Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo is a 2003 American computer-animated adventure comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures.[1] Directed by Andrew Stanton in his feature directorial debut, the film follows Marlin, an anxious and overprotective clownfish voiced by Albert Brooks, as he embarks on a perilous cross-ocean journey from the Great Barrier Reef to Sydney, Australia, to rescue his young son Nemo—voiced by Alexander Gould—after the boy is captured by scuba divers and placed in a dentist's aquarium.[1] Joined by the forgetful but optimistic regal blue tang Dory, voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, Marlin confronts sharks, jellyfish, and other ocean dangers while learning to trust and let go.[1] The screenplay was co-written by Stanton, Bob Peterson, and David Reynolds, with supporting voices including Willem Dafoe as Gill, the leader of the tank gang, and Geoffrey Rush as the pelican Nigel.[1] Released on May 30, 2003, with a runtime of 100 minutes, Finding Nemo was Pixar's fifth feature film and became a critical and commercial phenomenon, earning a 99% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes based on 266 reviews.[2] It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 76th Academy Awards, the first such win for both Pixar and Disney, and received additional nominations for Best Original Score and Best Sound Editing.[3] The film grossed $380.8 million in North America and $941.6 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing animated film at the time until it was surpassed by others like Frozen in 2014.[4] Its themes of parental love, bravery, and environmental awareness, combined with innovative animation techniques depicting underwater environments, solidified its status as a landmark in animated cinema.[2]Story and characters
Plot
In the Great Barrier Reef, a clownfish named Marlin lives with his wife Coral in a sea anemone, where she has laid a clutch of eggs.[5] A barracuda attacks their home, killing Coral and all but one egg, from which Nemo hatches with a small, deformed fin that Marlin calls his "lucky fin."[5] Traumatized by the loss, Marlin becomes extremely overprotective of Nemo, restricting his activities and warning him constantly about ocean dangers.[2] On Nemo's first day of school, guided by their teacher Mr. Ray, the class approaches the "drop-off," a steep edge beyond which Marlin forbids Nemo from swimming.[6] Defiant and eager to prove himself, Nemo ventures closer to a passing boat and touches it, only to be captured in a diver's net and transported away in a jar.[5] Marlin races after the boat but loses it, then encounters Dory, a regal blue tang fish with severe short-term memory loss, who briefly recalls seeing the diver's mask with an address: "P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney."[2] Determined to find Nemo, Marlin and Dory embark on a perilous cross-ocean journey.[7] They first attend a meeting of the Fish-Friendly Sharks support group, where they meet Bruce, but a blood scent from Dory's injury triggers his primal instincts, leading to a chaotic chase through a sunken submarine.[5] Deeper in the ocean, they consult an anglerfish for directions, but it turns aggressive, forcing them to fight for the glowing lure.[6] Later, navigating a vast jellyfish field, Dory leads the way using her bioluminescent distraction but becomes severely stung, leaving Marlin to drag her to safety.[5] Recovering near a trench, they meet Crush, a laid-back sea turtle, and his family, who teach Marlin to embrace adventure and carry them swiftly through the East Australian Current toward Sydney.[2] Ejected from the current, Marlin and Dory follow misleading advice from theatrical moonfish and accidentally alert pursuing sharks before being swallowed by a blue whale.[5] Inside the whale, Dory reads migration instructions on the wall and convinces Marlin to trust her; Nemo, having been carried in the whale's mouth, signals from below to help them block the whale's spout, leading to their expulsion into Sydney Harbour.[6] Meanwhile, in Sydney, Nemo arrives at a dentist's office and is placed in a fish tank inhabited by the "Tank Gang": Gill, a moorish idol with scarred fins; Bloat, a porcupine pufferfish; Peach, a starfish; Gurgle, a royal gramma; Deb, a damselfish; Bubbles, a yellow tang; and Jacques, a Pacific cleaner shrimp.[5] Under Gill's leadership, the gang reveals their repeated failed escape attempts and enlists Nemo in a plan to jam the tank's filter with a pebble, disguised as part of a "fishy-fizz" trick.[2] Nemo succeeds in blocking the filter, causing the tank to become filthy and forcing the dentist to clean it manually, but the dentist intervenes just as Nemo prepares to swim free.[5] As the dentist prepares to transfer Nemo to a new tank for his niece Darla, Gill propels Nemo out the window using the tank's debris, sending him into Sydney Harbour.[6] Nemo hitches a ride with a pelican named Nigel to the harbor, where Marlin and Dory, now aided by a flock of pelicans, learn of the tank but arrive too late, witnessing what appears to be Nemo's lifeless body floating away and believing him dead.[5] Heartbroken, Marlin bids farewell to Dory and prepares to return home alone, but Dory, swimming away, suddenly remembers Nemo due to his unique fin and spots the real Nemo hiding nearby.[2] Reunited briefly, Nemo and Dory are caught in a fisherman's net alongside a school of fish.[7] Nemo urges the fish to swim downward to break the net, a lesson echoing Crush's earlier advice, successfully freeing them all.[5] Marlin arrives in time to join the escape, and the family, now including Dory, rides sea turtles back to the Great Barrier Reef.[6] There, Marlin drops Nemo off at school with newfound trust, allowing him greater independence, while the Tank Gang arrives via a plastic bag, finally free, and Dory becomes a welcomed part of their lives.[2]Characters
Nemo is the young protagonist of the film, a six-year-old clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) characterized by his curiosity and eagerness to explore the world beyond his sheltered home in a sea anemone on the Great Barrier Reef.[8][9] Born with a smaller right pectoral fin, referred to as his "lucky fin," Nemo's disability fuels his determination to prove himself, motivating his impulsive actions that drive the central conflict.[10] His role highlights themes of independence and resilience as he adapts to captivity and inspires others around him. Marlin serves as Nemo's overprotective father and co-protagonist, another clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) who lives in constant fear after a tragic loss, making him cautious and reluctant to venture far from home.[8][9] His motivation stems from deep paternal love and anxiety, compelling him to embark on a perilous ocean journey to rescue Nemo, during which he gradually learns to trust others and embrace adventure.[8] Marlin's design draws from the symbiotic relationship of real clownfish with sea anemones, emphasizing his protective instincts rooted in survival behaviors observed in the species.[9] Dory is Marlin's optimistic companion on the quest, a regal blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) plagued by short-term memory loss that hinders her recall but endows her with relentless positivity and friendliness.[8][10] Her role provides comic relief and emotional support, using her ability to speak whale and unwavering enthusiasm to aid the search, while her design reflects the vibrant blue hues and surgeonfish traits of her real-life counterpart, known for their bold swimming patterns in coral reefs.[8][11] Coral, Marlin's wife and Nemo's mother, is a clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) who appears briefly in the film's opening, embodying maternal protectiveness as she prepares to lay eggs near the reef.[9] Her tragic fate underscores Marlin's backstory of loss, shaping his personality and the narrative's emotional foundation.[8] The Tank Gang consists of a diverse group of aquarium captives in a Sydney dentist's office who befriend Nemo and aid his escape attempts, each member's personality and design inspired by distinct marine species to reflect their quirky dynamics.[8] Gill, the scarred Moorish idol (Zanclus cornutus) with one damaged fin, leads as a determined and charismatic strategist, motivating the group with elaborate breakout plans drawn from his wild origins.[8][10] Bloat, a porcupine pufferfish (Diodon holacanthus), is the sarcastic blowfish who inflates in frustration, providing comic tension while questioning the feasibility of freedom.[11] Peach, a level-headed sea star attached to the tank wall, acts as the observant voice of reason, her sessile nature mirroring real echinoderms that rely on passive positioning.[10] Gurgle, a hypochondriac royal gramma (Gramma loreto), fixates on cleanliness and germs, his vibrant purple-and-yellow stripes evoking the species' reef-dwelling habits.[10] Bubbles, an attention-seeking yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), communicates only through bubbles from his filter, highlighting his playful yet needy role in group interactions.[10] Deb, a paranoid damselfish (Pomacentridae family) who believes the tank is her ocean and her reflection is her sister, adds familial delusion to the ensemble, based on the territorial behaviors of real damselfish.[10] Jacques, a meticulous cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis), serves as the group's groomer with his precise French accent, accurately depicting the symbiotic cleaning role of such shrimp in marine ecosystems.[10] Crush is a laid-back green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) who embodies a surfer-dude archetype, guiding Marlin and Dory through ocean currents with relaxed wisdom and slang-filled advice.[10] His role facilitates the journey's progression, introducing the East Australian Current as a narrative device, while his design captures the species' migratory prowess and carapace patterns.[8] The accompanying sea turtle hatchlings, including Crush's son Squirt, represent youthful energy and learning, mirroring real turtle life cycles from nesting to oceanic dispersal.[10] Nigel, a gossipy brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), functions as the Tank Gang's external ally in Sydney Harbour, relaying news of Marlin's exploits to inspire Nemo's hope.[10] His curious and sociable nature drives key plot connections, with his design inspired by the bird's real diving and pouch-feeding behaviors, adapted to an Australian setting despite the species' primary American range.[12]Voice cast
The voice cast of Finding Nemo features a ensemble of prominent actors delivering performances tailored to the film's underwater characters, with many recording sessions emphasizing improvisation to enhance emotional depth and humor.[13] The principal roles were filled by experienced voice talents, including Albert Brooks as the anxious clownfish Marlin, Ellen DeGeneres as the forgetful blue tang Dory, and child actor Alexander Gould as the young clownfish Nemo.[14] Supporting the protagonists are Willem Dafoe as the scarred moorish idol Gill, Geoffrey Rush as the laid-back pelican Nigel, and Elizabeth Perkins as Marlin's wife Coral.[15] Additional key voices include Brad Garrett as the blowfish Bloat, Allison Janney as the starfish Peach, Eric Bana as the hammerhead shark Anchor, Bruce Spence as the great white shark Chum, and Barry Humphries as the shark leader Bruce.[13] Director Andrew Stanton provided the voice for the sea turtle Crush, while Joe Ranft voiced the fish Tad and additional turtle roles.[14]| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Albert Brooks | Marlin |
| Ellen DeGeneres | Dory |
| Alexander Gould | Nemo |
| Willem Dafoe | Gill |
| Geoffrey Rush | Nigel |
| Elizabeth Perkins | Coral |
| Brad Garrett | Bloat |
| Allison Janney | Peach |
| Eric Bana | Anchor |
| Bruce Spence | Chum |
| Barry Humphries | Bruce |
| Andrew Stanton | Crush |
| Joe Ranft | Tad / Additional turtles |