Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: One Part of the Whole
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, first arrived on the scene in 2010. Dean Fleischer-Camp and Jenny Slate created the future viral star after Slate started using the voice as a joke when hanging out with friends. Neither thought Marcel would become the viral sensation that resulted. Having seen the original videos, I was not fully prepared for the emotional roller coaster Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.
Marcel, a tiny mollusk with a heart as oversized as his shoes, spends his days simply enjoying his ever-growing list of monotonous tasks. His most effective form of transportation is a tennis ball with a torn hole that allows him to roll around with minimal damage when he inevitably collides with a wall. He is consistently wary about the dog of his temporary roommate, Fleischer-Camp, who always seems to have his nose in Marcel’s business. Marcel lives with his Grandma, the lone survivors of a devastating sequence in which the owners of his house get into a heated exchange and ultimately pack the rest of his mollusk family in a bag by mistake. This event is the impetus for Marcel’s biggest fear: losing his grandmother. Their favorite pastime has always been to watch 60 Minutes together, mostly inspired by their shared love for the venerable Leslie Stahl. Thanks to Fleischer-Camp’s videos of Marcel, Marcel discovers the internet and what it’s like to gain fame overnight.
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On is a delightful film that deals with topics like family, loneliness, grief, and the pure joy of living life with the excitement of a child discovering the world for the first time. Towards the end of the film, Marcel, in a pensive mood, remarks, “It reminds me I’m not one piece rattling around but part of the whole.” This is a profound statement coming from anyone, let alone a mollusk. I’m reminded of 1 Corinthians 12, which speaks on the necessity of community, that with Christ, though there are many parts, we are all one body. We were not made to do life alone. Even with all the joy that can come from relishing the simplicities of life, they are all ultimately empty without people to share them. Marcel understood that the hole his family left behind was not a natural one but one that was ultimately meant to be filled.
As Christians, we not only have community with our given family but with our spiritual family as well. When the days are darkest, and we lose people we love, it sometimes takes the loving presence of others around us to remind us that it will all be okay.
Thanks for the reminder, Marcel.
As an added note, this is a film that depending on your children's ages, could result in some difficult questions. However, I’d encourage you to embrace them, as it may be the perfect opportunity to speak on the tragedy and beauty that life carries.