Hollywood has done an amazing job at creating strong, independent, female leading roles; Disney, in particular. But looking back at the past ten or so years, I realized that there aren't many good male leading roles. You have your stereotypical narcissists who are humbled throughout their adventure, your nerds who become superheroes, and your overbearing fathers who think they know what's best for their children. I could only think of three movies that broke that mold.
The first movie I thought of was Ratatoullie. The movie follows Remy, a rat who just wants to fulfill his dream of being a chef. He has to break down many barriers to get where he wants to be. He meets up with Alfredo Linguini, a clueless, but seemingly motivated chef wannabe. Both characters are sensitive to each others' feelings. Both characters are kind. And both characters have a realistic goal for their lives. They don't want to be race car drivers or superheroes; they just want to cook.
I thought of the movie Coco next. Miguel is a young boy who has a passion for music. He also loves his family and only wants to help out. Through some magical events, he is sent to the afterlife where he meets Hector, another music lover. Miguel eventually comes to learn that Hector is his great grandfather. I love this movie because, again, the main characters are kind and trying to reach reasonable goals.
The last movie I could think was Wreck-It Ralph. Ralph is a big, strong villain who simply wants a chance to be the good guy. Although he can be grumpy at times, we can see that Ralph has a huge heart. He wants to be kind and helpful.
I want to see more movies like these three. Teaching young girls to be strong and independent is important. But teaching young boys to be kind and to be dreamers is equally as important. I want to see more movies where the leading male doesn't have to go through a transformation. He should start out as a good, kind character. With theses types of examples, I'm sure the men of tomorrow will grow up to be more sensitive and empathetic. It's in your hands now, Hollywood.
