The Road Movie is a genre that emerged from the reckless travel stories of the Beat Generation in the nineteen sixties. Back then it particularly dealt with freedom and rebellion. The journey described in the road movie was physical as well as psychological and usually done by car, the most sophisticated and individual mode of transportation in those days. Over the years the genre has been extended by numerous motifs to go on the road, modes of transportation and protagonists of all ages. Further, the road movie is a genre hybrid that deposits one or more of its trades in all sorts of movies.
In the B-seminar “Lost Highways – Road Movies and their Cultural Contexts” we talked about the history of road movies, discussed the theoretical background, analysed types of distinctive road movies, and applied different methods to examine those. The fundamental basis of the genre are the modes of transportation, the concept of home, and the internal voyage of the main character. Although these traits are executed most differently in film, they are always unmistakably recognisable.
For my term paper I was interested in whether the typical characteristics are as explicitly identifiable in a non conventional film. I chose Finding Nemo from 2003, where the characters are anthropomorphized fish and the setting is the open sea, to study the criteria of the modes of transportation, the concept of home, and the internal voyage of the main character in an animated movie.
The paper starts with a short outline of the film, then concentrates on the examination of the three main features and finally gives a short conclusion.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Finding Nemo – A Short Outline
3. Main Characteristics of the Road Movie in Finding Nemo
3.1 Definition of The Modes of Transportation
3.1.1 Modes of Transportation in Finding Nemo
3.2 Definition of The Concept of Home
3.2.1 The Concept of Home in Finding Nemo
3.3 Defintion of The Internal Voyage of the Main Character
3.3.1 Marlin’s Road
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper aims to analyze whether the traditional characteristics of the road movie genre can be identified within the non-conventional context of an animated film. By examining Pixar's 2003 film Finding Nemo, the study explores how the animated setting of the open sea adapts and reinterprets fundamental genre elements to portray character transformation and narrative development.
- Analysis of transportation modes in an animated underwater setting.
- Deconstruction of the "concept of home" as a structuring device in road narratives.
- Examination of the internal voyage of the protagonist, Marlin.
- Assessment of Finding Nemo as an adaptation of road movie genre conventions.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.1 Modes of Transportation in Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo makes use of a variety of modes of transportation that upon closer inspection resemble the means of transportation of classical road movies. Although the audience would not think that there are quite as much possibilities to move in the ocean as there are on land the film employs numerous that often come to surprise the viewer. Just like Thelma and Louise the movie “[…] does not set out as a road movie, it becomes one.” (Daniel 1999: 170). When Marlin starts following the boat he does so out of a parental reflex, it is not until later on when he honours his promise to protect his son from anything that Marlin’s road trip starts. It is the quest for finding Nemo that sends him on the road.
The first and most frequently used means of transportation in the movie is the clown fish’s fins. Just like in the pedestrian road movie, Marlin is obliged to make use of his fins to move forward. Marlin’s fins stand for the essential mode of transportation that are the feet of the protagonist in regular road movies like Stand by me. He uses his fins to swim to Sydney when there are no other means to transport him and Dory along their way for example when they have to outswim Bruce the shark (cf. 22:25-23:24) and later the deepsea anglerfish (32:33-33:39).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the history and theoretical background of the road movie genre and outlines the objective to examine its characteristics in the animated film Finding Nemo.
2. Finding Nemo – A Short Outline: Provides a summary of the film's plot and classifies it as a "road movie without a road" according to academic definitions.
3. Main Characteristics of the Road Movie in Finding Nemo: Explores the essential generic features, namely the mode of transportation, the concept of home, and the internal voyage of the protagonist, specifically within the context of the film.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the paper's findings, confirming that Finding Nemo successfully adapts traditional road movie elements to its unique underwater environment.
Keywords
Road Movie, Finding Nemo, Modes of Transportation, Concept of Home, Internal Voyage, Animation, Pixar, Film Studies, Marlin, Dory, Genre Hybrid, Character Transformation, Quest Motive, Narrative Structure, Physical and Psychological Journey
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this scientific paper?
The paper explores the application of traditional road movie genre conventions to an animated film, specifically analyzing Finding Nemo.
What are the primary thematic pillars analyzed in the work?
The research focuses on the modes of transportation, the concept of home, and the internal voyage undertaken by the main character.
What is the central research question?
The author investigates whether typical characteristics of road movies remain explicitly identifiable when transposed into a non-conventional, animated setting like the open sea.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The study utilizes a literary and film-theoretical analysis, applying concepts from genre theory to the narrative structure and character development in the film.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main part of the paper covers definitions of generic traits and a detailed case study of Marlin's journey, his changing perception of safety, and his physical navigation through the ocean.
Which keywords categorize this study?
Key terms include Road Movie, Finding Nemo, Animation, Modes of Transportation, Home, Internal Voyage, and Genre Hybridization.
How does the author define Finding Nemo in terms of the road movie genre?
The author highlights the perspective that the film functions as a "road movie without a road" because it lacks a predefined path but still follows core genre patterns of quest and movement.
What role does the "concept of home" play for the protagonist?
The "concept of home" evolves from a place of rigid, protective isolation into one that the protagonist learns to balance with the outside world, signifying his internal maturity and character growth.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2016, The Road Movie in an animated film, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1459202
