A movie for our time
Some movies hit harder as an adult than as a kid. For me, one such movie is Disney/Pixar’s Monster’s University, the hit prequel to the beloved classic Monster’s Inc. I remember watching this movie again for the first time as a freshman in college and finally understanding all that was going on. I knew what an RA was, what it was like meeting your roommates for the first time, and all of the stress that comes with wanting to ace all of your classes. In my opinion, this is perhaps the best prequel I’ve seen, not just because it expertly shapes the characters and sets them up for the next movie, but because the movie is in itself distinct and therefore stands apart from its sequel.
Besides this, the movie also has a deeply relatable message, specifically for those of us who are struggling to figure out what to do with our college degrees. I believe the message (and truth) is this:
We may not get our dream, and that’s okay.
hero to zero
Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t pursue what you love. If you feel like you’re good at something or think your skills would be well-suited to a certain career, then go for it. Give it your best and see what happens. But what I really think this movie teaches us college students is that even if we don’t get our dream job, or we fail at the career we thought was meant for us, it doesn’t mean we have less worth as a person.
This isn’t the normal message for movies, especially one that’s directed at kids. From a young age, most movies have taught us that if you really want something, even something you might not be great at, you can work at it real hard, make sacrifices, and do the best that you can, and you will succeed. Everyone eventually gets what they were after. We all love the underdog story, but that’s not what this movie is.
What this movie shows is a surprisingly accurate portrayal of a real-world problem: no matter how much you plan out what your future is going to be, life will hit you with something unexpected, and what you thought was right for you may not be meant to be.
Think about it: Mike had his whole life planned out down to the finest detail. He studied harder than anyone, got straight A’s, and worked hard for everything he got. His only goal was to become a scarer, and by all accounts, he was doing everything he needed to do to get there. His attitude and level of perseverance made us all root for him to reach his goal. But we all know it didn’t work out the way he planned. Even without the following events in Monsters Inc., we all know Mike’s dream of being a scarer would have never worked out. Why? Because he wasn’t good at it.
Now hear me out. I’m just saying what we were all thinking. Mike wasn’t scary; even his best friend admitted it out loud at the end of the movie. There’s a difference between knowing a lot about something and actually being able to do it. In Mike’s case, he had enough knowledge to know how to perform better as a scarer, but when it came down to the actual scaring, he couldn’t do it. And once he figured that out, all those worthless feelings came rushing in like a flood, and his life no longer had the purpose that had been driving him for years.
On the other hand, we have Sully, who was clearly skilled as a scarer, but didn’t have the knowledge to do it properly. Knowing this, and not wanting to look stupid in front of everyone else, he played the part of the selfish jerk at the beginning of the movie; the complete definition of “fake it to you make it.”
Although Mike and Sully are often seen as polar opposites in this movie, they have one key character trait in common: the fear of failure. Both were so afraid of failing or letting other people down that they were willing to do anything to prove themselves.
The fear of failure is an oppressive thing that can drive us to do things we might not do otherwise; irrational things like work ourselves to the bone, shut out anyone we don’t want in our way, and miss out on a life filled with meaningful relationships.
“Keep Surprising people”
A well-detailed plan can’t prepare us for everything, especially in college. Plans and interests will change, grades will fluctuate, and relationships will either be built or fall apart. Even after college is over, it’s common to feel lost and have no idea what to do. Suddenly (smack!), and you’re left thinking, “What is my life’s purpose?” When you’ve reached rock-bottom, no matter what stage you are at in life, it’s normal to feel like Mike did near the end of the movie:
“For the first time in my life, I don’t really have a plan.”
But what I really love about this movie is how it completely flips the expected narrative: just because you don’t achieve your life’s goals doesn’t mean you are worthless. I’m not saying setting goals is a bad thing, but your life is defined by more than just what you end up doing for a living. Sometimes failure is necessary because it teaches us that we’re not right for something.
And sometimes, the best things in life are the things we didn’t plan for. Not all surprises have to be bad or scary.