2016’s “Finding Dory” is yet another home run for Pixar. This poignant CGI underwater adventure, starring the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ty Burrell, Idris Elba, and Diane Keaton and directed by Andrew Stanton, grossed over $1 billion at the box office.
“Dory” is the sequel to 2003’s “Finding Nemo” in which Dory, voiced by DeGeneres. This time, instead of Nemo losing his way, it’s his blue buddy Dory, who suffers from short term memory loss and becomes separated from her parents.
“Dory” deftly handles the stigma of mental illness, and there is no magical ending where Dory suddenly remembers everything; it’s something that is treated with compassion.
Dory isn’t the only creature in the sea suffering from disabilities, and that’s where we learn the overarching theme of the film, that disabilities can be transformed into abilities. Once Dory accepts that for the moment (remember she has short-term memory loss), that’s when the story kicks into high gear.
Hank the octopus, played by Ed O’Neill, steals every scene he’s in, as he uses Dory to try to escape the Marine Life Institute, whose spokesperson, for some odd reason is the real Sigourney Weaver. Hank driving a truck while Dory acts as a absent-minded GPS system is one of the highlights of the film.
There is one jarring moment in the film that may scare small children, and that’s when Dory becomes truly disoriented and we see her almost losing her mind. It may be best to skip that section of the film and move onto the inevitable reunion and happy ending, capped off with the classic Nat King Cole song “Unforgettable”.
“Finding Dory” is an entertaining, thought-provoking film that is easily among the best films of a somewhat disappointing 2016.
~Steven Hold