To the cinema : Ratatouille

Went to watch "Ratatouille" last night with the husband, Qing and BT. Heard many good reviews about the show and finally found time to watch it. I'm sure most of you would have already watched this by now so I won't go into the summary of the story.

Ok, to a kid, it's a funny and cute story about this little blue rat finally getting what he wanted to do, and the good guys had good ending, while the bad guys did not. And hopefully, the kids also know that they have to wash their hands before touching any food. But to an adult audience, what do you really think is the message behind the movie, other than the obvious entertainment value and the "Anyone can" attitude?

You see, Remy, even though he knows he's a rat, he has big aspirations and is not afraid to pursue them. Even though his father is not encouraging and supportive, he still believes that he can fulfil his dreams. He believes in his own abilities and that his sensitive nose is a gift for him for greater things, as what he had said at the start of the show. I also remembered him saying that he has to move forward, to be the change himself, before leaving his father and returning to the restaurant.

In the real life, I'm sure some of us may have been caught in this dilemma. Do I want to be what I want, or to be what my parents want me to be? If I follow my dreams, will my parents be supportive? Will I be able to make it out on my own? What if my parents are right all along and I can't be what I dream to be? Should I listen to my parents? Will it be disrepectful to not obey them?

I guess most of us had these problems when growing up. I firmly believe it is like a kind of cycle. Your parents worry about you. You, when you become a parent, will worry about your kids.

So, my thoughts at the end of the day. As a child, do you follow your own dreams or let your parents decide your future? As a parent, if your kid tells you he/she wants to be, or wants to do something that was never in your plan for him/her, would you be the support or the wet blanket?