The best quotes in Finding Nemo highlight the humor, heart, and clever storytelling in the animated classic. The Pixar movie captured audiences with its deep sea adventure about a protective clownfish who teams with a memory-challenged fish to find his missing son. As with many of the best Pixar movies, Finding Nemo gets its magic from the ability to combine all-ages fun with a profound story that will touch audiences on a deeper level. The best Finding Nemo quotes speak to this brilliant mix.
Finding Nemo has emerged as perhaps Pixar’s most successful series after Toy Story, and it is justified as the film can be enjoyed by adults just as much as their kids love it. The movie won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, while also being nominated for its quotable original screenplay. There are several lessons in the movie for all kinds of generations, and these quotes demonstrate that for the audience.
25 “That Snail Was About To Charge.”
Marlin
Following the devastating opening sequence of Finding Nemo, it is understandable that Marlin becomes cautious and an overly protective father in the aftermath. However, the early moments of the movie showcase the overbearing way he controls Nemo’s life and tries to avoid any possibility of danger. While it sets up a conflict between the father and son in the movie, it also provides some funny lines.
While on their way to school for the first time, Marlin is consistently reminding Nemo of all the threats that are out there and things to watch out for. Nemo worries his father is repeating his dramatic behavior from a previous trip to the petting zoo, but Marlin insists “that snail was about to charge.” The idea of Marlin panicking over a charging snail is a funny image that highlights just how often he worries.
24 “It Runs In My Family… At Least I Think It Does.”
Dory
Dory’s first scene introduces audiences to one of the most beloved Pixar characters of all time and her struggle with short-term memory is one of the best aspects of the character. While this could have been a silly gimmick that got old fast, it makes for some of the most touching moments in the movie while also delivering some of the biggest laughs.
With Dory being the one to help the already anxious Marlin in his desperate journey, her short-term memory hilariously makes every situation a little more difficult. She reveals her short-term memory in a hilarious scene in which she thinks Marlin is stalking her and tries to explain it by suggesting it is hereditary but obviously not knowing for sure. It is a funny line, but her added question “Where are they?” is somewhat sad and sets up the Pixar sequel, Finding Dory.
23 “How Old Are Sea Turtles?”
Nemo
While a major theme of the movie is Marlin coming to terms with having to let Nemo take risks and not live a sheltered life, another big aspect of the story is Marlin also learning to step outside his comfort zone. He begins the story as a nervous fish, but Nemo being taken immediately spurs him into action and he sets out on this wild adventure where he experiences more than he ever thought he would.
During an early moment in the movie, Nemo asks his father how old sea turtles can grow to be. Marlin is unsure and dismisses the idea of ever finding out as he thinks it would be ridiculous for him to ever speak to a sea turtle in his life. However, he does get the chance to meet some sea turtles and remembers to ask their age, then tells Nemo once they are reunited. It is a clever moment of showing just how far Marlin has come.
22 “Potty Break! He Just Grabbed The Reader’s Digest! We Have 4.2 Minutes.”
Peach
Like Woody and the gang’s adventures in Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo has a fun and clever element to it that makes for somewhat of a prison escape movie. This comes with the colorful cast of sea creatures that inhabit the fish tank in the dentist’s office that Nemo finds himself in. The fish’s plot to finally break out and make it to the ocean makes for some of the most entertaining moments in the movie, as well as some jokes that might go over young viewers’ heads.
A vital part of their escape plan revolves around having some time when the dentist himself is not around. Of course, this comes with his bathroom breaks in the movie. The fish do nothing but watch this dentist and his behavior all day, so they get pretty good about knowing his movements. When he takes some reading material into the bathroom with him, the fish are about to hilariously pinpoint just how much time they have before he is done.
21 “I’m Obnoxious.”
Tad
Pixar has the ability to get some big laughs out of smaller characters who don’t really impact the plot. Finding Nemo is one of the best examples of this as the movie is filled with colorful characters under the sea that Marlin and the others run into over the course of the movie. One of the most memorable scenes of random characters suddenly stealing the show comes from Nemo’s first day at school.
While Marlin is worried about Nemo struggling due to his little fin, the other fish assure him that they also have their own struggles to deal with. This includes one fish that he is allergic to water. However, as the various young fish each offer their own quirks and personal struggles, one of the most oblivious fish offers “I’m obnoxious” as if it is just another medical condition.
20 “Mine.”
Seagulls
The Pixar formula of “what if x had feelings” has made for some great animated movies as well as clever humor. There is so much world-building in exploring what fish lives are like under the sea, but there are also some great gags that feature surface-level creatures as well. Finding Nemo doesn’t have a high opinion of seagulls, but they are hilariously accurate to anyone who has been annoyed by the birds at the beach. Whenever they see possible food, the mindless birds simply blurt out “Mine!” attempting to claim the next meal.
This is a great way to get kids to laugh at the birds, but also a great way to remind the adults in the audience just how they act. Seagulls are scavengers; they will eat anything. It’s no wonder that a large group of them would squawk and yell to lay claim to whatever might possibly be food in front of them.
19 “He Touched The Butt.”
Tad
Pixar movies are generally seen as smarter family-friendly movies than the average offering. However, they can still lean into the occasional simplistic humor that will certainly get a laugh out of audiences of all ages. When Nemo and his young friends venture out to the dropoff, they spot a boat, which one of the young fish claims is called a “butt.”
From there, the movie gets a lot of mileage out of the simple mistake, with Nemo defying his father and venturing closer to the boat to touch it as the fish look on in amazement, proclaiming “He touched the butt!” It’s, again, a line that will likely affect different members of the audience in a different way. Some will appreciate the wordplay with how close “butt” and “boat” sound alike, and some will simply appreciate the more straightforward joke of the line.
18 “He Really Doesn’t Mean It, You Know! He Never Even Knew His Father!”
Anchor
Despite Bruce’s best intentions, his shark instincts do take over when he gets the smell of blood. It is a surprisingly chilling moment when the once-friendly shark suddenly becomes a relentless predator whom even his fellow sharks can’t reason with. It makes for a thrilling chase scene as Marlin and Dory try to escape. But there is the added humor of Bruce’s shark friends apologizing for his behavior while also trying to make excuses for him. It is a hilarious extension of the movie’s idea of sharks as sensitive creatures who are trying to better themselves.
The line is also a play on the “daddy issues” trope in fiction, in which characters act out because of a lack of their father in their lives. While the trope can be pulled from reality for humans, it’s unlikely that it’s the root of aggression in sharks.
17 “Nemo?! That’s A Nice Name”
Dory
Dory is the hero of Finding Nemo in many ways, even if her inability to remember things becomes an inconvenience at times. One of the most notable moments comes during the climax of the film as Marlin and Dory go their separate ways only for Dory to run into Nemo. When the little clownfish says his name, Dory repeats it in amazement, only to compliment him on it. It is a hilariously frustrating moment for the audience as Dory fails to realize she has found the fish they’ve been looking for.
The line plays into the classic twist adventure movies (as well as a good number of romantic comedies) like to employ of two characters just missing one another. In this case, however, it’s Dory’s memory that misses Nemo, not her, which makes it work even better.
16 “On My Honor, Or May I Be Chopped Up and Made Into Soup.”
Bruce
The scene with the sharks is probably the most darkly-humorous sequence of the entire film. Using the clever art of misdirection, the Pixar team set audiences up for a horror scene but delivered one of the most surprisingly funny moments in any Pixar feature. Along with their memorable oath, Bruce delivers this promise that makes quite a quirky jab at shark fin soup. Shark fin soup has its roots in Southeast Asia, but in the modern day has been condemned due to growing concerns about killing too many sharks to create the dish.
The simple concept of a shark support ground to help them kick their habit of eating fish is hilarious. It also helped to change the public perception of sharks as impacted by Steven Spielberg’s Jaws that they are not constant dangers lurking in the water.
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15 “Fish Aren’t Made To Be In a Box, Kid…”
Gill
Though his gruff persona and intimidating look make for an intense introduction, Gill is actually one of the most likable characters in Finding Nemo. He is the tough yet optimistic leader of the trapped fish in the dentist’s office, always holding onto the hope that they will escape back to the ocean. The comment, of course, is in direct reference to those animals locked in the fish tank longing for their freedom, but that’s not all it is about.
This quote from the battle-scarred Angelfish doesn’t just apply to the residents of the dentist’s tank, but human beings as well. Whether that means physically or emotionally, no one deserves to be put behind glass forever. The idea can be a metaphorical box as well, trapping someone in the ideas other people have about them. In that way, it also speaks to the protected life Marlin forced Nemo to live.
14 “We Are Swimming in Our Own–”
Gurgle
The fish have a truly dirty plan for their escape. It’s actually the kind of plan that people who don’t like getting in lakes are going to dislike as well. The same comment almost made by Gurgles is the same kind of comment someone who doesn’t like swimming in a lake would make.
Part of the plan for the fish to escape the fish tank requires them to make the tank especially dirty and thus necessitate a cleaning. However, it comes with some unpleasant sacrifices to the fish themselves as Gurgles begins to complain about the uncleanliness but is shushed before he can get too graphic. For a colorful Pixar production with a G rating, this one line got it close to PG territory. It’s one of the funniest lines that might have gone unnoticed by younger audiences, but the parents and adults could have caught it.
13 “I’d Say It’s Half-Full.”
Dory
Dory is one of the best Pixar characters of all time thanks to her bubbly personality, and despite her own challenges, her endless optimism. While Marlin is having one of his many freakouts, Dory keeps finding new ways to smile. Even when literally being swallowed alive, she still manages to see things as not being so bad. Marlin panics as he sees the whale’s mouth filling, with Dory taking the time to display her glass-half-full mentality with a literal half-full take on their situation.
It’s a great pun to highlight her optimistic nature, and it’s one that adults and kids alike will likely get. Though it is frustrating for Marlin in such a situation, it only makes Dory all the more endearing to the audience. It’s hard to find fault with someone who always wants to see the best in a situation.
12 “It’s Because I Like You I Don’t Want To Be With You. It’s A Complicated Emotion.”
Marlin
The buddy relationship between Dory and Marlin makes the journey all the more enjoyable. They’re an incredibly entertaining duo for the audience to see undertake a seemingly impossible journey. Dory may be a likable character for the audience, but her endless cheerfulness in the face of danger makes Marlin nervous and more than a little annoyed. He wants to use caution and he wants the gravity of his situation to be seen without all of the silver linings, and he does see Dory as a liability on his search.
Given her kindness, he wants to end their time together as gently as possible but has a hard time making it make sense without sounding like a total rejection. It is a wonderful delivery from Albert Brooks which really feels like the comedy legend’s voice coming through with this character.
11 “Just Keep Swimming.”
Dory
“Just keep swimming” is easily the most iconic quote to come out of the film, the one that most audience members, young and old, associate with the movie. The reason for its popularity is due to its potential to be applied to just about any scenario. Whether it’s about soldering through problems in life, or if it’s about a fish in the sea, it makes sense to “keep swimming.”
Dory certainly found great happiness by applying this to herself, as she gained friends in Marlin and Nemo while she was literally just swimming along. Marlin, too, was able to bring back his son after realizing that giving it his best was the way he could find happiness, not by sulking about his problems. It’s a nod to Dory’s optimistic nature and the idea that hurdles can (hopefully) be overcome.
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10 “…For A Clownfish, He Really Isn’t That Funny.”
Bill
Even before losing Nemo and setting out on his desperate journey to find him, Marlin was a particularly anxious fish (and parent). This also extended to him having social anxiety, and the audience saw him mess up upon a first impression. When the other dads at the school figured Marlin would have a good joke due to being a clownfish, Marlin didn’t capitalize on the opportunity. Instead, he came across as a bumbling weirdo, leading to the character of Bill appropriately calling him out to be such a bore.
It’s a fun dynamic within the movie’s undersea world that these creatures have certain expectations for each other based on their species and that Marlin doesn’t live up to his. It very much echoes the human world, though it is interesting that fish would be aware of what exactly a “clown” is and that the fish named for them are expected to be humorous.
9 “Thank You-Hooo!”
Marlin
Marlin’s character development really came into being after his and Dory’s encounter with the whale, as Marlin was turned into a believer once he saw that Dory really could speak the whale language. He hadn’t particularly taken her seriously and was weary of her optimistic nature. While he had been dismissive of Dory before, he is willing to admit to himself that he was wrong about her and is willing to join her in acting foolish if it gets him results.
It was a light-hearted way of showing how Martin shouldn’t have just dismissed someone so quickly simply because he found the way they behaved a little strange. Even in the real world, people should never write off anyone’s skills at first glance, one of the many life lessons Finding Nemo delivers to its audience.
8 “Fish Are Friends. Not Food.”
Bruce
If there’s any line that has a lasting legacy like “just keep swimming,” it’s this one. The line has been used by vegetarians, marine enthusiasts, biologists, and more since the movie premiered, but it can more broadly appeal beyond the idea of simply fish. Although this scene was played for laughs for the most part, it was actually a very good message of how someone in a position of power eschewed negative stereotypes.
For this reason, Bruce the shark’s attempts at living a vegetarian diet should be applauded. It was a wonderful change from the norm where the audience would expect a character that looked as menacing as Bruce did to be a villain, but he turned out to be more of a sweetheart who still believed in his mantra despite giving into his shark tendencies.
7 “I Shall Call Him Squishy And He Shall Be Mine And He Shall Be My Squishy.”
Dory
Ellen DeGeneres is another standout member of the Finding Nemo cast as she perfectly plays Dory’s childlike wonder of the world. Given her short-term memory, she encounters everything with a sense of awe and interest, even if she would be better off using caution at times – very much like viewing the world through a child’s eyes. Marlin came to adore Dory’s innocence, something the audience shares.
In this scene, Dory comes across a small jellyfish and proceeds to talk to it like a mother would to her newborn child. Dory’s immediate love for this little speck is hilarious and shows the big heart she has for all things in the ocean. Of course, this line is also going to appeal to very young children who want a pet or a stuffed toy, and certainly gets quoted by a lot of kids as well.
6 “Sharkbait! Hoo Ha Ha!”
The Tank Gang
The Tank Gang attempts to come across as cool and calculating, but they also know how to have fun and build a strong community in their confined existence. One of the bizarre things they had in practice was dressing up for an initiation. When welcoming Nemo to the tank, they bestow upon him the nickname of Sharkbait and perform the strange and elaborate ceremony. It is funny how seriously the gang takes it but is also a kind way to help make the scared little fish feel more welcome in this strange place.
The line actually made an impression on pet owners as well since some have used the line, or variations of it, when sharing posts about new pets (especially fish) they’re welcoming to their home. It’s a fun, though perhaps offbeat, way that the movie’s legacy has continued to seep into popular culture.
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