Disney Pixar's Cars

Disney Pixar’s Cars was released in the spring of 2006. Six years old at the time, my twin brother, Thomas and I saw the movie five times in theaters; we even took our grandparents to see it while visiting them in North Carolina. Once the DVD was released, we watched the movie together on countless road trips. My family could and still can quote entire scenes from the film. As young children, Thomas and I loved Cars because it was funny. Mater, a rusty pickup truck and loyal friend to main character Lightning McQueen, reminded us of our dad with his humor and mischievous tendencies. We liked to see how every living creature in the film was some sort of automobile: the bugs were Volkswagen Beetles, the cows were tractors, and the mechanic Luigi’s

Cars centers around star racecar Lightning McQueen getting stranded in Radiator Springs, a tiny town off of Route 66. Alone in an unfamiliar town, McQueen is at first very skittish and afraid; he is used to being around other famous cars, not average characters in the effective middle of nowhere. Throughout the course of the movie, McQueen gradually becomes more tolerant of the Radiator Springs way of life, and becomes close friends with its residents. The movie ends with McQueen bringing his new friends to a race and bringing a huge amount of tourism to the struggling Radiator Springs. Although I never saw beyond this plot as a young child, I now find all new meaning in Lightning McQueen’s journey. McQueen was removed from the lifestyle to which he was acclimated and was abandoned in a completely foreign environment. He was judgmental of these different cars, not understanding why they lived the way they did. However, he eventually grew to understand his new friends and setting. McQueen’s story is one of tolerance and transition, which he learned to embrace. Cars has taught me that entering an entirely new situation in life can be very scary, but so much good can come from change. As I have gotten older, Cars has inspired me to leave my comfort zone and experience more of what the world has to offer. It has also taught me to appreciate and welcome differences between myself and others; they are