Red-headed Merida (Kelly Macdonald), the protagonist of the latest Pixar animated feature, is a refreshing take on a princess—a girl who’d rather shoot arrows than surrender to her fate and marry the spawn of a fellow Scottish clan to retain peace both in the kingdom and with her mother, Elinor (Emma Thompson). Merida starts trouble by trying to change her fate with the help of a witch—this spirals into a wacky quest to mend bonds. Brave is both funny and heartwarming, with snappy dialogue and earnest moments between characters who, although digitally rendered, are entirely captivating. Though Merida’s dilemma is, on the surface, about dudes (which suitor to marry, or not), Brave is fundamentally about her independence and individuality, and her relationship with her mother—the first, but hopefully not last time Pixar puts a young woman at the centre of the action. With any luck, next time it won’t have anything to do with nuptials.
