Day 12: ParaNorman

Chris Butler, no date given

What I love about animated movies is how they can tell a powerful message through an exaggerated situation. Movies shot with actors are reaching that point, with CG and everything nowadays. But the medium of animation allows for just about any kind of special effect, or any kind of strange world. ParaNorman is animated because it can tell its simple message under the dressing of some beautiful effects and a wonderful visual style.

Armature: Sometimes when people get scared they say and do terrible things. (Norman literally states this in the climax.)

7 steps:
1. Once upon a time, 11-year-old Norman could speak to ghosts.
2. And every day he was picked on by people at school, and even by his own family.
3. Until one day, the witch who was buried in the town long ago wakes up (along with all the zombies buried with her), and Norman is told by his mysterious uncle that he is the only one who can put her back to sleep.
4. Because of this, Norman and a few others (who don't really understand what's going on) go to the town hall to find out where the witch was buried, while the town forms an angry mob to fend off the zombies.
5. Because of this, Norman receives a vision and understands that the zombies need Norman's help to stop the witch.
6. Until finally Norman goes to the witch's grave, and instead of putting her back to sleep for a hundred years he talks to her and puts her to rest for good.
7. And ever since that day, Norman's family has been more understanding of him.

I'm a bit fascinated by this story because the main character is not actually the character of change. The characters of change are actually everybody except Norman. The antagonist changes when Norman gives her understanding instead of fear. The townspeople change when Norman finally gets them to listen to the zombies' plight. Norman himself is more like the embodiment of a solution to the armature. Norman is like the wise sage who teaches his wisdom to others through his actions.

But Norman is only 11 years old. Isn't that interesting?

Also, the people in this movie are not portrayed very well. They are all characterized by their fakeness, their vanity, their impatience, their selfishness. And once Norman solves everything and they being to understand, the townsfolk still do not admit their own fault. The people are ugly and imperfect. But Norman does not feel he needs to make everyone better people, he just wants to make them listen and understand. In fact, he accepts that others are mean and cruel. But he knows that doesn't mean he should be the same way. Thinking about it this way, this film is actually quite the impressive critique on our society.

I wish I could say more good things about this movie, but it really just explains itself quite well. ParaNorman is exceptionally well written and I wish more people would see it. It has some powerful lessons worth learning.