Therapist Reacts to RATATOUILLE

How do you honor what your loved ones are passionate about?

Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright are watching Ratatouille and reacting to the theme of telling the story of being an artist. For Remy, it’s through food and cooking, and they talk about how everyone has their own medium of art. Alan talks about the art of filmmaking, both from his perspective and genius director Brad Bird. Jonathan explains how finding your passion is foundational to loving and accepting yourself. And they come up with some wild theories about Remy’s psychosis.

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Cinema Therapy is:
Written by: Megan Seawright, Jonathan Decker, and Alan Seawright
Produced by: Jonathan Decker, Megan Seawright, Alan Seawright, and Corinne Demyanovich
Edited by: Nathan Judd
Director of Photography: Bradley Olsen
English Transcription by: Anna Preis

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[michellecluff]

To learn to read, become a great chef, own your own restaurant, AND resolve your father issues is a hell of an achievement for someone with a two-year lifespan.

[Sate]

When Jono was talking about counseling Remy and his Dad, I just imagined 2 little rats on his couch going _squeak, squeak squeak_ back and forth and Jonathan saying "OK, I see where you are both coming from"

[trinaq]

I love how Colette slowly warms up to Linguini when she's teaching him how to cook. She's initially hostile, because as a female chef, she's not used to being taken seriously, but thanks him for listening once he shows that he appreciates her input.

[oximoron]

Linguini is a fascinating reversal of the "anyone can be a hero (if they're the chosen one)" trope. From everyone else's perspective he came from nothing, suddenly displays genius talent, gets mentored by a jaded love interest who softens just for him, is revealed to actually be the secret heir, conquers evil, and seems to finish his arc with everything he ever wanted. People want to support easy to swallow inspirational stories like Linguini, not those who actually come from the gutter. Except, not everyone can cook. Linguini's talents are not in being a chef, they're actually in being a server. The film cleverly hides scenes of him rollerskating, something he uses to save the day in the end.

[Jonathan_Collins]

I love that the way they "defeated Ego" was by serving him the most humble of meals. A "peasant dish" that reminds him of his mother’s cooking. The one thing he couldn’t possibly give a negative review. It was perfect.

[johnedwards]

Many people know this, but that storefront with the dead rats isn't just an over-the-top exaggeration for the movie. It's a real store called Julian Aurouze, and it's been in the pest-control business since 1872 and it really does have that display of dead rats in the window.

[gemstar]

“Mess up your kids so I can feed mine” CAUGHT ME SO OFF GUARD LOL

[TacComControl]

"If I don't love it, I don't swallow" might be one of the most hilariously unintentionally dirty lines in cinema history.

[LivingFire_BurningFlame]

You missed a win: Despite Colette voicing how much misogyny she had to fight to get where she is, Ego doesn't think twice about her being the Chef (he's wrong of course, but his reaction at the idea is one of delight rather than incredulity).

And this makes perfect sense, since the best cook he ever knew was a woman: his mother.

[Manabrain]

My favorite thing about Ratatouille is that they interviewed Thomas Keller (3 Michelin star chef of the French Laundry) for how professional kitchens work and the scene where the restaurant goer asks for “something new” was a legitimate challenge he dealt with and is one of the most challenging things a chef can encounter

[trinaq]

Ego's colour pallette is initially black with a hint of purple. But after he remembers his childhood love of food, he takes to wearing more brown, earthy tones.

[eeveetrainer]

“What would Uncle Iroh tell me right now” is my favorite way of confronting / motivating myself 💛

[idowiseman]

Ratatouille 🤝 Breaking Bad
"Anyone can cook"

[-Bella.Rae-]

"Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere."
Ridiculously true, and is somehow said so much and yet not enough.
Have they done Christopher Robin? I think that would be interesting.

[stay_forever]

Alan in every Pixar episode: this is one of my favourite Pixar movies 🍿

[monsterenergypunk]

Ego's "defeat" is still so beautiful to me. He's humbled, and he's reminded of why he became a critic; the pure love of food.
Not only that, but the man has gained weight by the end -- his cheeks are fuller, he's eating more. He's healthier now.

[Hanachan]

Alan saying he's getting therapy now instead of just "I need therapy." Something about it just makes me so happy to hear ❤❤❤

[geovannamariahreczynki]

Something that I noticed is that Django probably wanted to Remi to be his successor because 1. Remi can smell rat poison, a very useful ability to protect the colony, and (unfortunately) 2. Emile wouldn't fit the job. He was a leader and needed another leader for the future. By saying this, when Remi starts to cook, his father doesn't like it, but the scene when Remi became the "Chef" (Chef/Chief) and organize the rat colony to cook shows that he can be a leader too!

[joachimbambury]

14:49 love how Remmy says, “with luck, forward” in reply to, “where are you going?”
He’s not saying his dad is wrong. He understand ls that the path he’s chosen will be difficult/dangerous and accepts that in order to pull it off he’ll need some luck

[laurenfrey]

Hard agree on Anton Ego’s monologue, one of THE best in all of cinema. Did anyone notice that at the end, he was starting to put on a bit of weight? His cheeks were a lot fuller, Remy was giving him food he wanted to swallow. 😊