Dear Pixar,
When I first learned that your parent company, Walt Disney Studios, was about to introduce a streaming service named Disney+, I never anticipated that the “plus” would signify inclusion.
I missed the initial buzz surrounding your innovative series of short animated films, SparkShorts, aimed at providing women and people of color with more opportunities in the animation world. It was only when Disney+ launched on November 12 and featured a SparkShorts film called “Float” that I truly grasped the significance.
At first glance, “Float” narrates the tale of a father attempting to shield his son’s extraordinary ability to fly from society—a trait that sets him apart from his peers. However, the film dives much deeper, serving as a poignant metaphor for autism and a heartfelt call to accept differences in a world that often demands uniformity.
I was inspired to discover that “Float” is inspired by the real-life experiences of its creator, Bobby Alcid Rubio, who has a son on the autism spectrum. This is the first Pixar film to spotlight Filipino Americans in leading roles.
As a Black father raising an autistic daughter, I resonated with Rubio’s narrative and was captivated by the film’s clever symbolism, particularly the recurring motif of the dandelion—a plant some see as a weed and others view as beautiful. Dandelions often stand out in manicured lawns, just as autistic children can stand out among their neurotypical peers. (My daughter, who is five, will always be a unique blossom in my eyes.)
I initially thought “Float” would remain a singular triumph in Pixar’s animation legacy. However, just before Thanksgiving, my social media was buzzing with excitement over another SparkShorts film titled “Loop,” set to debut on January 10, 2020. Directed by Erica Milsom, the film follows the story of a non-verbal autistic girl and a talkative boy who must collaborate on a canoeing trip to navigate an urban lake.
When I saw the promotional poster for “Loop,” I was awestruck—not just by the vibrant, rainbow spectrum font of the title, which nods to neurodiversity, but also because the autistic girl depicted is a person of color. This is a significant milestone, so let me emphasize: THE AUTISTIC GIRL IS A PERSON OF COLOR.
In popular culture, children on the spectrum are often portrayed as young white boys, despite autism affecting children globally. While it’s true that in the U.S. boys are diagnosed four times more often than girls (1 in 37 versus 1 in 151, according to the CDC), Milsom’s choice to diversify the representation of autism is a groundbreaking achievement deserving of recognition.
I eagerly await the release of “Loop,” hoping it fulfills the promise of its script, ideally shaped by insights from autistic people of color. Yet, in “Float,” your studio has illuminated the internal struggles many parents face as they learn to accept their children just as they are.
One particularly poignant scene in “Float” features the father, in a moment of frustration, shouting at his son, “Why can’t you just be normal?” Although this is the film’s only line of dialogue, it resonates deeply. What parent of a child with special needs hasn’t felt that way at some point during their journey to acceptance? These emotions are often bottled up, as parents fear judgment for expressing them.
These feelings stem not from disdain for our children but from our own frustrations about why certain aspects of parenting can feel excessively challenging. For instance, my daughter is sensitive to tastes and textures, only consuming smoothies and specific crunchy snacks, which leaves me constantly concerned about her nutrition.
After the father’s outcry, shame washes over his son’s face, as if to ask, “Why can’t you just love me for who I am?” The entire scene was an emotional trigger for many parents like me.
Rubio expressed a similar sentiment in an interview, sharing that it took him years to fully accept his son’s autism. He recalled how he would ask his son to stop spinning, only to eventually realize that spinning was a calming mechanism for his child.
When I shared my daughter’s diagnosis with my aunt Emily, she responded with, “What is normal?” followed by a story about an autistic boy she had met. She concluded her tale with an insightful truth: “Normal is whatever we say it is.”
Every child enters this world as a unique individual, with no one else like them on the planet. Even identical twins differ in many ways. None of us—neurotypical or otherwise—are meant to blend in. Like dandelions, we all stand out in our own special ways.
As we reflect on gratitude this season, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Pixar for recognizing families like mine, for seeing our children, and for shifting the narrative around their experiences from the periphery to the forefront. Your commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion behind the scenes is commendable, and you are helping redefine what “normal” looks like in animation.
Here’s to a new era of storytelling that celebrates us all. If you’re interested in more on this topic, check out our other blog post at Home Insemination Kit.
In summary, Pixar, your contributions to representation in animation help illuminate the unique journeys of children with special needs. Through films like “Float” and “Loop,” you are paving the way for greater understanding and acceptance.
Keyphrase: Understanding Autism Through Animation
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