Newsletter – April 5, 2024
I subbed for an English teacher last fall and got to see the movie Ponyo with a couple of her classes. It’s an anime film by the creator of Spirited Away, and I was charmed by the two main characters and how quickly they bonded. The boy who rescued Ponyo from the sea thought she was a special goldfish and when she started sprouting limbs and talking to him, he found out she was extra special!
The teacher left instructions for the class to compare Ponyo to The Little Mermaid and I could see the similarities. Just roll Ursula and Triton together into Ponyo’s undersea father trying to protect her from the humans who live on land. But Ponyo’s mother is a kindly sea spirit who sees an opportunity for her daughter to learn more about the world and about love.
Watching the movie with two classes helped me to relearn something I need to remember: no two audiences are alike. Whether I’m submitting stories to a magazine, or listening to the audience at a play I’ve directed, everyone is different. One class watching Ponyo was very vocal, commenting and laughing at the dialogue while the other class just listened to the same scene without comment.
It’s one of those really good G-rated movies but I admit I never got to see the ending before the bell rang. I’ll have to borrow the teacher’s DVD to find out for sure. (Also available on HBO’s Max.)
Eric Margerum 