Family Films That Explore the Theme of Forgetting

Description: While focusing on schizophrenia, this film also touches on the theme of forgetting as John Nash struggles with reality, memory, and his own mind's tricks.

Fact: Russell Crowe gained weight for the role to portray Nash's aging and mental state.

Description: This romantic drama explores the theme of forgetting through the lens of Alzheimer's disease, as Noah reads their love story to Allie in hopes of rekindling her memories.

Fact: The film was based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, and the house used in the movie is now a popular tourist attraction.

Description: This film takes a unique approach to forgetting by exploring a procedure that erases memories of past relationships, leading characters to question the value of memories and the pain of forgetting.

Fact: The film was shot in reverse order to help the actors portray the characters' emotional journey from the end to the beginning of their relationship.

Description: While not strictly about forgetting, Walter Mitty's journey to find a missing negative involves him confronting his own forgetfulness and the memories he's lost, leading to a rediscovery of life's beauty.

Fact: The film's ending was shot in Iceland, where the crew had to deal with extreme weather conditions.

Description: Benjamin Button's unique life, aging in reverse, explores themes of memory and forgetting as he experiences life in a way that defies conventional understanding of time and memory.

Fact: The film was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, winning three.

Description: Henry's involuntary time travel leads to moments of forgetting and remembering, as he and Clare navigate their relationship through time's unpredictable nature.

Fact: The film was adapted from Audrey Niffenegger's novel, which was a New York Times Best Seller.

Description: Carl Fredricksen's journey to Paradise Falls is not just a physical adventure but also an emotional one, where he confronts the memories of his late wife, Ellie, and learns to let go and remember in new ways.

Fact: The opening montage of Carl and Ellie's life together is often cited as one of the most moving sequences in animation history.

Description: This animated adventure inside the mind of an eleven-year-old girl, Riley, showcases how memories and emotions work together. The film delves into the concept of forgetting as Joy and Sadness work to save Riley's core memories, highlighting the importance of all emotions in shaping our memories.

Fact: Pixar's Inside Out was the first animated film to win the Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards.

Description: Dory's quest to find her family is a heartwarming tale of memory loss and the lengths one will go to remember. Her short-term memory loss is both a comedic and poignant element of the story.

Fact: Ellen DeGeneres, who voices Dory, was instrumental in pushing for a sequel to "Finding Nemo."

Description: Miguel's journey to the Land of the Dead to unlock the real story behind his family's history of music involves a poignant exploration of memory and forgetting. The film beautifully illustrates how remembering the departed keeps their memory alive.

Fact: Coco was the first animated film to feature an original song, "Remember Me," to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.