For my very first essay, I wanted to focus on the topics passion and perseverance. That is really where this whole blog came from in the first place. My passion for the arts and traveling. Now, I know what you’re thinking. What exactly does an animated movie about a rat who cooks in Paris have anything to do with passion and perseverance? Well, I think it has everything to do with those two topics. Ratatouille is one of my favorite movies of all time, and probably my favorite Pixar movie, however there are so many great Pixar films, it is hard to boil it down to just one.  I am excited to share my thoughts about this great film and why I love it so much, and I hope to inject as much passion as I can through this and every other essay I write, as Remy does with his cooking. This essay will dive deep into spoilers, so if you have not yet seen the film, I highly suggest watching it first before going any further.

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Ratatouille and the Importance of Passion Through Perseverance

I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do.  —Georgia O’Keefe

There is something so appealing and captivating about a passionate person. It’s the way their face lights up. The way they speak with such joy and affection. It’s almost contagious in a way. When speaking with a person about their passion, it almost makes you feel passionate about the very thing they are passionate about, or makes you want to be passionate in something else to the magnitude that they are. If I was at a party and had the choice of coming up to talk to someone who was very wealthy and successful in doing something they were not passionate about, or someone who was not nearly as successful or famous, but was still doing something that they loved regardless, I would much rather choose the latter. As I’ve learned, it doesn’t even really matter what they are passionate about. It could be someone who makes and sells pencil sharpeners. If there is something about pencil sharpeners that speak to them on an emotional or spiritual level, and they have a deep passion for them, I would want to hear all about that. It’s not necessarily what people are passionate about that is so attracting, it is why. Passion is what gets people out of bed every morning. It’s what drives us and keeps us moving. It’s the will to live. Without passion, then that is a slippery slope that none of us want to go through, but sadly happens to many people.

Now, it’s one thing to be passionate about something, but it is another thing to maintain that passion no matter what. It almost feels mythical for someone to have a career doing the very thing they love the most in life. The very thing they are most passionate about. When giving advice on what children and teenagers should do as a career, adults often tell them, “You can do whatever you want.” “Go do what you love.” Now, these aren’t necessarily wrong statements, but what I think a lot of people fail to tell these young folks, is just how hard it is. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and perseverance to achieve this almost impossible task of doing what you love most in life. People tend to focus on the end result of accomplishing what they set out to do, without thinking about all the hard work, and determination it takes to get to where they want to go. We are already picturing ourselves at the top of the mountain looking down without thinking about the necessary tools and equipment and endurance it takes to even get there. This is why I love Pixar’s Ratatouille as much as I do. Not only does it depict the importance of passion and the allure of a passionate person, but it also illustrates just how hard it is to get to the ultimate goal of doing what you love as a career.

We see Remy, our main character, go through so much turmoil and hardships in this film.  Things that everyday people would never go through all at once. Remy loves to cook, however the brilliant irony of the film is he’s a rat. If most people see rats just in general, their immediate reaction is of disgust. They immediately think about a way to dispose of the rat either by forcing it outside or even by building a trap to kill it. Even worse, if someone were to see one in a kitchen or restaurant rather, that can cause people to walk out, or even threaten to shut down the restaurant entirely. So, it’s safe to say the odds are very much against poor Remy in becoming a chef. Yet, he never quits, and perseveres by any means necessary. This is what makes Remy such a fascinating character and more importantly an inspiring character to watch on-screen. It’s one of the reasons why I love that it’s a children’s film because this is what children need to see. They don’t need to just see people who have already achieved their goals. They need to see just how they got to that point of success in the first place.

Some of my favorite moments and scenes in the beginning of the film are the ones where Remy is watching his idol, Chef Gusteu, talk about cooking and following your dreams. His famous line is “Anyone can cook.” It is very clear right away that this man is someone who Remy aspires to be and possibly grew a passion for cooking because Gusteau was so passionate about it as well. One of the biggest lessons we learn from watching this film is that passion triggers passion. In a sense, it’s like Gusteau has passed the torch on to Remy, and it is his turn to inspire others in the way that Gusteau has inspired Remy. There’s a moment in the beginning of the film when Remy is watching Gusteau on the television and Gusteau says (with his eyes pointed at the camera, almost like he is talking directly to Remy)  “You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from.” It doesn’t matter who you are, where you came from, or how hard it is to get to the top, these things should not stop you from chasing your biggest passions in life. The look on Remy’s face after hearing Gusteau say those inspiring words says everything that can possibly be said. Gusteau in that moment has passed the torch on to Remy, and now it is his turn to go out and do something about it.

Throughout the film we are introduced to many more rich and colorful characters, and a lot of them seem to be working, but not with the strong passion that Remy possesses. The great thing about this film is that all the characters don’t have this passion for completly different reasons. Take Linguini for example. At the beginning of the film, he is just a clumsy and careless busboy. It is clear from the start that Linguini does not have a passion for food or cooking and kind of just got the job just to get a job. This is totally ok! I think a lot of young people are pressured into finding their passions and what they are meant to do right away, but that is almost impossible. Linguini eventually becomes the owner of the restaurant by the end of the film, and has grown a passion for not cooking, but the business side of working at a restaurant. He figures out what his strengths and weaknesses are, and this is all because he tried something new and forced himself into a new surrounding and met new people. This is how young people can best learn about who they are is by trying new things and meeting new people.

A passionate person can not only trigger a new passion for someone, but also re-trigger a passion that someone has buried away long ago. One of the great supporting characters in Ratatouille is the menacing food critic, Anton Ego. Anton Ego is someone who for a living judges other artists work. He wears his ego on his two long sleeves and finds pleasure in criticizing what other people put into their hard work. As Ego even admits himself in a great monologue towards the end of the film, “In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.” In one of the best scenes in the film, Remy, who at this point has established himself as the head cook of Gusteau’s restaurant, cooks the peasant dish ratatouille. With one bite, we immediately see Anton flash back to eating the same dish as a child. I like to think that Anton once, a long time ago, had a deep passion for food just like Remy does, but years as a critic kind of diminished all of that passion. His large ego got in the way of his passion, but Remy’s cooking re-sparked that passion he lost. Remy inspires so many people in this film, but it is how he turns Anton that seems to be the most satisfying.

I believe that true passion is not something that one simply finds pleasurable. I think that is one of the biggest problems with our modern-day society. It is so easy to find pleasure whether from the internet (YouTube, social media), television (binge-watching), or drugs and alcohol. Back in the day, one had to go out to find hobbies, but nowadays people can do everything in the comfort of their own homes. There is really no reason to go out anymore. People can do all their shopping online on Amazon! People are becoming more lazy, and that is making it harder and harder for people to persevere. Even though our culture is changing, true passion will always be important. Being passionate ignites drive, creativity, and curiosity. Without it, people don’t have purpose and don’t add anything to the world. If you are struggling to find passion in life then allow yourself to be around those who are passionate. Dream like they dreamed and learn from their mistakes. Follow your heart and soul, and don’t forget the hard work that needs to be done to achieve what you want. Life is very unpredictable and will constantly throw you curve balls, but it is how you respond and keep at it that will ultimatly define you. It takes a lot of courage and determination, but often people who stick with their goals will be able to do what they dreamed about just like Remy was able to do at the end of the film. Watching his restaurant prosper and cooking with all his friends and family is one of the most satisfying endings I’ve ever seen to a film. Life is too short to waste time on doing things you hate or are not passionate about. If we focus on the things that inspire us we will come that much closer to achieving happiness and fulfilment and just might motivate and inspire others in the process.