Okay, so I was talking with some people about my thoughts on Jerry Seinfeld's "Bee Movie" (which I can't offically review until Friday, so you'll have to infer my thoughts on it from this thread until then).

Anyway, the conversation turned to whether movies have to always have a message. I argued (and have been for years) that a movie is never "just a movie." Film, like any medium, is in some way a reflection of society and by its nature must in some way espouse the beliefs and ideals of the culture it's made in.

For example, in virtually all American films there is a protagonist (a hero) who we in some way connect with. We are rooting for this person and in some way they represent good (i.e. something our culture or society believes is good).

There is also some force of evil, or something that runs counter to our hero's way of seeing things, or it runs counter to what the protagonist is trying to do.

And in animated films especially there is a message of some sort. In Shrek, among the messages are staying true to yourself and being who you are. In The Incredibles it was the importance of teamwork and family and working together to solve problems. In Toy Story, sharing and teamwork, and so on and so on.

When I discuss this, I am often told "oh, really, come on. It's just a movie. Don't read into it." But that's exactly what a moviegoer, critic or not, is supposed to do, I believe.

What do you guys think?