Sometimes there's just a perfect storm, where acting and character and story come together to create a truly iconic cartoon experience. When people think of Finding Nemo, Dory is often the first thing to come to mind. A hilariously forgetful fish, Dory helps Marlin to track down his missing son Nemo and is voiced by the effortlessly charismatic Ellen DeGeneres. Despite the fact that she suffers from pretty severe short term memory loss, she is a loving, sociable character with a tremendous sense of optimism. Her catchphrase, "Just keep swimming," has served as an inspiration to many, and Dory is proof that simple depictions of love and kindness can have a surprisingly broad impact on audiences. It was impossible for kids and adults alike not to fall for DeGeneres' light-hearted and frenetic delivery. Seriously, you can't look at that goofy little character's face without smiling. Just over a year ago, Pixar announced that Dory would getting her very own film (Finding Dory), which shows once and for all just how popular the humble character had become.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
