Dean-Fleischer Camp’s Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is an inspired, refreshing response to the nihilist zeitgeist at the core of so many contemporary movies. Marcel (Jenny Slate) symbolizes a love for the idiosyncrasies of life; whether its psychic love experts, tattoo shops, fountains in lakes, or cranberries, all life is uniquely beautiful and terrifying. But Marcel is in isolation, emotionally distraught after the disappearance of his family, hoping to be brave and find community once again. Marcel's resilient journey begins as his one-inch-tall frame takes on the colossal challenge of facing repressed trauma, battling the adversity of loss, and ending an unhealthy melancholic cycle in order to find his lost family. All Marcel has on this journey is his lovable but lonely documentarian Dean (Fleischer-Camp), a trusty resource but also formidable foe in the internet, and his original, most warmhearted supporter Nana Connie (Isabella Rossellini).
Marcel’s transformation from being overly cautious to a brave adventurer on his journey to regain confidence in himself and find his lost community begins with Dean. Marcel lost his family “many changes of the trees ago,” or as Dean puts it, “two years” ago, perpetually losing his identity and only living on as a caretaker of Nana Connie surrounded by Goonies-like inventions as distractions. Even on beautiful summer days, Marcel isn't convinced there is hope in the world, as he explains to Dean that he doesn't normally enjoy even the ostensibly beautiful parts of his day anymore. Dean is also emotionally devastated dealing with grief, as he struggles to cope with another kind of loss after falling apart from his partner. Both Dean and Marcel are hiding from their problems, unwilling to reintegrate back into society after such great personal losses. It's not until Dean recognizes these similarities that something begins to change for both of them. Dean feels inspired by Marcel's appreciation of life's little things and wants to document his fascinating world. In their melancholy is a shared connection, and this link jump starts Marcel's journey to be brave and find community, as his connection and friendship with Dean motivates his willingness to start living again.
Dean documents Marcel’s seemingly mundane life and uploads these moments to the internet. Dean believes Marcel’s life is something extraordinary, and it's that faith in Marcel that leads to a talking shell becoming an overnight internet sensation. The internet is a technology that Marcel marvels at, as it's an invention that he couldn't have crafted himself, although he would surely try. This tool’s spectrum of powerful connection is so vast, it quickly provided Marcel with a sense of community that he hadn't felt since his family disappeared. After a single night on the internet, Marcel is convinced of its connective power and believes there are so many like him out there, except dogs - they are a "sad type of idiot." Marcel quickly becomes a YouTube sensation and decides to use the internet’s power to find his lost family, his "mantel." Unfortunately for Marcel, he has a rough awakening to the manipulation of the internet's power and the illusion of its connective allure.
Thousands of fans turn into exploiters of Marcel, even using him for clout. They go as far to come to his home and alarm an alone Nana Connie, who falls and is injured because of the commotion. Taking a chance to leave his home and find connection, only to find his last family left is now in pain, Marcel reverts to his former shell, one that is more hollow and cynical. He has an existentially harsh realization that the internet can’t necessarily replace a loss of identity or community, as he now believes people aren’t there to help, "it's just a lot of nothing." Marcel understands what he seeks is authentic connection, a genuine community, but the internet isn’t that, "it's an audience, not a community."
In recovery, Nana Connie lovingly pushes Marcel to be his courageous self and not use others’ lives as an excuse not to live. But, Marcel, trapped again by the fear of losing his family, blames himself for Connie's injuries and vows to never leave her again. Marcel doesn’t want to “lose everything in the hope of something,” but Connie forces him to embrace his fears and be the brave shell she knows he is. Life goes on after loss, and he has to accept that reality in order to live. Marcel decides to be brave and accepts an invitation from his family hero Leslie Stahl on 60 Minutes. This is his chance to trust Connie, who likes Marcel best when he's brave, and be his vulnerable self on national television to find his family once again.
After a successful 60 Minutes interview, Marcel loses his chance to speak with Nana Connie again, she's gone for good after she watches her favorite shell be his brave self. Connie prepared Marcel for the reality of mortality, the cycle of life so difficult to comprehend, a final lesson about perspective that he can take with him past Connie's life. Aunt Connie reminded Marcel to appreciate the idiosyncrasies of life that he missed since his family disappeared, and that he’s not one separate piece of his home, but he’s part of a whole world. Connie's outlook on life was a symbol of guidance for Marcel, Dean, and most importantly the audience. Ultimately, Marcel reconnects with his lost family because of his courageous choices, proving that Connie was right in saying that "life goes on after loss."
In the final moments of the film, Marcel heads to the basement while his family celebrates upstairs, takes a second to feel the breeze of the wind, noises of loved ones, sounds of the washer and dryer, and to appreciate what he has in life - giving him a whole new perspective. Many coming-of-age films follow proverbial tropes and attach a hero complex to their protagonist, whereas Marcel the Shell with Shoes On chooses to highlight the heavier but sensible flaws of its lead character, which I believe makes the films' messages resonate even more. If a one-inch-tall shell can persevere in the face of humanity's greatest fears, then it's a reminder that all of us are capable of being brave to find what we've lost, even when faced with the most difficult challenge of finding community.