Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo is a computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released to theatres by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution in the United States on May 30 2003, and in the United Kingdom on 10 October 2003. This is the first Disney-Pixar film not to premiere in the United States in November, making it the first to be released in the UK in the same year, rather than the next.

Wider effects of the film

The film's prominent use of clownfish prompted mass purchase of the animals for children's pets in the United States, even though the movie portrayed the use of fish as pets negatively and saltwater aquariums are notably tricky and expensive to maintain. At the same time, the film had a central theme that "all drains lead back to the ocean." (A main character escapes from imprisonment by going down a sink drain and ending up in the sea.) This allegedly caused many children to flush their living fish down toilets in imitation of the picture. Major sewage companies teamed with Disney to release press statements that attempted to address the situation with humor. "Although all drains DO lead to water," they read, said "water always passes through a turbine before leading to the ocean. As such, in real life the film would more accurately be titled 'Grinding Nemo'" http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/06/05/state2022EDT0148.DTL.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

French children's book author Franck Le Calvez sued Disney, claiming that the story and the characters were stolen from his book Pierrot Le Poisson-Clown (Pierrot the Clownfish). The idea of Pierrot was protected in 1995 and the book was released in France in November 2002. Franck Le Calvez and his lawyer, Pascal Kamina, demanded from Disney a share of the profits from merchandising articles sold in France. Le Calvez and Kamina lost the lawsuit on March 12 2004, but intend to file an appeal on October 5.

Related Topics:
French - Children's book - Franck Le Calvez - Disney - Pierrot the Clownfish - 1995 - 2002 - March 12 - 2004 - October 5

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tourism in Australia has increased during the Summer and Fall of 2003, many of them wanted to swim off the coast of Eastern Australia to find "Nemo".

Related Topics:
Australia - Summer - Fall - 2003

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~