It’s kind of ironic that my first time watching Cars (2006) was on a road trip. I still remember how giddy four-year-old me felt watching it, giggling nonstop at the sight of cars talking and of McQueen crashing in the town. I was amazed by the displays of racing and love. But I hated the ending. I mean, why would Lightning McQueen sacrifice his life’s dream of winning the Pixon cup just to push another car across the finish line? I didn’t understand how he threw it all away so easily. It was only when I watched the film again recently that I realized that he didn’t throw anything away. In fact, the rewatch helped me see what the movie was truly about: growth, connection, empathy, and selflessness.
On my first watch, my brain wasn’t developed enough for me to understand his character growth. At the beginning of the film, McQueen was cocky, arrogant, and selfish. He was a hotshot rookie who seriously desired to win the Piston Cup, resulting in him having no one to call his friend. However, after he gets stuck in Radiator Springs, he slowly but surely starts to understand and appreciate the cars of this town. He learns to admire the place and the cars within it. It was only because of these new connections he made, because of the kind people in the town, that he experienced intense character development. He learns to feel for others. To drive in their tires. At first, he only did it out of his love for his friends. But soon enough, he did it for even his competition.
While I hated the ending of the film on my first watch, I found it rather beautiful my second time around. Where he could have left his rival, Strip Weathers, to have his last race be one of the worst in his career, Lightning stops merely an inch away from the finish line. He stood still for what felt like forever, even though it was just a moment, and turned around. He helped Weathers pass the finish line on his last race, saying, “I think the King should finish his last race.” When Weathers questions this decision, McQueen states a quote from Doc, one of his new friends and his now Coach from Radiator Springs: “It’s just an empty cup.” These two quotes from McQueen demonstrate his new character development. He now understands empathy, taught to him by his new friends, and takes those lessons to heart. His desire to win the Piston Cup is no longer a priority over others, demonstrating his growth.
Through the lessons learned from his connections to others, Lightning McQueen becomes a better person (or car in this sense). He discovers that life isn’t all about winning a cup from Doc. Rather than always seeking to take the efficient route, he stopped to take a minute and look around. To care. Through caring about the town and about the people within it, he demonstrated his new understanding of feeling for others and putting them above himself for the first time in his life. Now when I watch Cars, I understand the message behind it and the themes it carries: Only through connection and experiences with others can you truly be the best possible version of yourself.