A couple of summers ago or so, we decided to give drive-in movies a try, because we figured that would allow us to see a flick with Alexander and not worry about bugging other movie-goers. The experiment was more of a success than not, and I'm sure we will try it again.

The double-feature we saw on that occasion was Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean. However, they showed Pirates *before* Nemo, which seemed odd to me. Wouldn't you start off with the movie that's geared for the tots, since they are likely to fall asleep before the second movie starts? (Which, by the way, is exactly what happened in our case).

At that particular time, I thought that Pirates was rather entertaining, and Nemo was okay. We later picked up the DVD of Finding Nemo, and upon repeated viewings I've come to the conclusion that it is effing brilliant. We missed a lot of the nuances (and even some of the bigger points) at the drive-in. Get all romantic if you like for drive-in picture shows, but there's a lot to be said for watching a clear picture and listening to state-of-the-art speakers -- two things that the drive-ins sadly do not offer.

In the intervening months/years, Paulette has taken the opportunity to bring Alex and Nolan to the occasional movie theater showing that is intended for toddler outings. Movies like the recent Curious George. These showings tend to happen on weekdays, so I tend to be at work when they occur.

But this past weekend, we found ourselves treated to free passes to catch the local premiere of the latest Pixar flick: Cars.

As with last year's excellent Pixar offering, The Incredibles, the new movie seemed more appropriate for kids just a wee bit older than Alex. And yet, Alex stayed riveted in his seat. (Er... so to speak.) I say that it seemed more appropriate for an older age simply because it contains a lot of concepts that strike me as just a little bit more complex than a three-year-old is likely to digest. Finding Nemo works on a number of levels, but the basic premise of little kid gets separated from over-protective father resonates with the very young.

The basic premise of Cars involves a rude rookie racecar getting sidetracked as it tries to participate in (and win) The Big Race. Easy to digest, but maybe just a wee bit advanced for three-going-on-four-year-olds.

Still, Alex watched the whole thing and seemed to enjoy it. I enjoyed it immensely. In addition to simply excellent animation, there were a number of subtle and not-so-subtle visual puns, musical gags, and timeless and timely pop-culture references. The story has many layers and subtexts (as do all of the Pixar offerings), and their handling of thematic elements is very well done. The story flows well, and even though the basic story elements are entirely predictable, the film makers often went with "the third alternative" in ways that I found very enjoyable.

For example: given that this is a movie ostensibly for kids, and given the basic premise, you figure that the little car overcomes the roadblocks (har, har) thrown in its path, becomes a better pers-- no, becomes a better car, makes its way to The Big Race, and wins, right?

Right?

I like the message of the movie. I'll be getting this on DVD when it comes out. It's the kind of movie I expect that I'll be able to still appreciate even after several viewings (as mandated by the kids). More to the point, it has some themes that I'd like for my kids to consider. Harry Potter may, thematically, present a more accurate take on life as we know it (for example: in Harry's world, as in ours, the ends often justify the means, regardless of what we might prefer to be the case), but there's still something to be said for pointing out that there are competing values that we use to define our own success.

Heady stuff? Not really. Check it out. This particular movie gets approval both from child and parent.

PS: Paulette didn't get to see much of it, because Nolan wasn't willing to sit still. Those back molars coming in are still bothering him, and Paulette volunteered to calm him down. Wasn't that nice of her to let me sit with Alex for a bit and enjoy a movie together?