Pixar movies often deliver some of the most upsetting, distressing experiences of your life, which can be a bit of a surprise for anyone expecting a nice, simple animated movie. Well, Lee Unkrich, the director of many great movies for Pixar, has explained why this is.
More specifically, Unkrich has commented on the incredibly heartbreaking montage which opens the 2000s movie Up which sees the cartoon characters Carl and Ellie fall in love as youngsters, spend their life together, and try to have a baby. The baby never comes, though, and eventually Ellie falls ill and dies leaving Carl a widow. Brutal.
In a recent interaction on Twitter, Unkrich explained the reason movies like Up have such emotionally heavy content in them, and his answer is pretty simple.
A Twitter user shared some stills from Up in a now deleted tweet, asking why the kids movie was so intent on breaking hearts and causing emotional damage. We’re pretty sure it was intended as a joke, but the tweet caught the wrath of Unkrich.
Unkrich quote tweeted the original post and said: “Because it’s not a kid’s movie. It’s a movie for everyone.” It’s a notion that has been brought up time and time again, the fact that animation is not just for children, it’s for anyone and everyone.
Indeed, Pixar and Disney movies have such a huge legacy and are popular with all sorts of audiences young and old, so it’s a fair comment. They’re also some of the best movies of all time, regardless of the animated element, so they should never be restricted solely to young viewers.
To dive into the realm of Unkrich’s work, check out our guide to watching all the Toy Story movies or dive into our list of the best musicals.