What Marcel the Shell Teaches Us About Resilience

Marcel the Shell offers poignant and powerful insights into healing

Source: A24/Dean Fleischer Camp/Movie Insider

Big lessons can come in small forms, as in one-inch shell size.

The stop-motion mocumentary, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, co-directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and written by the film’s co-director, writer, and star, Jenny Slate, isn’t just endearing, poignant; it’s also rife with vital lessons on maneuvering trauma and loss.

Marcel the Shell embodies incredible resilience as he navigates heartache. His enduring spirit exemplifies many principles aligning with the science of human resilience for us to draw upon:

Lesson #1: Risks are worth taking to build resilience.

Resilience isn’t something that happens with a flip of a switch. Adversity and trauma can come in multiple forms, yet we are wired to adapt even when much is taken from us. Still, when we are raw from our losses, it can take time and tiny steps to gain courage and momentum, bit by bit.

As Marcel envisions possible ways to reunite with his lost family, he is fearful that it may lead to further strife but eventually builds the courage to initiate his plan, which turns out to be a risk well worth taking.

Lesson # 2: Relationships and community are vital protective factors for well-being.

The Search Institute identifies relationships among the most protective factors for resilience. Marcel the Shell’s deep connection to his grandmother Nana Connie aligns with the research that even the presence of one caring, charismatic person in our lives can nourish and sustain us through challenges. This relationship helped Marcel find the courage to stay determined to reunite with his entire family and a vibrant, nurturing community.

Lesson # 3: Naming emotional experiences is powerful.

Marcel is known for his poignant one-liners. Rather than shying away from the spectrum of emotions he experienced, he expresses them candidly and courageously. Throughout the film, he makes space for grief and joy. He names it when he is sad or apprehensive; when he’s happy, he does the same. As he puts it,” Guess why I smile? Uh…because it’s worth it”.

This checks out with modern brain science-naming our emotions can help us develop emotional granularity. Finding ways to cultivate happiness through awe and gratitude have been identified as important behaviors that spur resilience.

Lesson # 4: Perseverance pays off.

As Marcel navigated what felt insurmountable, he maintained hope and chipped away bravely at what he faced. His courage, even in the face of new loss, helped him stay the course and use his creative savvy to find his beloved family and community.

This point wasn’t only explicit within the film itself but the production. Creators Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer Camp worked for seven years with their team to bring their original YouTube sensation to full-scale production, chock-full of fun, beauty, and wisdom. Unsurprisingly, their artistic process is emblematic of the film’s messages.

Marcel the Shell provides a poignant reminder that we are capable of healing, even though trauma and tragedy, especially when we stay on the hunt for ways to heal and build resilience. The film is rich with big-impact lessons and many reasons to smile.

As Marcel would say, “It’s worth it….”