Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #PixarinApril
Most recents (9)
#PixarinApril fans, it's time to talk about Up (2009). This is my favorite of the Pixar films, and it was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award--the first of the Pixar films to be afforded this honor. It didn't win, but that's a big deal for an animated film.
[CW: death, grief, miscarriage]
Up is, very simply, an allegory about loss and grief. Here is what I mean by allegory in this case: although many stories and films can have symbols and metaphors as components of their narratives, an allegory is different. #PixarinApril
Up is, very simply, an allegory about loss and grief. Here is what I mean by allegory in this case: although many stories and films can have symbols and metaphors as components of their narratives, an allegory is different. #PixarinApril
In an allegory, the entire story itself is a metaphor, and each piece of the story serves to advance that symbolic meaning. One of the major reasons Up is a masterpiece, then, is its depiction of loss and grief. #PixarinApril
#PixarinApril discussion time! Today we're covering WALL-E, one of Pixar's masterpieces. It's their first film that doesn't actually seem to have been made for children but for adults.
When I discuss WALL-E in my classes, there are 3 major areas we explore: the environmental apocalypse, the religious imagery, and the philosophical message about life and living. The 1st two feed into the last. #PixarinApril
The environmental message is pretty clear. Human consumption ran wild & the earth could no longer keep up with the production of waste so people were forced to flee into outer space, leaving only WALL-E units in a futile mission to clean up the planet. #PixarinApril
#PixarinApril: Ratatouille time! The movie has powerful things to say about the nature of art, as well as the difficulty of doing something truly original & finding an audience for that. The most important quotes from the film, according to me anyway, are in the thread below.
"The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations, the new needs friends... Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere." --Anton Ego #PixarinApril
"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy...But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so." --Anton Ego #PixarinApril
#PixarinApril Time for our discussion of The Incredibles (2004; directed by Brad Bird). Some things to ponder and get the ball rolling are in the thread below. 
In the video module (located on my website), we discussed 1) how the superheroes are the focus of discrimination because they are different, and the subject of difference comes up quite a bit in the Pixar films #PixarinApril josheyler.wordpress.com/pixar-in-april…
and 2) the tricky problem of nostalgia and how the desire to go back to the way things used to be causes us to miss what is happening right in front of us. #PixarinApril
Alright, #PixarinApril fans! Time for our live discussion on Finding Nemo. I'd like to frame it around some of the key lines from the film. I've included those in the thread below. You can respond to any one of them by talking about why you think it's important for the film.
"Just keep swimming." --Dory #PixarinApril
"He says it's time to let go. Everything's gonna be alright." --Dory #PixarinApril
OK--another, more serious theme: Andy's dad. We don't know what happened to him; we just know that he's not there anymore. The filmmakers have been clear that it wasn't something they gave a ton of thought to, but it's an interesting theme. #PixarinApril
Do you see any resonance here between this issue with Andy and what the toys are discussing/experiencing? #PixarinApril
Here's a post on the subject by @JonNegroni, who is one of the most thoughtful writers about the Pixar films. jonnegroni.com/2014/05/27/and…
While we're waiting for the #PixarinApril conversation on Toy Story to pick up, the results of the poll yesterday indicated that folks wanted to talk about Sid's dad and the soda cans. Here is a still from the movie.
This is what Buzz sees when he goes into the living room. What do you notice here? What might the filmmakers be trying to tell us? Why soda? #PixarinApril
Okay, adding to the discussion here. @tbhawkins hit on an important point. You have to look very closely to tell that these are soda cans. For young kids watching the film, these are just soda cans. #PixarinApril
Okay, it's time!
Our first live discussion for #PixarinApril begins now. Here's how it will work:
Participants can either ask me a question about the film by responding directly to this tweet, or you can answer one of the questions I've listed in the thread below.
Our first live discussion for #PixarinApril begins now. Here's how it will work:
Participants can either ask me a question about the film by responding directly to this tweet, or you can answer one of the questions I've listed in the thread below.
Question 1 (for elementary school teachers/students/parents-of-students): Tell me more about your favorite minor character (like Potato Head or Slinky) and why he or she is important for the movie. #PixarinApril
Question 2: How does the journey of Buzz and Woody reflect on the issues Andy is facing in his life? #PixarinApril
A #PixarinApril update:
TL;DR--I'm developing educational modules for parents, teachers, and kids of all ages focused on The Pixar films. It's meant to help out with the homeschooling during this difficult time.
More details: See the thread below.
josheyler.wordpress.com/pixar-in-april…
TL;DR--I'm developing educational modules for parents, teachers, and kids of all ages focused on The Pixar films. It's meant to help out with the homeschooling during this difficult time.
More details: See the thread below.
josheyler.wordpress.com/pixar-in-april…
The purpose is to provide some fun, educational activities for students of all ages utilizing films that many of them (and us too!) love.
First let me describe the modules and the process, and then I'll lay out the schedule at the end of the message.
First let me describe the modules and the process, and then I'll lay out the schedule at the end of the message.
The mini-course will last from April 13th to May 14th with 2 modules per week. Every Monday and Wednesday I will launch a video (10-12 minutes each) where I talk about some of the major themes in the film. The videos will be posted at my website: josheyler.wordpress.com/pixar-in-april……/
