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Finding Nemo is a feel-good family film with a lovely, happy ending. Well, we certainly thought it was.
However, legions of the film’s fans are urging viewers to take a second look at an alternative interpretation that has racked up almost 19 million views online.
A fan theory shared on TikTok has gone viral after the internet posed a less than joyful idea on popular US podcast The Nobodys.
The film centres on a fish named Marlin as he searches for his lost son Nemo after he's taken by scuba divers. With the help of another fish named Dory, they eventually find Nemo and live happily ever after.
At the start of the film, Marlin’s family is wiped out by a barracuda fish leaving just one single egg that hatches into Nemo, with whom he shares such a special bond.
The alternative theory goes that one egg didn't survive; Nemo is not real, never really existed and is instead a figment of Marlin’s imagination.
The film shows Marlin's descent into madness as he imagines he has a son called Nemo as he struggles to come to terms with his grief after losing his wife and children.
The podcast host added that ‘Nemo’ translated from Latin actually means ‘no one' which could be seen as evidence to uphold the theory.
He says: “Disney is literally saying that the film called Finding Nemo is actually called ‘Finding No One’ because Nemo is not real.”
“And that is why Dory is such a good friend to Marlin because she has short term memory loss and can’t remember that Nemo is not real!”
The cohost says, “that makes SO much sense! That didn’t just ruin my day, that ruined my whole childhood”.
Another TikTok user, @angelaafreitag goes as far as to suggest that the film portrays the five stages of grief.
She then lists the five stages of grief, with examples of Marlin's behaviour throughout the film.
"Denial. He doesn't want his son going to school because he doesn't think it's safe," she adds.
"Anger. He gets mad at Nemo when he does something that is out of his control.
"Bargaining. He deals with a super-forgetful travel buddy to try and find his son.
"Despair. Marlin then watches Nemo get flushed down the drain.
"Acceptance. And then by the end of the movie, Marlin learns to let go and let Nemo do what he wants."
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