We all have that favorite movie growing up that we didn’t care about if we watched it again and again. For me, it was Osmosis Jones. The titular character is a white blood cell cop who thinks he can keep crime off the streets of the City of Frank all by himself.
Catching up on nostalgic movies is fun, especially when you are doing a movie marathon at home. You can take a break by playing your favorite casino games, taking a walk around your neighborhood, or trying a tech-free activity to unplug before going back to movie binging. A quality balance makes for a great viewing experience!
The Plot of Osmosis Jones
Osmosis Jones (2001) is a live-action/animated hybrid film following the live-action main character, Frank DeTorre (Bill Murray), and the daily life on the outside of the body (live-action) and the inside of his body (animated). White blood cell, Osmosis Jones (Chris Rock) pairs up with a cold pill named Drix (David Hyde Pierce) to take down a virus plaguing Frank’s body, Thrax (Laurence Fishburne).
Thrax’s goal is to kill Frank in 48 hours. Will Osmosis Jones and Drix save the day or will Frank be gone forever? Dive into watching this dynamic buddy cop movie that will have you laughing and crying at the same time!
Highlighting the Consequences of Unhealthy Choices
Frank didn’t make the best choices for his health which caused Thrax to enter his body. His poor diet, lack of exercise, and bad hygiene showcased the cause-and-effect of how unhealthy choices can lead to more illnesses and a shorter life span.
His decision to eat a contaminated hard-boiled egg at the beginning of the movie ultimately welcomed Thrax into his body. This poor choice highlights how neglecting hygiene can lead to scary consequences. It takes a lot of encouragement from Frank’s daughter for him to finally start an exercise routine, which only happens after the climax of the film.
Simplifying Science Without Losing Depth
Despite how the movie simplifies scientific biological principles, the depth isn’t lost in how it teaches youth these valuable principles. Terms like “pathogens,” “antibodies,” and “immunity” are introduced in easily digestible ways (pun intended).
While younger audiences may not understand all these terms when first watching the film, it lays the foundation for a basic understanding of the immune system as they grow older. More mature audiences can get a refresh of their current knowledge about the immune system and even pick up on new concepts.
As Frank experiences a fever and inflammation in his legs throughout the film, these occurrences display the body’s natural responses to when a virus is attacking it. As Osmosis Jones and Drix chase Thrax throughout Frank’s body, it shows how cells and medicine work together to neutralize viral and bacterial threats in real life.
Film Awards and Nominations for Osmosis Jones
While the film is still somewhat underappreciated amongst some audiences, it did win an award and garnered many nominations at the Annie Awards over two decades ago.
Osmosis Jones won the 2001 Anatomy Award for Animation from the Animation World Network.
There were many other film nominations all at the Annie Awards that Osmosis Jones earned:
- Best Animated Feature at the 29th Annual Annie Awards.
- Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature
- Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production to Marc Hyman
- Outstanding Individual Achievement for Character Animation to Dein Wellins
- Outstanding Individual Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production to Steve Pilcher
- Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Production to William Shatner as the voice of the Mayor
- Outstanding Individual Achievement for Effects Animation to Michel Gagne