“Who’s to say what’s impossible?” Jack Johnson sings in the opening scene of Curious George, the movie. An adaptation of H. A. and Margaret Rey’s 1941 book series, the 2006 film brings incredibly fond memories for kids (and parents of kids) born in the 2000s.
Upon crafting this article, I realized that I needed to transport back into the mind of my five-year-old self; I needed to rewatch the Curious George film and subsequent series. Opening Hulu, my mom and I pressed “play” on the film that was released months before I was born, and we prepared to rewatch a cute, but ultimately silly children’s movie.
Only, as Jack Johnson strummed his guitar to “Upside Down,” and we watched the adorable monkey on the screen before us, we both remembered why Curious George remains a defining aspect of so many people’s childhoods: the heart-warming narrative of the man and the monkey is a profound message of love and belonging.
The film illustrates how the unusual pair meet—lonely and hungry in the African jungle, George mistakes the bright yellow hat of an American explorer for the top half of a banana. Following the “Man with the Yellow Hat” along his journey, the jungle animal eventually travels all the way to the “Big City.” There, receiving the name George, he grows a “buddyship” with the originally-reluctant man, and they become inseparable.
I was a Curious George kid. I grew up reading and re-reading the various yellow-covered storybooks, eventually knowing every page by heart. Even though my career path as a doctor did not quite work out, I treasured my George stuffed animal who donned a white lab coat and miniature toy stethoscope. Unsurprisingly, our family made sure to watch each episode of the television series, and the original movie was a favorite of our household.
Throughout this monkey-filled childhood, Curious George stood as a symbol of joy, discovery, and friendship—traits you can always find in Room 58. Thus, when met with an opportunity to create a new Shield t-shirt last summer, I could not think of a better symbol to represent Westmont’s Journalism class. Sketching a design on paper, I then drew the final design on an app on my iPhone. The knowledgeable Andy Evans sent the PNGs off, and weeks later, a large cardboard box filled with bright yellow t-shirts arrived!
As we approach the end of our time in The Shield, I really “don’t want this feeling to go away.” Thank you all for always reminding me that nothing is impossible. How lucky I am to have found a group of people to stay curious with.
