The Real Design Perspective Behind Finding Nemo

As you watch pixar film "Finding Nemo" you think to yourself that 'this is a wonderful movie about all types of personalities and adventure and love in family'. Growing up I was always excited by nemo,  probably because I was that kid! I was the one playing hide and go seek in Wal-Mart and running out of my mother's view to explore.  Most of the time mom would find me half hysterical and tell me not to do it again with a spanking and a hug.  Of course I would be ready to do it again the next opportunity I would get.
To this day I am always pushing myself to the next adventure. Even though I love all that excitement, some times I still need a moment too myself,  for peace and quiet. I need a refuge to get away from all of the crazy chaos that I live in (and sometimes create). This introduces a concept in sociology called prospect versus refuge.  Prospect can, in a way, be interpreted as opportunity and open to everything.   Refuge, on the other hand, is the security blanket that helps the person retreat into their own happy place. For me it's where I can sit down, prop my feet up with a glass of wine,  and released all of my stress. It's a way for me to calm down from the over-stimulating day.

In "Finding Nemo", Pixar represents this very simply. Youthful Nemo who had yet to experience life,  yearns for the prospect environment, testing his limits.  His father Marlin is in psychological need of refuge.  After all of the emotions and negativity that marlin experienced such as his wife being killed with all of his children,  he needs a sense security and safety.  He 'controls' nemo because of his instinctual response to pain.   This is an example of control theory and is why marlin never wants to leave the sea anemone.

As the movie progresses marlin is forced to venture out of his comfort zone, and learns to adapt and even have a little fun. Nemo in turn realizes that the world isn't all he thought it is and learns a life lesson.  You can see when Nemo is dropped into the fish tank and he hides in the helmet that he needed a sense of refuge in his over-stimulating environment.  Every human needs a happy balance of prospect and refuge in their lives and that will differ depending on the person. Such is the true situation in  'Finding Nemo'.