Ratatouille’s Hidden Messages

movie, but if I was eating at a restaurant and somebody told me a rat cooked my food after

I put it into my mouth I think I would actually be mentally scarred for life. I’m pretty sure that

would be hands down the worst thing to ever happen to me. So how is it that when Pixar makes a movie

on that concept, it turns out to be one of their best, if not their best film? You could sum it up

with, “it gets you hungry” but a movie about food doesn’t guarantee your movie’s going to be good.

We all know that from painful memories, and then I could say, well maybe soundtrack has something to

do with it, which, by the way, has no business being this good. There’s no denying part of it

is the soundtrack, part of it is the nostalgia, part of it is the fact that the food in this movie

looks really, really good. I for one appreciate how much of a risk they took with this story. It’s

an experimental movie, but it’s not experimental for the sake of being experimental like Cars for

example. They wanted the characters themselves to experience what it’s like to be experimental,

what it’s like to take bold risks and defy the odds of what is or isn’t possible.

Alfredo Linguini has the most hilarious name in animation history, so that’s probably why

nobody respects him at the start of the film. He not only gets treated like garbage, but is

literally hired as the garbage boy. It’s no surprise that because of the way society treats

him his confidence in himself is extremely low. Once Remy comes into his life, Alfredo is credited

for a gift that’s not his. He finally feels that sense of validation that he’s been searching for

for so long. After he is revealed to be the son of Gusteau thus the proper owner of his restaurant,

he’s given even more validation and attention. This attention gets to his head when the media

shows up. He takes all the credit for his success. Of course, this pisses Remy off.

I mean, it would piss me off too if I upgraded somebody’s job, made them rich, and helped them

get some lip action and wasn’t given any hint of recognition. Then you get to the scene that helps

you remember why you love this character. He meets back up with Remy in the restaurant to apologize.

You respect characters like this because even after life has been so hard for him, he doesn’t

become a villain, he stays true to his morals, one of them being never stealing food, for example. He

never gives up hope, and is ultimately rewarded for it in the end. It’s a great underdog story.

Gusteau was a famous chef before he passed away due to a broken heart. He’s also Remy’s spirit

guide, basically. He gives Remy valuable advice throughout the film.

In the following scene Remy escapes a life threatening event, falls down a waterfall, yet somehow survives, but with the

terrible realization that he just lost his entire family for a cooking spice. He reacts confused,

scared, wondering about where the hell he is, then is given some advice from his idol.

Remy works his way up the buildings, searches the area for any sense of hope, and discovers he’s

been living in Paris the entire time, right next to Gusteau’s restaurant. It’s a great reminder

that sometimes the dream is right in front of our noses, just begging for us to realize it.

Remy’s dad likes to buy into this idea that rats are who they are, and that’s the way it is.

They’re supposed to despise humanity, steal their food, and stay as far away from them as possible.

Remy is the wokest rat in their clan who sees great potential in ignoring the rules.

Remy has important choices throughout the movie. Here his dad shows him an intimidating representation

of how their kind is treated. Remy has a choice between risking his life for the sake of pursuing