Pixar's recent release of "Finding Dory" has easily been the most anticipated sequel in recent years. "Finding Nemo" fans attended showings in schools during the premiere weekend of "Finding Dory". Along with featuring stunning animation and lovable oceanic plants and animals, the scenes and characters of "Finding Dory" teach vastly important life lessons to viewers young and old.
1. Follow your heart.
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After going on a field trip with Mr. Ray's class of young sea creatures to watch the sting ray migration, Dory, due to her short-term memory loss, realizes that she had a family at one time and forgot that she was searching for them after being separated from them as a young fish. This realization sends Dory into a slight panic and, after another flashback revealing the distant location of her parents, she desperately attempts to rally support to help her find her long-lost parents. She is shot down and discouraged repeatedly by Nemo's Dad, Marlin, as he states that the journey to the other side of the ocean is extremely dangerous and just cannot be done. This does not stop Dory, however. She follows her heart and continues on her quest to find her parents despite the discouragement she faces.
This lesson of following your heart and doing what you know to be the best decision for you is an extremely powerful and important message for young viewers and older viewers alike. You only have one life to lead and life is way too short to not trust your instincts. What may be right for you and what may be right for someone else can and will be very different. If your heart tells you to go for it, I say go for it and so does Dory.
2. It's okay to ask for help when you need it.
This lesson is a little hidden between the lines during the film, but it is there. If you've already seen the movie, think about this question: Could you imagine how far Dory would have gotten if she hadn't asked for help all those years? She may have reached her goal eventually without asking for help from anyone, but it definitely would have taken a lot longer for her to reach her goal. Although slightly hesitant to ask for help as a young fish, she eventually became very comfortable asking for help from all walks of life. Her asking for help along her journey got her very far rather quickly. It helped her make connections that she may not have thought of on her own.
It is extremely important to ask for help in the real world too. Although most people are not as unashamed of it as Dory is, it is important to know that asking for help is not indicative of weakness. If anything, it should be considered a strength that you are being vulnerable and relying on another person to get you through a rough patch in your life or even just complete a new, unfamiliar task.
3. It's important to help people even when it is inconvenient for you.
This lesson is taught by Hank, the pessimistic and slightly manipulative octopus. Although Hank was meant to be released into the ocean after being rescued and rehabilitated, this cephalopod's only goal was to reach a peaceful aquarium tank in Cleveland, Ohio. Hank habitually avoided interaction with other fish and usually found their company to be annoying when he did interact with them.
When Dory is "rescued" by the Marine Life Institute, she encounters Hank and asks him to help her find her long lost parents. Although hesitant at first, Hank agrees to help Dory in exchange for her tag that indicated that she was to be sent to the aquarium in Cleveland, Ohio but not without thoroughly showing her that her company and desperate search for her parents is an extreme inconvenience to Hank. In the end, Hank and Dory form a valuable friendship as Hank pushes Dory to keep searching for her parents and after Dory breaks down Hank's high, high walls.
Hank teaches viewers that it is incredibly important to lend a helping hand each and every time that you can. Even when you can't reach a helping hand, reach out to someone who can help them. You will never regret helping someone in serious need, but you may come to regret actions you didn't take to help someone who seriously needed it.
4. You will always find your way back to the ones you truly love.
After being separated from her parents for several years, Dory eventually finds her way back to them after following the path of shells her parents laid out for her. Although it was an incredibly difficult journey and she faced many obstacles, she accomplished her goal nonetheless.
It is a belief of mine that what is meant to be will me. That being said, if you set your mind to achieve and truly want something, you will get it. Those in your family that are separated through distance due to employment, military affiliation, etc. will find their way back to you.
5. Just keep swimming.
You know I had to include this one in here. Dory's motto, "Just keep swimming" gets some new insight and more context in this film, so it is important to revisit the motto and lesson as a whole. This life lesson really goes hand in hand with following your heart in more ways than one. Even after being discouraged time and time again by almost every single fish, animal, and plant Dory met, she still continued (and completed) her search for her parents.
The reminder to just keep swimming is an important one. It means that in the face of extreme adversity and when everything feels like it is going horribly wrong, you will keep going. You will keep working, striving, setting goals, and achieving those goals. It's okay to make mistakes every once in awhile, so long as you learn from them. Mistakes are not failing and it does not mean that you have stopped swimming. To keep swimming is to get back up and continue pursuing your dreams even when all seems lost.
6. Don't let other peoples words define your self-worth.
As stated above, Marlin consistently discouraged Dory's quest to find her parents. A pivotal point in the movie occurs when Marlin tells Dory that the only thing she is good at is forgetting, which was obviously incredibly upsetting for the optimistic and lovable Blue Tang. Although incredibly discouraged at first, Dory bounces back by the end of the movie with a renewed confidence after being reunited with her parents. She learns to believe in herself and not let the words of others define how she perceives herself.
In real life, this lesson proves to be incredibly difficult to learn. It is only human to fear what other people might think if we do this or that differently than the vast majority, but it is important to be mindful of how others affect our perception of ourselves. It is also important to note, however, that our perception of ourselves is our own and should not be affected by the words and/or actions of others in an extremely negative way. Your life is far too valuable to believe what everyone says about you and to let their perceptions hold you back from being yourself and pursuing your dreams.
7. Friends can be family too.
Until Dory was reunited with her parents, she relied heavily on her friends to feel that gap in her life that she didn't even know she had. Although you get to pick and choose your friends, some friends can become family after years of association. Sometimes your friends can even be more understanding and supportive than your actual family is.
8. Don't forget to enjoy the view.
The importance of enjoying the view is introduced by Marlin in the first few minutes of the film and later enforced by Dory after she is reunited with her parents. What it means is this: life moves pretty fast and you never know when you might lose something or someone very close to you. It is of invaluable importance to appreciate what you have at this very moment, even if your situation is not perfect. In other words, enjoy the here and now and don't forget to "enjoy the view".
Through these lessons, "Finding Dory" has warmed the hearts of audiences nationwide. Dory has taught audiences the value of perseverance, living in the moment, and believing in yourself. She has taught audiences everywhere exactly what it means to be "a Dory" and to just keep swimming.
