How Belly Movies Changed How We Think

Belly movies cast. Let that term fill your head, cause you to daydream back to the time when you saw an animated film that was nothing more than people’s bellies moving and talking. That magical time when butter would melt in buns and life itself made sense. You’d be forgiven for thinking the belly movie has been lost forever, but never fear – it has only been dormant for all this time, waiting in hibernation, until now. The renaissance of belly movies is upon us! Nowadays we are treated as spoilt brats whenever we’re not on social media checking our own updates at a rate of 130 times per minute (not thin people). But how did this revolution come about? Well, I think it can be attributed to a few things. One of the most influential films was The Simpsons Movie, which was released in 2007. This movie was so well-received that it spawned two movies of its own, both of which were very successful. Being able to laugh at ourselves is a very healthy and necessary thing to do (it’s probably the only reason we’re here).

How Belly movies changed how we think?

1. These films allow us to feel okay about ourselves

We’re used to seeing films that make us feel bad about ourselves; the white guy makes it big, the dumb guy somehow steals the girl from the smart guy or gets a corner office at work, or Tom Cruise beats up an entire army of people. We’re used to feeling bad about our failures and mistakes, so it’s nice when something reminds us that we’re on a level playing field with everyone else. There is no ‘cool’ in belly movies and there is no cool in life. The best example of this was in The Simpsons Movie; when Homer got stuck in traffic, he just did what he did best. You can’t get mad at Homer, because he’s easy to love. He’s a loser, a fool and an idiot but he’s not cool. He doesn’t care about being cool, he just wants to get his job done. I guess that’s why he’s been employed for 30 years or so and still doing it.

2. They portray common problems in a light-hearted way

What is the most important thing in life? Other people! They’re all around us, we’ve got more of them than we know what to do with (and they’re all competing for our attention). We’re often taught to be ashamed of our weaknesses, but belly movies get us to laugh about it. In the film The Hangover we learn that when you mess up a big night out, it’s okay to have a hangover (i.e. not chickening out and keep drinking). That’s something we can all relate to – we’ve all had a night where we just thought: “Hell yeah! We’re gonna have fun tonight but totally gonna regret this in the morning.”

3. They illustrate common mistakes

It’s easy to make mistakes, especially with technology these days; our phones aren’t exactly known for their stability and consistency (you’d think they’d be better off on an iPhone 6 Plus). But we’re not all tech-savvy, and this is where belly movies come in. They show us that even the smartest people in the world make mistakes. If characters are shown using computers or phones in movies, there is really no difference between them and you – they don’t know what they’re doing either! We shouldn’t feel bad about our dumb mistakes. The one thing you should do though is avoid watching belly movies before bedtime (which can prove disastrous when you see your own reflection on your computer screen).

4. They tell great stories

Stories are an important part of any nation’s culture; identity and life lessons are passed on through a collection of characters who are often focused around some kind of conflict or threat. In a similar way, belly movies teach us that life is full of conflict, but the best way to solve problems is by talking to people. In The Hangover, the bickering that goes on between the guys is what actually stops them from being murdered by tigers on a tiger-spotted boat. They’re not just silly sidekicks either, there’s a whole plot in which two of them are chased across an airport and out into the wilds of Brazil (and even at one point, one guy’s face actually gets ripped off).

5. They contain a lot of humor

Humor is the key ingredient that makes belly movies so brilliant. When was the last time you went to see a movie that didn’t make you laugh? I can’t remember. If you’re itching for some belly laughs, let me recommend The Hangover, Bridesmaids, Party Down and The Lego Movie. They’re all hilarious.

Conclusion:

There is no end to the belly movies of our future. It’s the people who are responsible for these films, and they have only just started. In just a short time they have become such an essential part of our lives that it is almost hard to imagine what life would be like without them. They have become so commonplace that we can’t even remember life before them, but the beauty of these films isn’t about swimming in nostalgia or making us want to go back in time – it’s about current events in a funny and entertaining way.