Crying at a Cartoon

Recently I saw the new animated movie from Disney, WRECK-IT RALPH. I really enjoyed it. I have to admit, though, I cried a few tears a few times in the movie. I don't want to give anything away, but there are some very poignant moments in the movie, when, even though you know in your mind everything is going to work out alright, the sadness eeking out of the screen yanks on the strings of one's emotions like whiplash in a major car crash. I can't deny it, tears often come to my eyes when watching animated films. I cried the first time I ever saw MONSTERS, INC. because the relationship between Sulley and Boo reminded me of my own life and this little girl in the preschool class I taught. I cried several times during FINDING NEMO, sometimes just because I could relate to Marlin's frustration in trying to find Nemo and also the Biblical parallelism between Marlin's search to find Nemo and God's search to reach us. I cry every time I see UP. The first ten minutes of that movie is one of the most perfectly shot pieces of animation ever. I cried when watching it because though I'm not married, I have been in love and long for the love that Karl and Ellie shared. I cried at the end of UP, too because of Russell's abandonment and Karl becoming a hero and a better man by standing in the gap to fill the place of Russell's absent father. I'm not sure what it is about animated movies, (and particular Disney and Pixar films; I guess that's why they are the animation kings) but they seem to have the potential to affect me in ways that other movies don't. With that said, WRECK-IT RALPH is a great animated film. Kids will like it, but it's really an adult movie draped in nostalgia so it appears to be a kid movie. I think it might make my top ten list of the year.