Me vs. a Mother Concerned with Pixar Movies

  I came across an opinion article the other day from a concerned mother. It was titled “I raised my kids on Pixar – and it has ruined classic cinema for them.” In the article the writer and concerned mother states, “Pixar has ruined this generation: they have no attention span and zero tolerance for mild amusement.”

No. Just… no.

One could rightfully claim that other factors in our modern day society have contributed to a fair amount of people with short attention spans. The influence of cell phones and the Internet, while they have brought a lot of good in the world (like me being able to write this blog!), has probably without a doubt done this as a side effect. However, Pixar is not at fault here. And the company itself has not “ruined” classic cinema for younger generations.

In the article the writer states that she tried to entertain her children with movies that she grew up with. Do you know what movies she mentioned that she tried to show them? “Beavis and Butt-Head” and “There’s Something About Mary.” Shortly after that the writer states, “I raised them wrong. I should have been showing them ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (here, kids, try 102 minutes of people looking for something that they don’t find till minute 99) and ‘The Sound of Music’ (the Nazis turn nasty partway through hour four; this film has less pace than the actual war).”

You know it’s possible to watch both Pixar films and classics like “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Sound of Music,” right? I remember when I was just seven and the first “Toy Story” movie came out (the world’s first fully computer animated film, nonetheless), and I went to see it in the theater with my father. Since then I have seen every single feature film to come from Pixar at least once, along with most if not all of their short films. I also grew up watching films like “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Sound of Music,” along with other kid-friendly classics such as “Mary Poppins” and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” This is partially due to the fact that my parents introduced these films to me, and because I have a natural interest in movies. My two younger sisters also grew up with both Pixar films and kid-friendly classics. 

Also, many of the Pixar films don’t just go from one thing to another. They’re not always all action all the time. “Wall-E” in particular barely has any dialogue for well over half an hour, and somehow manages to keep the attention of viewers both young and old. Throughout the Pixar filmography there are scenes that are at least slightly slower paced that allow one to breathe and take in the scenes and environment. 

Keep in mind that many of the people at Pixar are also champions of classic cinema. The animators and directors have gained influenced from classic films such as “The Graduate,” “Seven Samurai,” “Once Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and many more. In addition some of the people at Pixar were responsible to initially helping to bring the films of Studio Ghibli to America through creating English language dubs and marketing; the films of Studio Ghibli are generally known for having moments with room to breathe in them rather than all action all the time.

So no, if the writer’s kids have low attention spans and are too unwilling to try out different movies, it’s not Pixar’s fault by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe this mother could still show them “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Sound of Music” along with Pixar favorites, instead of say “Beavis and Butt-Head.” Or maybe her kids are simply bratty and unwilling to try anything new to them. Either way, I feel that Pixar has done more to encourage wonder and imagination than anything else. And if and when I ever have kids, I plan to show them Pixar movies and some classics as well.