Spiritual Lessons From the 2009 Oscar Nominees

'WALL-E': Find Joy in an Honest Day's Work

6 nominations, including Best Animated Film

Who would've thought that an Old Testament-style tale could be quite so gentle? Like it or not (and really, who didn't like Pixar's latest fable?) it's a hardcore morality fable—a reimagining, in some ways, of Noah's Ark, when earth got a reboot after mankind made a mess of everything. There was no flood this time. No, it was our own penchant for stuff that got us into trouble in "WALL-E," and the resulting trash forced the earth's population onto astro-resorts, where they waited for the earth to regain its ability to support life.

Sure, the method of doom was pretty postmodern, but "WALL-E's" message might've been plucked straight out of Proverbs: There's joy in an honest day's labor. There's happiness in companionship. And there's something in those ancient "Hello, Dolly!" clips that makes you want to hold hands.