WHEN SHE TOLD ME SHE AND her family were planning to move to the city, I was surprised. Not that there was anything wrong with the city where we both were born; however, it was not the trend anyone in the family was doing. As far as I knew, both families and friends were moving further and further north and west of the city. I did not understand the trend, assumed it was following new construction. Nevertheless, when I asked my relative why they were moving from the suburbs back to the city, she said she did not want her children to grow up in a neighborhood like she had when she was small. Seeing the confusion on my face, she explained to me that there was nothing wrong with her childhood neighborhood, but it was not the real world. Almost everyone she knew growing up was the same religion and race; there was little diversity, and she wanted her kids to be exposed to people from all parts of the world. Thinking about my childhood home, I began to understand what she was trying to do. The neighborhood she planned on moving to was known as a diverse neighborhood; it was a conglomeration of various ethnic and religious groups. Instead of buying a house, she and her husband decided to buy a three flat, so the kids would learn the ways of living with neighbors. I had to admire my relative’s determination in creating a meaningful life lesson for her children.      I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS RELATIVE WHEN I was living on my own. One of my first places to live was in a two flat in the city. I lived on the 2^nd floor; the landlord and his family on the first. In one of the hotspots of the world our two religions were at war; however, here in the city we were friendly and neighborly with no issues. In fact, we both were curious to learn about the other’s customs and beliefs. I could not help but think about what my relative was trying to achieve with her children, to instill respect and acceptance in people who were not the same as themselves. It really was an admirable goal. My thoughts triggered a memory I had from elementary school, when a new student was introduced to our class. They were the first person of color to be enrolled at my school. Most of the students treated this new student like any other new student; but I can remember a few classmates who used to tease this new student. Those kids could have used my relative’s guidance in how to treat people.      HER FAMILY WAS FROM FIRE AND his from water; two unlikely residents of the city who discovered the things they were led to believe all these years about the other were not necessarily true. With the city in danger, could they overcome their differences to help protect the residents in peril. With Leah Lewis (The Half of It, How to Deter a Robber) voicing Ember, Mamoudou Athie (Underwater, Jurassic: World Dominion) voicing Wade Ripple, Ronnie Del Carmen (Inside Out, Soul) voicing Bernie, Shila Ommi (The Illegal, Tehran-TV) voicing Cinder and Wendi McLendon-Lovey (Bridesmaids, Reno 911! -TV) voicing Gale; this latest animated Pixar film had a beautiful message about immigrants and diversity. I appreciated how the writers spun these themes into the story. The visuals were interesting and at times stunning; however, compared to other movies of the same ilk, this one did not overwhelm me. I did not get a strong sense of contrasts in the emotional and dramatic scenes. There was decent humor but nothing memorable. This comedy, adventure movie’s strength was the story line; it was sweet and charming, with a touch of insightfulness to stimulate the viewer’s mindset. 

3 stars