Recently, a red red panda from Pixar has quietly become popular, causing countless concerns.
It comes from the film The Metamorphosis of Youth.
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This is Pixar's first animated feature film with a Chinese protagonist, and most of the film's creators, screenwriters, directors, and voices are Chinese, and it can also be said that it is the first animated feature film with Asian ancestry in the true sense.
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The director is Canadian Chinese Shi Zhiyu, she is inspired by her own growth experience, from the script writing to the film production spent 4 years, she uses delicate, warm brushstrokes, into the fantasy color, telling a chinese family in an exotic environment parent-child contradictions and adolescent growth story.
The protagonist of the story is Meimei Li Meilin.
Like many Chinese children, Meimei has been growing up according to the rules and regulations expected by her parents, with excellent grades in courses, a positive and optimistic attitude, a kind and understanding person, and will go home early every day after school to help her mother clean the ancestral hall.
Meimei's parents run their own ancestral shrine in the local area for tourists to visit, because it is quite distinctive, and the business has always been good. And Meimei has always played the role of a well-behaved woman, never saying no to her mother, whether it is study or life, strictly according to her standards, until she is out of control and becomes a red panda, and only then has a sharp confrontation begun between her and her mother.
Leaving aside our positions, let's just talk about the film itself.
MY LIFE
TODAYMOOD
01. Parents: I love you, but you don't belong to me
The core of this film is actually very simple, that is, a child facing adolescence, in the struggle with the old traditions and old concepts represented by his mother, finds his true self, so as to bravely stick to himself and continue to grow.
It is said that parents are the first teachers of children, and words and deeds are very important. At this point, Meimei's mother can be described as a typical representative, she strictly abides by family norms, dresses up as a professional woman, serious and cautious, old-fashioned and polite, and in her heart, family is always the first.
She cares about her daughter's upbringing and studies, and controls everything about her, of course, like many parents, she also believes that children have no self-esteem, even if Xiaomei is 13 years old.
Originally, the family moved safely on the existing track until Xiaomei transformed into a red panda.
As Xiaomei grows up, she begins to have her own secrets, the boy she secretly draws in her diary, her love of music when she is with her friends, and her crazy infatuation with the 4Town boy band, which will only be released when she is with her friends.
But her mother didn't know anything about it, so when she saw the portrait of the convenience store clerk on Xiaomei's diary, she was furious, did not care about Xiaomei's feelings, pulled her straight to the convenience store to confront, and exposed the secret affairs of her daughter's family one by one in the laughter of everyone.
Although Xiaomei was embarrassed, she did not get angry with her mother, but she felt that she had destroyed her beautiful image in her mother's heart, and she was nervous all night and did not know how to explain it to her.
Until the next day, her mother went to school to peek at Xiaomei and wantonly exposed her privacy, Xiaomei's fragile self-esteem was torn to pieces at this moment, and the little monster hidden in her heart finally broke out, and the confrontation between her and her mother began.
She ignored her mother's advice, wantonly used the transformation ability, and began to use the panda to make money, her mother tried to hide, but it became the best expression of Xiaomei's catharsis.
The mother and daughter frantically confronted each other at the concert site, Xiaomei finally bravely said her true thoughts, but this is unacceptable to her mother, she can't tolerate the child she brought up with her, one day she will try to break free of her control, can't accept that the child has her own secrets and ideas, can't accept that she is no longer a part of herself.
In a letter to his son, Hu Shi said, I am not your prequel, and you are not my sequel. You are an independent individual, a soul different from mine; you are free, I love you; but I will never control your life "in the name of love."
Fortunately, Xiaomei's mother woke up, she finally understood that she loved Xiaomei, but Xiaomei never belonged to her, she only belonged to herself, she was just fortunate to bring her child to the world, she should have her own life and life.
In fact, we all understand that the starting point of parents and elders is good, but in the wrong way, the times are changing, the older generation of thoughts can not imagine the future of the new generation, they should have their own sky, have their own growth and thinking, even if they fall hard, it is not a big deal, but just start again.
02. Friend: I accompany you, don't be afraid of the way forward
In the film, in the face of Xiaomei's unexpected transformation, friends show not fear, but surprise, because they think it is simply cool to have such a friend. They have always known the hidden beauty, because only in front of her friends, she is the girl who laughs wildly and loves crazy love, they all love music and dream of one day going to see an idol's concert together.
Of course, they are also like many little girls who have just opened their adolescent love sinuses, they will have a girlish mind for convenience store clerks, and they will dream of one day joining hands with idol singers, with such simple and beautiful little secrets, they are happy and free, although a little adolescent troubles, but it is harmless.
After Xiaomei experienced the transformation, her parents were particularly worried about her situation, moving her into the empty basement, thinking that it was enough to take care of Xiaomei's food and drink, but never thought that at this time she actually needed more companionship.
At this time, friends appeared at the right time, they encouraged Xiaomei to learn to be calm, with music and love to warm Xiaomei's heart, it is because of them, Xiaomei can control her emotions in her mother's test, and finally smoothly go out of the house to continue school.
Although they will also have contradictions and misunderstandings, when the real crisis comes, they are still partners and friends on the same front, and Xiaomei is also relying on this strength to learn to be brave and learn to express her true self to her mother.
Because they are similar in age and like-minded, they can better understand each other's situation and understand each other's feelings. Some people say that a friend is a mirror, and you can see the gains and losses, the shortcomings, and the hope and growth in her.
Those secrets that are not enough for family, those things that have not been spoken of, are because of friends, and they have found the best outlet and relief.
Maybe this journey of life, I can only accompany you for a while, but we try our best to walk this section, and we will not waste the fate of acquaintance.
There are always people who walk and walk and disperse, and there are always people who have been accompanying you on the road, cherish when you meet, life comes to the end, and what remains around is the most important.
03. Self: I am you who are hidden among all beings
In fact, the transformation of the red panda is Xiaomei's transformation from a girl to an adult, a transformation and awakening of her self-consciousness, and a transformation of rebellion, publicity, madness, and the pursuit of freedom.
In the first thirteen years, Xiaomei grew up in a disciplined and step-by-step manner, but the threshold of adolescence did not want to cross the past, the silent confrontation between mother and daughter, the collision of concepts between the new and old generations, were like a volcano that erupted thinly, and finally got catharsis in the process of transforming into this fantasy.
Moms, grandmothers, and aunts are trying to hide the other side of themselves, choosing family and responsibility between themselves and their families. Grandma educated her mother in this way, and her mother also educated Xiaomei in this way, and all the pain and struggle that Xiaomei experienced at this time was actually experienced by her mother.
She quarreled with her grandmother for her father, and she hoped that she was good enough to make her mother proud, so she pursued perfection in everything, squeezing her real self into the dark little by little until she disappeared.
On the issue of Xiaomei's education, she subconsciously followed the original mother's approach, she did not want to hurt her daughter, did not want her to repeat her own path, so she did everything possible to protect her from harm, but she did not expect that in the end, it was herself who hurt her the most.
Dad's words woke up Xiaomei, everyone has a messy side, and we always try our best to hide it and show our good side.
But we must also remember that whether it is messy or orderly, it is a part of us, an inseparable part, and we cannot always hide it, but we should find a way to coexist with them.
In the end, Xiaomei left the red panda behind, because it was a part of her, a free will in life, an independent reflection on the way forward, an unknown true self, but it should never be hidden.
Some people say that growing up is never about getting older, but growing up in a moment, hula.
Knowing the true self begins with accepting each of you.
Reconcile with the past, reconcile with one's own heart, see sentient beings in the ordinary, and discern the true self among sentient beings.
"It's going to be fine"