Guilty animated pleasures (P.S. thank you Gillian Anderson)

I was listening to NPR the other day and on there was an interview with Gillian Anderson for a series called “Movies I’ve Seen a Million Times.”

Since she was the serious one on “The X Files” I figured her response would be something deep and intellectual and not available in Red Box (which means I probably haven’t and will never see it). Instead her response made me smile.

“As happens when you have youngsters, there are certain films that they watch and they can watch it, you know, a hundred million times. It was ‘Cars’ for a while and then it was ‘Kung Fu Panda,’ but I have to say that one of the ones that I always sit down for to watch with them is ‘Madagascar 2.’ … To me it is one of the funniest movies ever made — funnier than Woody Allen, funnier than … I can’t believe I just said that. I cannot stop laughing when I see this film and I don’t know how many times I’ve heard some of these jokes but they just bring a smile to my face.”

That’s right, Dana Scully says “Madagascar 2” is funnier than Woody Allen. And Dana Scully is a smart lady. (I’m not really a Woody Allen aficionado or anything, but from what I know of him, he’s considered a rather humorous fellow, right?)

I’m so grateful to her for wearing her mom pants without shame (and making them look go-ood in the process).

Gillian Anderson made me feel like it was OK to come clean about one of the movies I’ve seen a million times and that I’m actually still willing to sit down and watch with Lily:

“Happy Feet 2.”

My neighbor lent us her copy of it months ago and because Lily is a bit … obsessive … about certain movies, so it hasn’t been returned.

And you know what? I’m not really pushing Lily on the issue either.

So there. I’m that neighbor.

“Happy Feet 2” is funny and sweet and has great music.

I love watching Bryan the elephant’s seal try to maintain control of his beach (and sounding like any weary parent trying to please the masses while still asserting dominance).

I think mama emperor penguin Miss Viola’s telling the ever-fretting Mumbles that the world’s dangers are actually opportunities is great advice to all parents to allow our children to explore their environment more. (In fact, I’ve been trying to maintain some extra distance at playgrounds and have been astounded by Lily’s ability to climb ladders of all varieties and interest in swinging across the monkey bars).

And Bill and Will krill (voiced by Brad Pitt and Matt Damon) are hilarious.

A krill that’s having an existential crisis? Brilliant! I couldn’t find the clip where Will decides he’s going to move up the food chain and “munch on something with a face,” but it will also make you giggle (unless you don’t find animated krill attempting to hunt an animated sea lion amusing. In which case you really have no business reading this blog at all.)

And this part:

This is made even cuter because Lily sings along. Yeah. Adorbs.

But the part that always get me the most are when the elephant seals join forces with the Adelie penguins to help save the trapped Emperor penguins. (What? Have you ever even been to Antarctica? You don’t know what goes down there. It’s perfectly feasible that a flock of small penguins teamed up with a bunch of elephant seals could move a big block of ice with the help of David Bowie and Queen.)

Anyway, I’m sure this will be blasphemy to music snobs, but I like this version of the song. Pink! (the voice of Gloria*) has a phenomenal voice and that paired with the imagery and high-stakes trapped Emperor penguin scenario always gives me goosebumps. Also, I think one of the first times I watched the movie was right around the shootings at Sandyhook. I was feeling very tender and watching my little girls and hearing Pink! belt out “Why can’t we give that love one more chance?” just smacked me in the gut.

I’m perpetually in a glass case of emotion.

So that’s that. Now, thanks to Gillian Anderson’s “Madagascar 2” confessional I’ve been outed as a “Happy Feet 2” fanatic.

P.S. A belated Memorial Day thanks to all those that have served our country (especially my brother and my technical nephew and my technical uncle-in-law**) and all those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice. You were all on my mind this weekend.

*So, in case of shady parenting backfiring, in order to replace the unending loop of Disney music we’d been listening to in the car with the Pink! album Brad bought me for Valentine’s Day, I told Lily that Pink! was Gloria from “Happy Feet.” So now Lily really loves listening to “Gloria from Happy Feet” music, except that I’m sick of it and Pink! is pretty inappropriate for a 2-year-old to be listening to (hopefully, she’ll never ask me what a walk of shame is). But it is cute (in kind of a messed up sort of way) to listen to her sing “Try.” I’ve actually been telling her that Gloria from Happy Feet wants her to “try, try, try” to use the potty. It’s given me mixed results.

**Is that even a thing?