Page 25 - CelebrationsSpring2020

that she’s not only losing a chance to become a racer, but she is also losing – not just her friend – but her hero. The anguish in her voice and her cries of desperation always bring a bucket load of tears to my eyes. Even though it’s a sad moment, it ends up being a turning point in their relationship when Ralph later realizes he was wrong. But even in that moment when he was wrecking her car (and let’s face it, he’s pretty good at that kind of thing), we saw how much he truly cared for Vanellope, and that he was willing to sacrifice just about anything, including their friendship, in order to keep her safe. Their bond became even deeper, and this was reinforced at the end of the movie when Ralph confessed that the greatest moment of his day was at its end when he got to see Vanellope as the Nicelanders threw him off the roof as the arcade closed.
Bao
Bao is a bit of a departure from this list, in that it’s not a full-length animated feature, but rather a Pixar short that accompanied The Incredibles 2. The story revolves around a Chinese-Canadian woman suffering from empty nest syndrome. While her husband is at work, she makes a steamed bun that comes to life. She raises the steamed bun as her son, but as he gets older, he naturally wishes to become more independent. When he introduces his fiancée to his mother, she protests and “eats” him. (Don’t be alarmed, it turns out this was an allegorical dream, and her “son” was represented by the steamed bun she had made. Confused? Don’t worry, it will make perfect sense when you see it.) Eventually, the whole family, including the son’s fiancée, comes together at the end, making steamed buns as they
sit around the table watching television.
The entire story tugs at your heartstrings as you make
the journey from the joys of parenthood to the sadness of watching your children leave the nest. As a parent, this beautifully animated short hits every emotional button you’ll go through, and for me it made me appreciate every moment I had and always will have as a father. As we’ve seen many times on this list, that bond between parent and child is one of the most powerful of all, and one that can bring a flood of tears to your eyes, whether they be tears of joy, sadness, pride, or longing. Even though Bao is only eight minutes long, it manages to pack a lifetime’s worth of emotion into a few short minutes.
I could have included a number of Pixar shorts on this list, and in my mind, they are the unsung heroes of the entire Pixar universe. Beautiful stories unto themselves, they can often be more emotional than the movies they support. This is likely because they only have a few short minutes to tell their story, and as such they need to pack a lot of emotion into a very short space. There are many Pixar shorts that could have made my list, including Piper (which I nearly did include!), and we just might get back to them in a future issue.
But this is where Disney’s true magic lies, in its storytelling. Yes, Disney can recreate worlds that transport us to faraway lands, but it’s the way they can bring out our deepest emotions that’s their true gift. No matter whether you’re at the parks or watching a classic film, these emotions of love, togetherness, pride, and heartfelt connection are the true pixie dust.
Photos ©Tim Foster
25 · Celebrations