It is no secret that I love the magical things in life. You can find them anywhere, really. Just look at anything up close and take a moment to consider everything about that thing. You’ll find magic there. But maybe other things too.
I like to be taken away to magical places too. This is easy to do, in the way of music, books, movies, and more. The thing I’m thinking about most today is those movies. Specifically, the animated ones. For it was on this date, June 17, 2018, that “The Incredibles 2” set a box office record for an animated release. It earned $180 million on its opening weekend. Now that is incredible.
It is not the biggest earning animated film, though, even though it set that opening record back then.
I have lots of favorites when it comes to animated movies. It all started early for me. Like when I saw Pinocchio’s nose grow. Or those snappy dwarves, whistling while they worked. Bambi. Dumbo. But these were movies of my childhood. And then, for a long, long time, animated movies fell silent in my life. I moved on to grown-up movies with real people and everyday plots. Like Ordinary People, The Great Santini, Dead Poets Society. Or The Godfather. Maybe The Exorcist.
But goodness. Those movies either made me cry or scared the bejeezus out of me. Where were the warm fuzzies?
And then it happened. The breakthrough in animated film for both kids and adults. The first one on the scene, I believe, to do this with gusto, was Shrek, coming out in 2001. This was followed very closely by Monsters Inc., also in 2001. And then, two years later, we were given none other than Finding Nemo in 2003. That was the BIG trio, in my mind — the threesome responsible for forever changing the landscape of animated film. Eye candy. Animation crack. Hand in hand with humor and crafty wit. It was like ordering a sandwich with double mayonnaise — just too good to be true.
These days, everyone has their favorites. A few of my favorites (besides the big three) are The Incredibles, Despicable Me, Ratatouille, and How To Train Your Dragon.
But the box office tells a different story, mostly reflective of a generation many decades younger than me.
The number one animated film in money grossed?
1. The Lion King (2019 Remake) — $1,657,713,459
2. Frozen II — $1,450,026,933
3. Frozen — $1,290,000,000
Personally, I thought the whole Frozen thing was a little overrated. But, it seems like it might be a “princess” thing. And I never wanted to be a princess, not even a badass one.
Of some of my favorites and their box office earnings.
Finding Nemo # 13
The Incredibles # 32
Ratatouille # 33
Monsters Inc. # 38
Despicable Me # 41
The original How To Train Your Dragon didn’t even make the top 50, but the likes of Ralph Breaks the Internet came in at 45. Please. And Kung Fu Panda 2 was ranked at 26. The panda is fine and all, but it shows the interest of the littler people.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention stop-motion animation, though. I have a few favorites there too. The top grosser is my favorite.
Chicken Run — $224,834,564
Followed by my second favorite.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit — $194,137,091
And third, was one of many by Tim Burton.
Coraline — $124,596,398
Just a little slice of the entertainment world. As I mentioned, I love to experience the magical, the place where the mind can go for the glorious and the fantastical. And often, this comes through various forms of entertainment.
But do we need it?
According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, human beings’ physiological needs for food, water, clothing, shelter, and sleep must be satisfied in order for us to address more complex needs like mental and physical health.
But he also explains that we have a hierarchy of needs.
The scale goes like this — bottom to top, with self-actualization being the highest goal.
1. Self-Actualization
2. Self-Esteem
3. Love and Belonging
4. Safety and Security
5. Physiological Needs
While Monsters, Inc. doesn’t seem to be wedged in there anywhere, I’m guessing it might somehow be important for us in reaching self-actualization. Helping me through to finding myself. One little white sock on my back at a time.
Who knew.
2319! 2319!
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“Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love.”
― Rumi
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“It is easy to live for others, everybody does. I call on you to live for yourself.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
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“I exist as I am, that is enough.”
― Walt Whitman
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The way to realization, with the help of Dumbo, and Mike Wazowski.
