What is the hidden message in Ratatouille?

The animated film is full of small details and Easter eggs. Hidden. Or… hiding. Just like the ingredients in your pantry that you know you have but can’t find no matter what. MTV points out that not all of the hidden details are visual. For instance, when Remy the rat is in the sewer, you can hear the ‘Dead men tell no tales’ soundbite playing ever so faintly. It’s from the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ ride and it’s a friendly nod to Disney. Meanwhile, the infamous and ever-present ‘Pizza Planet’ delivery truck also makes a cameo in Ratatouille. It’s been in practically every Pixar movie to date, having made its debut in Toy Story. What’s more, a whole bunch of the Paris posters, food labels, as well as street and business signs are inside references. They’re named after people tied to the movie. For example, ‘Lasseter Cabernet Sauvignon’ obviously refers to Executive Producer John Lasseter. Similarly, ‘Bouchiba’ spaghetti refers to animator Bolhem Bouchiba. And Chateau-Jessup Pauillac Medoc is meant to point to production designer Harley Jessup.

At its core, “Ratatouille” entertains one foundational question: Should we as a people choose ignorance or empathy? In the film, rats are stigmatized to only be troublemakers, and humans to only be killers. But, Remy the rat makes a different choice. Freed from his human entrapment, Remy decides not to flee, but stays to help the bumbling Chef Linguini. Because if you can believe me just for a second, believe that this fictional children’s tale is actually something more than what meets the eye, then I believe “Ratatouille” has fulfilled its purpose. Because if any ounce of you can go against your preconceived notions about the simple Pixar movie and discover a new perspective, what stops us from doing that in life? What stops us from finding meaning in other cultures and worth in other people? Because if “Ratatouille” shows us anything, it is this: the only bad dish is the one that chooses to stay bland. But a dish that challenges its flavors, and experiments with new seasonings, is no longer a dish, but a masterpiece. Critic Anton Ego aptly reasons at the end of the movie, that a magnificent artist can originate from anywhere.