Heartwarming / Luca

"We underdogs have to look out for each other."

While Pixar films in general are no stranger to heartwarming moments, Luca is quite possibly the king of heartwarming Pixar films, thanks to its gentle and breezy tone, the bond between the main protagonists, and the film's themes of acceptance and friendship, all of which lead into one very heartfelt experience, as these scenes show.

WARNING: Per wiki policy, Spoilers Off applies to Moments pages. All spoilers will be unmarked!

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• Luca and Alberto's budding friendship in the first half of the movie, as they spend their time building a bike and jumping into the water.
• Luca marveling Portorosso for the first time as they walk through it. It's simply (as Alberto puts it) a "classic human town". In all its Italian splendor, it has the things you would expect from a town enjoying the simple joys of summer, children eating watermelons, locals going shopping, folks idly playing cards outdoors, and sunshine. It's as though the world is unwittingly letting Luca know he and Alberto made the right call leaving home.
• Giulia coming to Luca and Alberto's aid and standing up to Ercole for the latter bullying them. The budding friendship from there that blossoms between her and the boys is just as sweet.
• When Giulia first asks her father, Massimo, for money for the race, he doesn't immediately refuse due to reasons such as a lack of money (that's just his second reason). Instead, his first reason is "You get so upset when you lose," showing that though he may not have the funds to let his daughter participate in the race, he's more likely to refuse because he doesn't want to see her upset.
  • Earlier, when Giulia tells Massimo she's training the boys for the Portorosso Cup, he's a little concerned about it. Giulia tells him "Don't worry about it". His echoing "Don't worry about it?" does paint a picture that he's thinking "It's my job to worry about it" as fathers are want to do.
• The boys offering to help Massimo fish in order for the trio to afford the cost of the entrance fee for the Portorosso Cup. Massimo not only appreciates the dedication the three have towards working to earn it, but is genuinely proud and impressed when Alberto and Luca are able to assist him in bringing home a handsome haul of fish on their first trip on the water.
  Massimo: Your friends do know fish.
  • Also, when Alberto wonders how Massimo lost his right arm, the latter claims a sea monster ate it. Alberto is horrified, unto Massimo reveals he's only joking, and he was born with one arm. Seeing Massimo subvert the "Captain Ahab" archetype is part of what establishes that Massimo's character isn't driven by revenge, but rather he's just a nice guy who happens to be fascinated with hunting sea monsters. On that note, Massimo being a one-armed man is sweet when one realizes that despite whatever hardships he went through in life because of it, he still turned out okay. He managed to find love, start a family, and hold down a job as a skilled fisherman and a good man.
  • At one point during the boys' Training Montage, Alberto is helping Massimo on the fishing boat again, and in a brief but sweet moment showing that he is already starting to admire and look up to the man as a father figure, holds his right arm behind his back to mimic Massimo's one-armed method of doing things.
• Giulia shows Luca a book on astronomy, telling him all about space and planets. When Luca asks to borrow the book, she opens it up, scratches out her name, and writes in Luca's.
  • Luca’s enthusiasm with learning about astronomy and the other subjects Giulia teaches him in general. His utter zest for knowledge is adorably endearing.
• Amidst their search for their son, Daniela and Lorenzo accepting that perhaps they were too harsh with forbidding Luca from exploring the surface and sending him away with Uncle Ugo. It's a sobering scene, but as opposed to doubling down on the belief they're in the right, it indicates how much Luca's parents care about him more than they care about being right.
  • Right as they are mulling this over, Daniella sees Luca bicycling past her and instantly recognizes this human boy as her son! Although she might not understand her kid at times, Daniella is still Luca's mother, and she knows her baby boy from anywhere.
• After Luca explains that Alberto “left”, Massimo grabs his hat without a moment's pause and goes looking for him, "just in case" despite Luca saying Alberto doesn't want anyone looking for him.
• When Giulia finds out that Luca is a sea monster, she tells him to go back home, not because she is upset about being deceived, but because it's not safe for him to be in town.
• Luca's passionate promise to Alberto to win the Vespa after their falling out in order to set things right again between him and Alberto. Despite all of Alberto's lashing out and telling Luca they never should have been friends and to go away when the other tries to apologize, Luca doesn't give up so easily on their friendship.
  • In fact, Luca goes even further by doing something Alberto wouldn't expect him to do: He jumps off Alberto's tower home like he demonstrated to him earlier in the film.
  Luca: Well, maybe I'm crazy! Take me GRAVITY!
• A small one, but during the Portorosso Cup Pasta Event, Giulia showing Luca how to twist pasta onto a fork to eat the dish faster. Despite her fervently telling Luca not to thank her (as they are technically not teammates anymore), it's still a sweet gesture and one Luca really appreciates.
  • Earlier in the movie, Massimo shows this technique to Alberto.
• Alberto's return to the race. It starts to rain during the final event of the triathlon, forcing Luca to seek cover lest he be exposed to the rest of the town as a sea monster. Alberto comes to Luca's aid with a large umbrella with full intent on using it to help shield Luca the rest of the way to the finish line had it not been for Ercole's interference.
  • After Ercole knocks Alberto to the ground and the rain exposes him in front of the town, Alberto tells Luca to stay put under the roof covering so he's not exposed and therefore attacked too.
  Alberto: Just stay there! (voice breaking) You're still okay...
  • Luca's decision to expose himself anyways in order to save Alberto when Ercole snares him in a net, intending to kill him as soon as Ciccio arrived with his harpoon.
• Crosses over as a moment of awesome, Giuila ramming her bike into Ercole's to save Luca and Alberto.
  • Luca and Alberto going back to Giulia's side to help her and make sure she's okay after she gets hurt from ramming Ercole. They're right next to the water and feet away from making their escape to safety, but stick around anyway to help their friend. True Companions indeed.
• As the boys are surrounded after having their true forms revealed to the town, it is Massimo - whom we first meet declaring he kills anything that swims - who steps forward and acknowledges them not as sea monsters, but as the boys he has gotten to know lately, and says they are the winners of the Portorosso Cup.
  • It should also be noted how Massimo initially takes up a harpoon when he thinks dangerous sea monsters are going to hurt Giulia, but when Giulia shows him she's okay, and that they're actually helping her, he looks into their eyes, and sees that these are still the same boys who befriended his daughter, scales or not, and accepts them as they are. It shows not only how much he loves his daughter, but also how much he trusts her judgment.
    • His love is also just as easily shown towards the recently revealed boys. When a couple fisherman still think about going through and capturing Luca and Alberto, Massimo is right behind them, glaring daggers at them till they decided to just leave them alone. Anyone that is a friend of Giulia is a friend to him.
    • It is further taken up a notch in the end of the film as Massimo decides to take in Alberto not only as his apprentice in fishing, but also as his own adopted son, filling in the void of support that Alberto's dad caused after abandoning him(this technically makes him Giulia's adoptive half-brother).
• The vast majority of the townspeople approve of Luca, Alberto and sea monsters in the end, the few that don't at least stop coming after them and probably leave the town in disgust.
  • Signora Marsigliese, the woman in charge of the Portorosso Cup, happily awards them and Giulia the cup despite two of them being sea monsters and even calls them by their affectionate group name, the Underdogs. Even though they technically did not win as a team, she understands that they split themselves up in order to protect their sea monster identities and rewards them as a full team.
• The Aragosta sisters (the two old women seen eating gelato) reveal themselves as sea monsters after Luca, Alberto, and Luca's family have their true forms revealed.
  • Off to the side, a small group of old women take the wanted poster from the police officer and tear it up. If one interprets they are old friends with the Aragosta sisters, it makes it sweet that the women are such good friends that they still take their side.
    • The police officer herself counts as well. When the sea monsters reveal themselves she stares at her wanted poster with a look that clearly says she doesn't know what to think, but when the old ladies take it and tear it up she just shrugs and smiles along with them, clearly willing to accept them.
• Daniela and Lorenzo didn't hesitate to run to him and exposing their sea monster forms. Daniela said she's both mad and proud of him, before hugging him and crying into his shoulders. Luca comforts his mother despite their falling out. Beneath her anger, Daniela was genuinely worried for his wellbeing and wanted to see him again.
  • One should note how Daniela looks at Alberto while hugging Luca. Before, she labels him as a bad influence by only what Luca's said of him. The way she smiles tells that she now accepts Alberto as Luca's friend, seeing how much they care for each other.
• Grandma Paguro. While her interactions with Luca aren’t as major as other characters, the impact is just as prominent.
  • Her overall more open-minded attitude towards the surface and willingness to talk about “the change” and share stories of her experiences with humans compared to her daughter and son-in-law. She doesn’t talk down to her grandson in this respect or shut his curiosity down altogether just for asking about the topics.
  • When Luca flounders to come up with an excuse for where he was the day he met Alberto, she covers for him without second thought with a fib about having sent Luca to find sea cucumbers so her grandson wouldn’t get in trouble.
• Before she leaves for school, Alberto and Luca promise Giulia they'll partake in the Portorosso Cup again if she wants. She pulls them in for a hug as she says she'd rather they spend their summer simply having fun. If anything, this beautifully indicates that she only competed in the Portorosso Cup every year for only one noble cause: to end Ercole's "evil reign" so he would stop picking on the other children. She and the boys have done just that and she sees no need to further participate. Unlike Ercole (who always saw his winning streak as an excuse to torment the locals and bully children), Giulia isn't concerned with keeping up a title, and just wants her and her newfound friends to be kids.
  • This is a nice Character Development on Giulia's part. Before, she didn't know what she would do after the cup. But now that she has won, she knows: spend time with her friends.
• Giulia is boarding the train to go to Genova. Luca is sad to see her go, but Alberto tells him that he sold the Vespa, that they had gone through so much to get, in order to buy him a train ticket. His parents and grandmother then show up with a suitcase, saying they had arranged for him to stay with Giulia's mom and go to school with her. Alberto's not going, but Massimo is taking him in, so he finally has a home(and a Dad) of his own.
  • Luca asks how he'll know Alberto is okay. Alberto starts tearing up and pulls him into a hug, prompting tears from Luca as well.
    Alberto: (voice shaking) You got me off the island, Luca. (pulls back, looks Luca in the eyes and smiles) I'm okay.
  • The fact that Alberto, after struggling with his jealousy and fear of loneliness, willingly lets go of Luca's company during the school year for the sake of Luca's happiness, becoming the biggest advocate for Luca's dream of going to school. And just so that Luca doesn't forget him, Alberto gives him the picture they made of the two of them, now freshly repaired.
• The various end credits doodles showing Luca thriving in school with Giulia and her mom (and not hiding his true form from his classmates), as well as Alberto thriving in Portorosso with Massimo and the other townsfolk.
  • One shot shows Alberto and Luca's parents playing ball with the other children. Nearby, the statue in Portorosso's square fountain has been replaced with "Smuca", reflecting Portorosso's willingness to peacefully co-exist with the sea monsters.
    • Fridge-Heartwarming: Remember what Smuca's purpose was when Luca made him? To make a replacement so his family would feel as though he never left. Even in a comical fashion, it looks like Smuca has been repurposed to make Alberto and everyone less homesick for Luca until his return.
  • Not only do we see the sea monsters visiting Portorosso frequently, but at one point we actually see Massimo using a diver's suit to visit his sea monster friends at their own home. For that matter, Luca is shown showing off his nature to his teachers and classmates, so there's no problem there, either.
  • Machiavelli having kittens with another cat.
  • There's also Giulia's mom accepting Luca into her home (with full knowledge of his sea monster nature), and Luca and Giulia keeping in touch with their families in Portorosso by having everyone huddle around the telephone in Massimo's home. They also write letters to each other.

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