while, even after Carl notices Russel is there and lets him
in. But they run into a storm. This storm seemingly completely derails any hopes for our
protagonists to make it to their destination, but mysteriously they come through the storm into
Paradise Falls. I think this moment is very similar to typical stories of adventure and exploration
overcoming improbable odds. The audience roots for Carl like they would Rocky, Marty Mc
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Fly, or Simba. I think this creates nostalgic feelings about the genre. But once they are there the
problems only begin.
Once the duo make it to paradise falls they come to a landing point far away from the
desired final resting place of the house. They decide to walk the house over there. It seems to me
that this is essentially Russell helping Carl across the street. But soon enough we meet the famed
beast of Paradise Falls, aka Kevin (so named by Russell when they meet). The bird is running
away from a small pack of dogs, and the whole scene is like a page out of Wile E. Coyote and the
Road Runner. The old television show which debuted in 1949 consisted almost entirely of the
coyote trying to capture the bird with the use of traps and gizmos. In the movie, the bird is
chased by three dogs and makes it through a few traps before finally outlasting the dogs and
running off. This should spark up memories of the old cartoons, and generally how cartoons have
changed from then until now (for instance the art style difference between the old looney toons
show and the current film). At this point though the audience has all the information needed to
forecast the plot of the film.
Carl is completely focused on the task at hand. He wants only to bring his house to the
spot overlooking the falls. While Russell, being a young explorer, is far more interested in the
other things on the island like Kevin and Doug (Doug the talking dog) Carl teaches us a valuable
lesson when he tries to get rid of these animalsthat you cant run away from your problems. As
much as Carl tries to get away from them, Russell, Kevin, Doug, his age, they all stay with him,
he must deal with them.
At this point, some of the real emotion of the film comes into play. A beautiful moment
between Russell and Carl takes place under the house during the pouring rain. Carl learns about
Russells family, and how he doesnt see his dad, only sometimes. He finds out that Russells dad
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promised he would be there when Russell move up to the next tier of Wilderness Explorer.
Russell is no longer just another annoying kid, but instead a child trying to be happy. And with
this new revelation in the relationship, they move forward with a better understanding of each
other. But this happy moment doesnt last too long. Early the following day the troop is captured
by the same dogs that are hunting the bird. They are corralled back to the home base of Charles
Muntz, actually seeming to grant the childhood dreams of Carl. At this point we learn another
lesson. This lesson is that sometimes reality is very different from our fantasy hopes and dreams.
Sometimes your dreams are actually nightmares. Things arent always what we think they are,
and we risk being let down when we put stock into these hopeful fantasies. Muntz who was once
a revered hero to Carl turns out to be a cutthroat, mad-scientist type of individual who would kill
both Carl and Russell if it meant capturing the multi-colored bird that Russell calls Kevin. This
lesson is mirrored in the way that Russell has experienced life with his father. Having a model to
imagine happy moments, the big events with his dad. But in the end he likes the boring things
more than all of that. The boring moments are more real. There is no expectation, and thus the
experience is more genuine. Plus, when thinking about the expected happy moments it is easier
to imagine a better moment than the reality of what happens. This lesson could affect audience
members by inciting past thoughts about family. The time that was and wasnt spent together. If
the time spent together was worthwhile or if it was wasted. This type of thought process can
bring out nostalgic feelings because everyone has some sort of memory that falls into this
categorywhether it deals with family or even just reality not living up to expectation.
We are beginning to see the change in Carl. He seems more accepting and giving than he
did earlier in the film. After running away from Muntz he decides to help Kevin (actually a girl)
make it back to her babies. But because of Muntzs high level technology he tracks Doug to their
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location and captures Kevin because Carl ultimately chooses his house over Kevin. This causes a
rift between the protagonists. I think that if Ellie had been there she would also have been upset
with Carls decision. So after this scene Russell is doing his best to help Kevin while Carl walks
his house the rest of the way to the falls. The house seems to be a mirror of Carl. It is a complete
mess, it is scarred, and it is on its last leg. Carl while accomplishing this goal has forgone
everybody and everything else to accomplish it. He is sad. For the last time he pulls the chairs
back in front of the window (his and Ellies chairs). He looks through the Adventure Book again
too. We learn another great lesson here as well. As Carl goes through the book, looking for the
Paradise Falls page so he can put a picture in it, he looks through the other pages that come after.
There are pictures that follow him and Ellie through old age. She never stopped adding to the
book. And on the last page she left a note for her husband Thanks for the adventureNow go
have a new one! It is at this point where it seems Carl finally finishes mourning his wife. While
the lesson seems easy enough to understandthat life is an adventure, that it doesnt ever end,
and that everything about life is beautiful and worth noteit is still a pretty optimistic and
idealistic way to think about life. But perhaps if more people thought about life in this way they
would be happier. Carl (and hopefully the audience) quickly realize what this new adventure is.
He is on it right now, with Russell and Doug, and even Kevin. So, knowing that Russell went to
help Kevin, Carl throws away all of his belongings to make the house lighter so he can float
away to save him. I think this is also a realization that even if he and Ellie had made it Paradise
Falls, their adventure would have just continued after that.
So, in true dramatic fashion, Carl flys his house to Muntzs airship and in an epic battle
eventually saves Russell and Kevin and even Doug. Carl loses his house and must say goodbye,
but has gained a new relationship with Russell. In the end, Russells dad doesnt show up for the
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promotion ceremony. But, Carl does, and truly comes to fill that father or grand-father like role.
He even gives Russel the explorer badge that Ellie presented Carl with when they were just kids.
This is a touching moment. And it is emblematic of the elderly passing things down to the
younger generation. This is something that he was never able to do with his own children
because he couldnt have any, but now he can with Russel. And to make things even better, after
the ceremony Carl takes Russel to get ice cream and watch cars like talked about liking to do
with his dad. The credits roll with pictures of Carl, Russel, and Doug doing various activities and
having fun. They are making memories that will enrich Carls life and stay with Russel for the
remainder of his. At this point they are both finding new moments that they would expect to have
nostalgic meaning.

Part III
The film The Incredibles is the perfect image of the moving target that is The Golden
Age. At the very onset of the movie we are transported back to a time where film quality was not
so great, but there was color! The beginning is a short documentary featuring interviews with
different super heroes. It is a little blurry and a bit fuzzy, but more striking is the way the
characters are portrayed. Mr. Incredible is like the All-American quarterback of super heroes,
with the haircut, chin, and lifestyle outlook to match. And then Elastigirl comes in with feminist
viewpoints and lifting women up. And Frozone, the cool one. All of these characters are built
with different cultural backgrounds which signify the old days. The Incredibles tells us
immediately, before the movie even really starts, that we are going to be transported back to
these old days, and we will learn something about them. And a big part of why this film does
such a nice job of transporting us to this bygone era is with its use of cultural nostalgia. Because
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of all the different design elements, and the thoughtfulness of the character development, a
strange-yet-familiar retro-modernism is created, and it makes the film feel timeless. And it really
is a timeless film, while there are some indicators of a time period, it is never actually stated.
This timeless feeling adds to the feeling of nostalgia because once something is timeless it is
expected in some ways. Similar to Up in this way, this film is full of moments that people expect
to happenlike marriage, kids, midlife crisis, and losing a jobit is just a bit different because
the characters are super. But the message stays the same.
After this documentary burns out, the scene moves to Mr. Incredible driving through the
streets of a city. It looks like the fifties or maybe even a little earlier. Big curvaceous cars,
sprawling streets with large parks, and the dress of the people reminds me of a more refined,
bygone era. And the crimes read like they are out of an old comic book. Zoom in on Mr.
Incredibles Batmobile-type car, and we can see that he has access to all sorts of cool spy
gadgets. Mr. Incredible is in some ways like a combination of Superman and Batman, arguably
to two most famous super-heroes ever. Having super strength, but also smart, and sneaky, and
without the ability to fly, he has weaknesses that he makes up for with technology. There is a cat
stuck in a tree in need of rescue, and at the same time a speeding car chase with armed gunmen.
In the blink of an eye Mr. Incredible changes his whole outfit and springs into action. And while
his ways are atypical (uprooting the tree to shake the cat off, and then slamming the tree down on
the car the criminals were driving) they are effective. If you take a step back, this whole period
of the film (from the documentary intro until a similar outro to the present) can be read like a
comic book or graphic novel. Mr. Incredible quickly moves from crime to crime, seeing a few
other heroes and a hated sidekick along the way. And it progresses in such a quintessential way
for the genre. We first see him in the car chase scene, then he finds a robber and meets up with
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Elastigirl. He sees Frozone fighting other criminals after, and is reminded for about the fifth time
that he should be getting ready for some big event. Our hero has made it through a couple petty
criminals and helped a few helpless people, but it all leads up to a super villain of sorts. Of
course his kid sidekick Incrediboy comes to the scene as well, just wanting to help, but is
rejected again. At the prospect of this rejection, Buddy (Incrediboy) tries to go get the police, to
prove his worththat humans and supers could be equaland sets in motion a chain of events
that ultimately leads to the super-hero relocation act. But first, Mr. Incredible marries Elastigirl
their real names are Bob and Helen Parr.
This is the moment that everything changes. This is kind of troubling for the perception
of marriage, because it seems as if the glory days ended right when the two heroes married. The
end of the glory days are reminiscent of protests in the fifties and sixties, but instead of equality
for women or black people, it was for the outlawing of supers. The film goes into another
documentary type montage of headlines, articles, and images from the press, detailing the
downfall, and eventual outlawing of supers, to create a more equal society, where everybody is
normal.
From super-hero to anti-hero, Mr. Incredible reverts to Robert Parr after the relocation
act, and when the present day of the film begins he is an insurance agent. But it is in this scene
that we find out how much of a hero Bob really is. With a blustering, crying, little old lady at his
desk, Bob quickly informs her of all the necessary steps to re-organize her insurance claim at a
better rate, while making sure to play off that he is sorry that he cant help her. Then his boss
comes in and confronts him about the way all of his clients seem to know the inner-workings of
the organization. But to that little old lady, Bob is a herowhether he uses powers or not, that is
who Bob is. But we also see hoe miserable Bob is because of his job and his way of life.
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But then the focus shifts to the other members of the family. Helen must pick her son up
from the school because he is in trouble, again. Dash is so fast he can run from his desk and
place a tack on the teachers chair, and be back in his seat, in the blink of an eye. Helen must do
what all parents might have to at some pointlie for their kids. Obviously she knows her son has
super speed, but must act dumbfounded at the camera video that shows Dash twitch slightly
before his teacher sits down. The teacher is looked at like a crazy person and they are allowed to
leave. At that point the charade is over and mom confronts her son about using his powers. And
the audience receives a golden lesson from the movie
Dad always said our powers made us special.
Everybodys special Dash
Which is another way of saying no one is.
Being special is and isnt something that applies to everybody. I might be special to my mom, but
am I special to the world? And if everybody is generally anythingspecial, talented, smart,
muscular, etc.nobody is. And it doesnt take away from the sentiment, but nobody is
exceptional. If the entire population of a town is fairly equitable in terms of any skill, then
nobody in that town is special for it, unless of course they are some of the only people to possess
that skill. But it also points to the fact that it is necessary to uplift what makes people special. If
somebody is fairly average in most respects but talented in an areathat area needs to be
watered so it will grow. Dash is dealing with his best talent being taken away from him, so he
acts out.
Then we meet Violet at her high school. She seems to be invisible to the other kids
around her, and when she tries to get the attention of a boy she likes she actually turns herself
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invisible. But still finds the gratification of the boy looking at hereven though he sees nothing.
These relatively small, childish issues that the kids experience are mirrored against the bigger
problems that have been brewing in the family for some time.
At the beginning of the film Mr. Incredible talks about settling down and taking in the
simple lifebut as the realities of this life are revealed to us we realize that maybe this wasnt
what he really wanted. After getting yelled at by his boss, Bob comes home to slip on a
skateboard as he gets out of his car, and when he catches himself on the car he creates a hand
shaped dent which stops the door from closing. He eventually slams the door shut, and then the
glass shattersshowing us that in life problems seem to multiply, and there is always something
else that goes wrong. Bob loses control and exhibits his power by picking up the car, but quickly
realizes that the power he has doesnt resolve the issues he faces. After he makes it inside and
dinner starts we see the (dis)similar issues that arise at a family meal. From the onset we can see
that Helen and Bob are very different when it comes to parenting. Bob seems to have more of an
encouraging yet distanced, be who-you-are type of approach, while Helen is more involved and
trying to mold the kids into ideal youths. With these different mindsets and typical family fights
that arise between siblings and parents the dinner quickly escalates to a full on power fight
between dash and violet, leading to the parents needing to step in with their own powers to try
and stop things. But the use of power is nothing compared to the advent of companyand the
family quickly puts on a good face when Lucius (Frozone) knocks on the door. And with that
Bob leaves for bowling night with his best pal.
At this point in the film the Parr family are solidly a model of a typical American family.
Husband, wife, a few kids, and facing the issue of keeping up with the Joness. They have issues,
but these problems often get swept under the rug, and everybody just smiles and carries on. Bob
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makes the money and Helen is a housewife who bears most of the child-rearing duties. And
bowling night is a lieit is Bobs excuse to go out and relive the glory days. He and Lucius are
seen talking about the good old days of fighting crime and villains. At the same time they have a
police scanner going, looking for some sort of hero work that they can go do. We also find here
that Bob is the one who wants this more, Lucius talks about how they could actually go bowling
for oncemaybe actually try to give up on the old ways. But Bob talks him into going to a
burning building. Once there the two heroes save all the people but have trouble getting out since
Frozone has no water to put out the fire, and they end up breaking through the wall and into a
jewelry shop. Our vigilantes get into an argument because of the newfound situation, and are
almost caught by the police. The movie warns us that reliving the glory days might not be such a
good thing after all, that perhaps it is best to just move on, to live in the present. This sentiment is
echoed by Helen when Bob walks in late and she finds the piece of rubble on his jacket. He
makes excuses that the building was coming down anyways, and that he just wants to stay loose,
that it isnt a big deal. But it is a very big deal to his wife. She stretches into a bigger frame to
stand over him and yells that he is jeopardizing the family by continuing to go out and use his
powers, just so he can relive the glory days. He responds that reliving the glory days is better
than pretending they didnt happen. In this moment the film shows us just how different the
parents are when it comes to raising a family, and looking at life. It also poses a question about
nostalgia. Is it better to relive the glory days, to seek out nostalgia, or to just act like it didnt
happen, or that it is over and move on. Is it okay to live in the past from time to time? Or does
this only hurt the present and future? Its an interesting question to ask, because I think the
answer is different for everyone. It is all context specific, and then it varies on the individual
level of how they rationalize life. And just as things look like they will boil over, the parents

20

notice the tell-tale whiff of air and know that their kids are watching them fight. They put on a
strong face, deciding to end their fight in favor of bringing the family back together.
The next day Bob basically fires himself. After being called into his bosss office for his
clients extensive knowledge of the company, the boss berates Bob for not fitting into the
company as he would like. And when Bob sees a person being mugged and his boss doesnt care,
he loses it and throws him through about four walls. The government is called in to cover up the
incident, and we find out that this type of thing has happened before, and happened enough that
Bob is out of chances, the government wont help him out anymore. When he comes home we
get the full view of Bobs den/office. It is covered in Mr. Incredible memorabilia. Of course his
super suit, posters, childrens drawings, newspaper clippings, and old photos cover his walls. We
can see from his facial expressions that he longs for those days more than anything else in his
life. So, when empties out his suitcase in the trash he finds a secret message with a job offer
one pertaining to him being Mr. Incredible, he gets really excited. He quickly copies all the
information he needs before the message explodes. And when Helen tries to comfort him later
and asks about work we see him lie to his wife again. Saying that he is being sent to a conference
for workeven though he was just fired. He is likely scared of what she would do if she found
out he used his powers and got fired for it. But all the same, she gets very excited and proud that
he is doing so well and his path back into hero work becomes clear.
The next time we see Bob he is in his suit being briefed further about the job they need
him to dodefeat a hyper-intelligent fighting robot for a weapons company. We begin to really
see how out of shape Mr. Incredible is, he barely fits into his suit, needs to be squeezed into a
drop pod, and after running for a little while his breathing becomes strained. The once fit, suave
Mr. Incredible has turned into a wheezing, fat, version of his former self. Once he finds the
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Omnidroid fighting robot he is in a fight for his life with a few very close calls that could have
ended him. Mr. Incredible is clearly not as incredible as he used to be. But, he still has it. He
beats the robot and cashes in on the huge job offer. When he makes it back to his family it is an
almost picture-perfect look at a mid-life crisis. Bob has lost his job, but figured out a way to
make moneythe old way. He seems to be getting better though, since he is actually able to do
what he wants to do now. He buys a couple new carsa corvette for himself, and takes Dash out
to throw a football (which is beautiful, super strength throwing to super speedgo long!) and
starts being generally more involved with the family. His love-life with Helen appears to
improve as well. But the blissful ignorance comes to an end when Helen finds a blonde hair on
her husbands suit, and her suspicions take over. These suspicions appear to be confirmed for her
after she listens in on his private phone call with Mirage (the employer of his hero work), after
which she questions him about the call, and he deflects it as his next conference. As Bob leaves
for his next assignment (another conference) Helen is a perfect image of a suspicious wife trying
to figure out if her husband would actually do this to her. But she lets him go anyways, and after
she finds a patch job on her husbands super suit, she knows where to start looking to confirm or
deny her suspicions.
The new assignment deals with a different Omnidroid, one that has been improved to be
able to beat Mr. Incredible. And even though he is in better shape and better prepared to fight this
time, Mr. Incredible is short work when surprised by the droid. And a blast from the past comes
in as we find that Buddy (Incrediboy) has turned into Syndrome, a new hero/villain. After the
events at the beginning of the movie Buddy fostered a hate for Mr. Incredible, and that hate led
to him creating high-level technology and amassing a fortune. One that he used to build super
robots that couldnt be defeated by anybody (even supers) but himself. In a lucky turn of events,
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Mr. Incredible is able to get away from his new nemesis and hide. But the message is clear at this
point, that reliving the past can get you in over your head sometimes, and when that happens it is
problematic. Sometimes the past will come back to bite you. The past isnt only a place for good
times and happy memories, bad things reside there as well. After dark Mr. Incredible sneaks into
the headquarters to search for information about Syndromes plan. He is good. It is a sneaky,
stealthy, and calculated side of the hero that we havent seen yet. With ease and no alarms he is
able to make it to Syndromes super computer. Because he found the password through an old
heros death stare Mr. Incredible gets into the computer immediately and begins to unearth the
details of the plan. He finds that Syndrome has been killing off supers to try and create an
undefeatable robot. But just as it seems our hero will get in and out a beacon goes off in his suit,
and he is captured.
Helen calls her old super suit tailor (Edna) because she knows Bob has talked to her.
When she arrives and meets with Edna she is shown a whole collection of super suits that she has
made for the family. Confused but patient, Helen sits through the presentation and afterwards
talks to Edna about her husband. Just like a woman might go to a confidant and talk about her
suspicions Helen pours it all out, and just like a good friend would, Edna reminds Helen that she
doesnt have to sit there and reactshe can act on her own and find out what she needs to know
for herself. And then she gives Helen the control for the homing beacon, and she seals her
husbands fate of being captured. As her suspicions and agency swirl around her head, Helen
decides that she will go find her husband and the answers that she needs. She calls in an old
favor and flies out to her husbands locationbut the kids sneak on the plane. They fight in the
back just like kids might on a family vacation car ride. But just as things look like they will work
themselves out peacefully Syndrome launches missiles at the plane. I am reminded of being a
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child and my mom putting her arm in front of me in the car when she had to stop quickly or saw
a crazy driver. Elastigirl springs into action to save her kids as the plane is hit by missiles, and
they fall into the ocean. Soon enough Helen figures out a way to get the family onto land and
turns herself into a boat with Dash as the motor. A small detail that may be lost on some viewers
here is that Helens head and body are like the figurehead on the bow of an old wooden ship. A
tiny thing that reminds us of an older timeespecially since this boat runs on manpower.
Syndrome holds Mr. Incredible in a torturous cell and interrogates him about who he
contactedwhich he obviously knows nothing about since he was the one contacted. As he
questions him, Helens voice comes on the speaker, and at the confirmation that Mr. Incredible
knows these people, Syndrome launches the missiles. We can see how defeated and low Mr.
Incredible is after this, especially after the missiles are confirmed to have destroyed the target.
Mr. Incredible grabs Mirage (actually just Syndromes assistant and maybe girlfriend) and
demands release. Syndrome eggs him on, Or what? to which Mr. Incredible says he will crush
her, that it would be easy. Syndrome just says Show me. And we find that even at his lowest,
and with nothing to lose (other than maybe self-respect) Mr. Incredible just cant do it. He lets
Mirage go and just cries as he deals with the death of his family. Syndrome walks away with a
winning attitude, knowing that he has cracked his nemesis to the core, and even then he still has
a shield made from innocent people. So far this is playing out like one might expect a super-hero
story to. We have seen some highs and lows, but the hero is captured, and the world is falling
apart all around him. The villain seems to have secured victory, and he knows it.
The next portion of the movie shows Helen sneak into the facility to find her husband.
The big confrontation where he will have to tell the truth. Helen leaves the kids in a cave and
tells them to watch out for each other and to stay out of trouble, that the people here will kill
24

them if they get the chance. As she fairly effortlessly sneaks into the facility she takes down the
guards with style and finesse as she works out the kinks of not using her powers often. There is a
nice moment where Helen catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looks at her butt and
sighs and we can infer that she thinks her butt looks too big. I cant place an exact number, but I
remember over and over seeing this situation on TV and in movies over the years. The woman
puts on something new and asks someone if it makes her butt look big. But, she quickly moves
on because there is nothing she can do about it. Soon enough she finds the room where her
husband is being held. And of course, this is the exact moment that Mirage sets Mr. Incredible
free and informs him that his family is on the island. He is so relieved and thankful that he gives
her a warm embrace and just then Helen walks in. With this moment seeming to confirm her
negative suspicions she stretch punches Mirage in the face and asks her husband what is going
on here. Bob is so happy to see his wife that he fumbles for words as he tries to quickly tell the
truth about the lies he has been living. But before the talk can actually be had they are alerted to
the fact that their kids are in danger. But it is clear that his wife sees that it wasnt what she
feared, even though her husband was lying to her.
The kids talk at length about what is going on and we see the age difference more than
ever when Violet brings up the fact that their parents might get divorced. Dash doesnt really get
it, but Violet has read into what her mom has said about her dad, and the problems that could be
brewing from the fighting, and the current issues on the island. The movie shows us the moral
value of marriage here when Violet says that their parents lives are in jeopardy, or even worse
their marriage. We get the idea that the marriage is more valuable than their lives. And today
marriage is still important, but the institution isnt what it used to be. Divorce rates in the current
day are about 50%, and if we go back to the mid-fifties near the time of the Super-Hero
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Relocation act, the divorce rate is around 20%. Getting married and staying married is important,
but even more important in the past. Ironically the current time of the film (sometime in the early
70s found through inference from Syndromes computer) is the time where divorce rates started
to increase to present rates. A failed marriage would be viewed negatively on the whole family,
they would become social outcasts in a wayeven more than they already were because of their
powers. But after this conversation the kids eventually end up in the jungle after they had to run
away from the flaming exhaust of Syndromes rocket. When they wake up in the morning they
alert the guards through the siren of a robotic bird that had found them. For the first time in their
lives the kids are allowed to use their powers to the fullest extent. It is an awesome thing. And
given the rest of the events in the film that contribute to the growth of the children, this is the
first moment where the kids start to realize who and what they are. Instead of fighting each other
they are fighting alongside one another and they combine to become an unstoppable force, taking
out guards, and eventually bowling their parents over in the process.
When the family is finally back together, we really get the impression that they are back
together. All of them are motivated by the same thing, and they are all on the same side. A superhero squad with all the tools to succeeduntil of course Syndrome comes and captures them all
with his own power. He marvels at the super-family and after they are safely restrained puts on a
live feed from a city that will soon be attacked by the Omnidroid. He tells them his entire plan,
and leaves them to fulfill it. Syndrome mirrors the statement at the beginning of the film about
being special, saying that he will sell his inventions so that everyone can be super, and when that
happens, nobody will beexcept ,of course, himself because he will have the best inventions. I
think with this statement, the movie is trying to show the audience that being special, or super, is
all in the eyes of the beholder and their loved-ones. That as individuals we have the agency to be
26

special or not. Sure everybody is special, but what makes them special isnt defined against what
makes other people special. Finally, Bob and Helen have the time to talk about things. And Bob
comes to terms with his view of the golden age. Before he thought it was the past when he was a
super-hero and everything was great. But after dealing with everything that has happened he
realizes that he might just be living in the golden age that he was longing for. That his family and
what is happening in the present is the most important thing. Similar to the message in Up, life
itselfall of the twists, turns, and loops that it takesis the best thing. If life is a rollercoaster
then the ride is the best part, not the photo halfway through. However, the talk is cut short when
Violet figures out that she can easily escape and set everyone free, which she does, and then they
are on the move again.
The family figures out a way to get to the city, with a little help from Mirage, who has
switched sides ever since her near-life experience in the arms of Mr. Incredible. At this point it
starts to feel like a family vacation. It is a very different kind of family vacation than we are used
to, but its a super-family vacation. They all are able to get away and use their powersa
vacation from the charade they play every day. So, of course, we find an RV in a hanger bay, and
after a few heads are knocked by Mr. Incredible the family is packed into the RV, inside a rocket
ship to the city. As the humans try to fight the Omnidroid to no avail in the same vein as classic
monster movies like King-Kong or Godzilla, the Incredibles land in the city. And if there were
hints of family vacation before it is fully formed as the family approaches the robot. Bob and
Helen argue over routes and directions in the front and the kids question if they are almost there
from the back. And just like tempers might flare on the road for a family trip, once they are there
everyone is happy and laughing. But when they get out we see that Mr. Incredible still has a little
more growing to do as he tells his family to stay behind and that he will do this on his own, for
27

the fear of losing them again. Helen, the strong, comforting wife she is stands alongside her
husband and says she isnt going anywhere. They will get through this together, and as seems to
be a theme in the film, the conversation is cut short as the robot attacks the kids.
It is the super-hero revival in the making as the Incredible family teams up with Frozone
to fight the Omnidroid, even while syndrome tries to show he is the real hero. But Syndrome
didnt plan for the learning ability of his own robot, and it quickly takes Syndrome out of the
fight by knocking away his controller. Every heros powers are optimized and strung together in
a stunning display of teamwork and power as they obtain Syndromes controller and outsmart the
robot and kill it with its own claw. The public applaud the heroes, and are clearly thankful that
they still exist and that they came to the rescue. The government official who meets with Bob
after his office fiasco (was also at the wedding in the very beginning) comes to personally thank
the family and assure them that everything will be fine.
At the same time (after everything else has been settled) Helen immediately tries to get a
hold of the babysitter to check on her baby. This further solidifies her role as the housewife.
While the rest of the family can celebrate the victory she is making sure the homestead is secure.
It is also in this scene that Dash exclaims that this was the best vacation ever! Showing that this
whole series of events really was a vacation of sorts. But things arent good at home as Helen
finds out that the baby-sitter left Jack-Jack alone because she couldnt handle him. Syndrome has
captured the boy by the time they make it back home. But, because of the powers that Jack-Jack
likely displayed for the baby-sitter, Syndrome ends up dropping the child. Quickly Bob throws
his wife at the child and she catches him and brings him safely to the ground. But then, in a
symbolic way to end his mid-life crisis, Bob throws his corvette into the ship that Syndrome was
trying to escape inultimately leading to the villain being sucked into a jet turbine and dying.
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The family is safe, and more secure than they may have ever been since the end of hero work.
The end of the film shows the family at a track meet cheering Dash on. Violet seems more
confident than she ever was before. Dash is having fun using his athletic ability, and even settles
for a close second in the race. The parents are happy, and everyone seems to have grown as a
result of the events of the movie. But just then, as was joked about in the intro by Mr. Incredible
(that the world never stays saved, that it always need saving again) a new villain appears. The
family just looks at each other, all of them have put on their face masks and they are ready to
save the world again. This film tries to teach a lot about dealing with ageing and family
problems. That often times it is better to work through it together. And by the end, we see that it
works for the family. It even gives us an expectation for what a good family looks like and acts
like with each other. All the while it showed us the negative things that happen as well. Nobody
is perfect, but together people will pull through even the worst situations.

Part IV
The final film in this analysis is Wall-E. I think it could be argued that the nostalgic area
of emphasis I take in this section could be applied to every movie in this paper. But I think that
each movie actually displays each element in its own way. Wall-E gives nostalgia for complete
fantasy. The reason this film gets that angle though is because it actually takes a meta-approach
to nostalgia of pure fantasy. The movie is set about 700 years in the future. A time and place that
we will never experience. But it gets interesting since the protagonist of the movie is created
about a hundred years in the future of our world. His experience of life is longing for a time that
he sees in the film Hello, Dolly! which would be about a hundred-and-fifty years before his
creation. And so, when he finds himself in the world of the future, aboard the human ship, (700
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years in the future) he is very much out of place. Wall-E the character is both a being of the past
and the future and as a result his present is very muddled and confusing. Even more confusing
and fantastical is the fact that Wall-E is a robot, one who has feelings and memories. He is like a
human, but he lives forever. Robots with an AI system that can emulate human emotions and
feelings is a very odd notion. The very core of his mind is a subject of debate in our present
world.
The film starts with Put on Your Sunday Clothes. It is an oldies song to young people, and
is seemingly out of place as the film moves through the solar system towards the Earth. But as
our planet comes into view it is obvious that something is wrong. There is a haze over the planet.
Then we zoom in through thousands of satellites and through the dusty, dirty atmosphere to find
cities of trash. Alongside skyscrapers that may have held offices or apartments in the past are
even taller buildings of trash blocks. We quickly see that the consumerist culture ultimately made
the Earth uninhabitable. It is a world where one company, BnL (Buy N Large), monopolized
everything. And through this control of consumerism doomed the planet to become a dump. In
this lonely, trash-filled world there appear to be only two things living. Wall-E, a robot who
compacts trash, and a roach who follows him around like a pet. The robot spends his days
finding, compacting, and then stacking the trash cubes into giant buildings in an effort to clean
up the world. And when he is done working for the day, around dusk he heads home (he does run
on solar power) which for him is what appears to be an old Wall-E service station of sorts. Once
upon a time there were probably many Wall-E units who called that place home, but for some
reason they have all been deactivated, all except one.
Wall-E has furnished his home with all sorts of things. He has a make-shift TV which
plays his favorite film. He has Christmas lights, tons of spare parts, and all sorts of knick-knacks
30

that survived the fall of humanity. Wall-E is just like any human might be when they get home.
He takes off his tracks (shoes), turns on his TV, hums along to the tune they are singing, and puts
away his other things. He takes a look outside and sees a single star through the trashy haze that
has taken over the atmosphere. He records this moment, thereby creating a new memory that he
can go back to. It is hard to think of feelings with regard to a robot, especially one that seems so
simple as Wall-E. But, we start to get the idea that he knows what beauty is and that he
appreciates it. He watches a love story probably because he is lonely, and the relationship that he
sees between the characters on screen beautiful. He records the moment of seeing a star in the
night sky because it might not happen very often. But no matter what, we know that this robot is
special. What kind of robot looks at the stars at night? But then a dust storm rolls in and he has to
seal up his home. He retracts his appendages and slides into a tight space in his rotary shelf
system, and with a small push, rocks himself to sleep for the night. This robot is strangely
human.
The following day Wall-E sets out just like he does every day. But not before he sits on
the roof of his home and charges in the sun. The robot invokes feelings of familiarity and
nostalgia, but it is because of the humanity that we can see in him. He seems like us, even though
he couldnt be more different. As he goes through the day picking up trash he eventually finds a
plant. It is the only plant, and one of the only living things on the Earth. He saves it. Maybe he
didnt know why, but he knew it wasnt just another piece of trash. So after he takes care of the
plant he finds himself underneath a landing rocket ship. And after a few moments he sees her.
The robot who will eventually reveal her name as Eve has come to the Earth in search of
something. She flies through the air with grace, and with her smooth, clean, white finish she
probably looks like an angel to Wall-E. And yet with this beauty and grace we find that she is a
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dangerously powerful robot. When she hears Wall-E make a noise she pulls out a blaster that
could destroy a house. She zooms around the abandoned city looking for something, and Wall-E
follows her around as well. And while the audience is likely more focused on the humor that
comes from Wall-E following Eve around, the important thing in this moment is that he has
completely disregarded his directive of picking up trash so that he could follow this other robot
around and try to impress her. And if his intentions arent clear enough already we hear a love
song playing in the background. Finally, after what seems like forever Wall-E finally talks to
Eve. Soon after another one of those dust storms rolls through and the pair go to Wall-Es home
to wait out the storm.
Once there Wall-E scrambles to show his new friend all of his cool stuff, trying to
impress her. But everything she does has so much power behind it that she starts breaking things
Even Wall-E himself. But he quickly fixes it to show her that everything is okay. But after
most of the typical junk seems fairly unimpressive he shows her the plant, at which point she
takes it and then freezes up and reverts to an energy-saving state. Poor Wall-E who has finally
found a chance at love, and has it taken away just as fast. But just like a true love he tries his best
to keep her safe, and even tries to give her a jump start! But soon enough the ship comes back to
pick Eve up, and when that happens he tags along on a journey through space. As he moves
through space we hear music reminiscent of, if not from, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The famous
Stanley Kubrick film about humanity and the evolution of life is referenced several times in the
movie, both through music, and even the auto-pilot character who comes up later on in the film.
In addition to fantastic nostalgia, we see many references to the past, which for the parents in the
audience will remind them of another time. But soon enough the ship reaches the AXIOM. The

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largest luxury cruise liner that BnL commissioned to take people into space while the planet was
being cleaned.
Once inside we see a community of robots, and we see even more how the robots are
likened to humans, with different jobs, and all seemingly having their own attitude of sorts. Then
we see what has become of humans. They are all obese. Like a thousand blobs floating around in
chairs with digital screens in front of their eyes at all times. They cant even get up on their own,
and it is hard to believe that they possess the ability to even walk at this point. And here we get
another dose of nostalgia. But this is a very different sort. While nostalgia is typically thought of
as feelings about the past, this comes more from the present. It comes from the forecasting of
what could possibly happen if we continue living the way we do. With obesity being so prevalent
in America, what we see is the extreme outcome of our culture. If everyone was able to sit in a
floating chair, with a screen in front of their face, eating fast-food all the time, we would expect
everyone to become like this. So the nostalgia here comes out of an imagined forecast of the
future, something that we cant actually see happening, but we can think about it.
Wall-E ends up chasing Eve all around the ship, and after he bumps into a couple
humans, we see how this tiny robot can open eyes and he even makes the humans more human
when he comes into contact with them. The Captain of the ship is faced with the prospect of
returning to earth with the advent of Eve discovering plant life. And we start to see the wheels set
in motion that humanity may be on the upswing again, and that maybe things will be okay. But,
of course, the plant is missing once Eve opens up. So then our two robots are sent to the
workshop, one to be cleaned, and the other to be checked for malfunction. And Wall-E, who
doesnt understand the place he is in thinks Eve is in danger when the robots start checking her
out, which leads to a whole fiasco and a bunch of damaged robots are set free to run amok in the
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ship. Eve knows that he doesnt belong and after getting them safely out of harms way, sends
Wall-E back into space on a trip to Earth. But Wall-E has the plant! And in a beautiful display of
ingenuity, power, and luck, Wall-E escapes the space pod after hitting the self-destruct button.
After which, Eve flies out to save him and they dance through space like long lost lovers. Back
inside the ship, the two humans that Wall-E bumped into earlier have met and are talking to each
other, and they watch the two robots fly through space. For maybe the first time in their lives
these humans are talking with another person face-to-face. They hold hands. Wall-E sees handholding as an ultimate sign of affection, and at every step along the way with Eve we see him
stare at her arm, then at his own folded hands, and we know what he wants. He wants to take a
walk and hold hands with the girl that he loves. Wall-E wants the love that he saw in the old film,
the type of love that happened hundreds of years before, human love. It is something that he can
have no real experience of, pure fantasy.
Back in the captains chair, the leader of the AXIOM has been researching Earth. And he
falls in love with it. But he falls in love with the old Earth, one that was still clean and home to
human civilization. This is another moment of fantasy. The captain can identify so much with
Earth and the cultures that were developed there, but it is from a time and world that he will
never actually experience. Eve delivers the plant and when Wall-E makes his way there in pursuit
of his love she finally sees camera footage from him. She sees his movie, and the way he took
care of her while she was powered down, and maybe for the first time starts to fully appreciate
how much he cares for her and starts to reciprocate. The captain makes the decision that they
must go back, not being content with simply surviving, and instead wanting to live. This is a
huge lesson to be taken away from the movie. Living and surviving are not the same thing. It is
imperative that humans realize this fact and go above simply surviving, and live lifefind love,
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go on adventures, and fight for what is right. But, just when things seem to be going perfectly
well, the auto-pilot takes over and tosses the two robots and the plant down the trash chute then
confines the captain to his quartershe has his own directive, one that keeps the humans on an
endless cruise through space.
Once below in the trash area, Eve scrambles around searching for a way to fix Wall-E. It
is a beautiful moment, because she seems to have become self-aware and forged her own
directive, one that involves loving Wall-E. The plant is somewhat secondary now and before
other things she cares about Wall-E. But, just like a gentleman, even once he gets the girl, Wall-E
makes sure he puts her first. Making sure she remembers that they need to get the plant to the
proper location so the humans can go back home. Very quickly they speed back through the ship,
gaining robot allies as they move throughthere has been a robot awakening since Wall-E was
introduced. And they arent the only ones, the humans are finally waking up somewhat as well.
The captain defies Otto the auto-pilot (who is reminiscent of HAL 9000), and takes his first steps
to one of the more famous songs from 2001: A Space Odyssey, fighting with and eventually
shutting down the auto-pilot super computer. Below, Wall-E sacrifices his own body to keep the
plant container open, and once the plant is placed within the ship hits light-speed and makes it
back to Earth in what feels like seconds. The humans have made it back to earth, and some faith
in the species has been restored, but what about our hero? He is still pretty busted up from his
activities aboard the AXIOM.
Eve zooms her friend to his house and fixes him up with the spare parts he had laying
around. But when he comes back on he doesnt seem to remember her. He doesnt even seem to
recognize that he is in his own house. His memory files must have been destroyed during the
fight to get back. Eve realizes this, and in a last ditch effort to bring him back, or as a last
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goodbye, she holds his hand and gives him a static kiss. As she turns to leave she only makes it a
few inches before realizing that her hand is stuck. Wall-E didnt let go, and then he says her
name. Just like Snow White, a kiss from his one true love brought him back. And with that the
film ends. The humans start planting things and forging a new life on the earth. As the credits
roll, we see through an evolution of artistic style the way humans went about creating this new
life. Starting with cave drawings and progressing through to realism, impressionism and so forth,
we see how the humans were able to bring the earth back to a semblance of its former glory.
Through the entire progression Eve and Wall-E stay together, a love that will never end.
The setting, design, and characters of the world created in this movie come out of fantasy.
A dystopian fantasy about the future of consumerist humanity. But through it all we see human
elements everywhere. The human elements that we hold on to as core values. And I think it is
this connection that allows the fantastic to be really touching. It allows us to feel like we have
been therethe extreme lows of humanity, but also the extreme highs. And the notion that life
finds a way, that humanity will overcome whatever obstacle we face is brought into view. This
movie doesnt make us think about, childhood, the big events in life, or even the golden age.
Instead it makes us think about humanity. We see how on a basic level, humans never really
change, we are always recognizableeven if we have bloated to 400 pounds and dont know
how to use a book. We get nostalgia from being human in this movie.

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