Great Character: Marlin (“Finding Nemo”)
This month’s theme: Pixar. Today’s guest post by Jason Cuthbert features Marlin from the 2003 Finding Nemo, screenplay by Andrew Stanton & Bob Peterson & David Reynolds, story by Andrew Stanton.
After watching the 2003 Pixar Animation Studios underwater comedy adventure Finding Nemo, it is not hard to have your enjoyment of succulent seafood suddenly tainted by guilt. You can’t help but wonder: “Who’s amphibious family member could I be digesting?” In the animated world of Finding Nemo, the human culprit is an Australian deep-sea diver who’s net separates an aquatic dweller named Nemo from his panicky finned father Marlin in this Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature, directed wonderfully by Andrew Stanton (WALL·E) and Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3). Andrew Stanton not only co-wrote the screenplay for this h2o landscape, along with Bob Peterson (Up) and David Reynolds (A Bug’s Life), but Stanton is also this story’s originator.
Finding Nemo plot summary from IMDB:
After his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home.
Finding Nemo has a really relatable protagonist in Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks), our captain guiding us below the sea level of its tightly woven script. Within the first four minutes Marlin goes from being the responsible husband, the solid provider with a new spacious home with an “ocean view” and a family fish father of 400 offspring, to a single dad with a single son — Nemo.
MARLIN: (Holding Nemo’s cracked egg in his fin) I promise to never let anything happen to you, Nemo.
Now we are able to immediately understand his constant worrying with this traumatic loss drowning his dreams of defending a large loving family. That’s enough to make any clownfish lose his sense of humor instantly. Marlin’s protective nature and extreme preoccupation with safety pierces the bond between himself and his free-spirited, constantly curious son Nemo.
MARLIN: You know what? I was right. We’ll start school in a year or two.
NEMO: No, Dad! Just because you’re scared of the ocean…
MARLIN: Clearly, you’re not ready, and you’re not coming back until you are. You think you can do these things, but you just can’t, Nemo!
NEMO: [pause, mutters] I hate you.
By the time Nemo is captured and disappears from his paranoid poppa, Marlin is the last fish in the oceanic community that we expect to be capable of pursuing a rescue mission. Every scene prior has led us up to the dramatic question of, “How will a fish afraid of the ocean go about Finding Nemo?” The title is the plot.
MARLIN: [Inside the Orca Whale] I have to get out of here! I have to find MY SON! I have to tell him… how!… old!… sea turtles are!
Finding Nemo is an Ivy League level master’s thesis in constructing a laser-focused emotional plotline that builds clearly off of a great character’s need constantly being interrupted by increasing jolts of jeopardy. How often are we given such a strong single parent father and son story? Finding Nemo finds Pixar once again breaking the mold of moldy character dynamics, for a fresh water swim beyond typical murky stereotypes.
Marlon has clearly been the solo head of his house and an isolated decision maker for many years since his wife died. So when Dory, the short attention span co-Nemo locator joins Marlon through the deep blue seas, he is suddenly forced to share his leadership. His suffocating fears of the unknown are multiplied by Dory’s opposite instincts of spontaneity. Dory’s forgetful “brain farts” are a perfect counterpoint to Marlon’s morbid memories that refuse to leave the forefront of his thoughts. He wishes he could forget his misery while she wishes she could remember anything at all.
Marlin’s aversion to taking risks threatens to put a halt to finding Nemo several times. But Dora’s all-or-nothing approach to success proves to be the winning formula during their hectic journey. Marlin puts his faith in Dora, learning that he can’t control the outcome to everything and must wager a risk when the risk is worth the reward.
It is an awesome sight to see Marlin’s growth literally occur during the moments when he throws caution to the wind and faces his fears with his eyes wide open.
For his uncompromising family-comes-first attitude and his journey from the hidden shadows of fear to the open gates of understanding — Marlin is an ultra GREAT CHARACTER.
This is a classic Hero’s Journey and Marlin is a classic movie Protagonist, starting off in a state of Disunity, the many experiences of his adventure breaking down his old ways of being, gaining confidence in his ability to survive in the New World, and thereby moving to a state of Unity in which he is able to trust the universe enough to allow Nemo the freedom he needs to grow up.
Finding Nemo is right up there at the top of the Pixar movies.
Thanks to Jason for yet another Great Character post. Join us in comments for a discussion of Marlin and why he is such a compelling character.