ROCKPORT — Some mysteries of the deep surfaced at a special Rockport Music screening of “Finding Nemo,” when special guest Rockport native and Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton of Pixar appeared.
The oceanfront music hall was filled with the chatter of children and the buzz of excitement for the screening of the film Wednesday. Beforehand dozens of children had turtles, and other images, painted on their faces or hands, and took advantage of special photo opportunities — including with Rockport Music Artistic Director Barry Shiffman who donned a Nemo costume to the delight of the attendees.
Stanton, a Rockport High graduate with the Class of 1983 who grew up just blocks away, wrote and directed “Finding Nemo,” which earned him an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2004 Academy Awards. Later Wednesday, he would later receive another award — a Certification of Appreciation— presented by childhood friend Select Board member Paul Murphy on behalf of the town.
When the time came after the film for questions and answers, the youngsters jumped to line up on the aisles to ask questions, which Stanton fielded with charm and frankness because children know no bounds, not unlike the characters in his Pixar films.
When asked about his background, Stanton told the full house that he was the ninth employee and second animator at Pixar.
The children had countless inquiries about the film, in which “fish have feelings and turtles surf.” In fact, Stanton gave voice to Crush, a surfer dude sea turtle in the film, and he gave the audience a rendition of that voice.
Stanton talked about childhood memories of growing up in the seaside town and swim lessons at Front Beach, something to which dozens of people in the audience could relate.
“I’d get really excited and scared going under water with a mask,” he said. “I always had a fascination with the ocean.”
Stanton recalled being at his dentist in Manchester-by-the-Sea, which had a fish tank in the room.
“I thought that was the weirdest thing for fish to watch (while the dentist works on patients),” he told the children.
Stanton told the audience he learned to scuba dive for the movie, and he had seen a whale and a small octopus had wrapped around his finger.
When Suzanne Wilson, president and CEO of Rockport Music, asked the filmmaker about music, Stanton said that music was his first love, which he did not pursue as a career.
He admitted to a child named James that he was 59 years old when asked his age.
When a child named Matt asked his favorite movie, Stanton said that was hard to answer and depended on the day, but likely it would be whatever movie he was currently working on. Wednesday night it was “Toy Story 5,” which the audience saw an extended preview of before the feature film.
One young girl asked if in the beginning of “Finding Nemo,” the mother had died or run away and never came back, to which he replied: “Whatever your mom told you.” And that satisfied the audience.
The challenges of parenting came up as to the fine and frightening line of wanting to protect one’s child amd the need for the child to learn about the world on their own. This too was part of the film’s storyline and something Stanton said he grappled with as a paren.
When a question came up about the short-term memory of Dory, the blue fish voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, Stanton said at the time he had read that goldfish have short-term memory, he found it very funny and infused that into the story.
When a 6-year-old asked how long it takes to make a film, Stanton answered about four years, or the equivalent of “two-thirds of your life.” He also said it takes about 200 people to make a film.
“‘Toy Story’ was my first movie and my son was born around that time. When the movie was finished, he was 4 years old, and he thought that was my only job,” Stanton said.
He also told the children that it took about 25 people to make one of the famous sharks in the film.
One child asked if jellyfish have eyes, a question Stanton noted he had never been asked before.
“No,” he answered. “But they don’t need eyes because everything gets out of their way.”
A young adult, an aspiring creative, asked the filmmaker about his career. In his reply, Stanton said that the field is challenging.
“I’m not a fast writer and I’m an example that hard work gets you there. I’m a ninth-draft writer,” he said.
Recognition by his hometown
When Stanton left his hometown by the sea, he went west to study animation at the California Institute of the Arts, the first step toward a fruitful career.
Paul Murphy, the Rockport Select Board chair, gave welcome home remarks to Stanton, who he has known since nursery school through high school. Murphy said Stanton excelled in all fields — as a student, on stage and as an artist. A prized possession of George Ramsden, a retired long-time high school guidance counselor, is a painting by Stanton of Ramsden leading the Fireman’s Clown Band on the Fourth of July “with plunger in hand,” a role he took on for 50 years.
“Andrew made famous Buzz Lightyear who was created in the image of our high school physics teacher Bill Johnson with his pronounced chin. Soon after the creation of Buzz Lightyear, I was teaching at Rockport High and was standing in the hallway talking with Bill as students were rushing to their next class, when a group of middle school students filled with exuberance came running up to Bill; they looked at Bill and said with wide eyes and a bit of an amazement in their voices, ‘Are you really Buzz lightyear?’ Bill sheepishly replied, yes, with a big smile,” related Murphy.
When Johnson’s name was first mentioned, Johnson called out “I’m here,” as he too was in the audience to hear from his former student.
Murphy shared nostalgia and appreciation for another Rockport teacher that both he and Stanton admired greatly and became personal friends with after high school.
“He was a teacher who could teach all students regardless of their academic ability. He just had that innate ability to draw the best out of his students. His name was Phil Perry, and he taught chemistry and directed theatrical plays for decades at Rockport High,” Murphy said. “In 2003 when Andrew won the Academy Award for ‘Finding Nemo,’ during his acceptance speech with a television audience in the millions, Andrew in a poignant moment thanked his high school drama coach and teacher Phil Perry. That acceptance speech went viral.”
Murphy related to Stanton that Perry shared with him multiple times about how much that shout-out meant to him.
“It was something that he never forgot, and it touched him deeply. He was so proud of you,” Murphy continued. “On behalf of the Town of Rockport, I would like to present Andrew Stanton with this certificate of appreciation for all that he has accomplished in Hollywood and beyond. You continue to entertain us as you did 40 plus years ago in high school and your hometown of Rockport continues to be proud of you.”